Like-em, use-em, have incorporated 'em into my shelter options.

Ideally, you want light, strong, low-vibration. The closest to this ideal would be one-piece carbon fiber. There aren't a lot of options and they need to be the correct length for you. Lack of adjustability makes them a pain to transport and less flexible on the trail and when rigging a shelter. The payoff is as little as half the weight of a light adjustable with great strength.

Two- and three-piece poles overcome the stowing and adjustability issues but are heavier and, theoretically, less strong than one-piece. The section locks--flip or twist--can work loose on the go and are an added potential failure point.

Aluminum and aluminum-carbon combos are cheaper but heavier than all-carbon poles. Carbon are not only lighter, they absorb vibration better than aluminum. Strength is model-specific, and heavy guys need to take a close look at strength because when you're breaking a fall, you can put tremendous strain on the pole.

I use 3-piece CF poles and am happy with them. They're not perfect but have tolerated five years of abuse.

Cheers,