First, hiking poles: I started using them about 1 1/2 years ago and don't know how I ever got along without them! They have saved me from several falls, at least one of which would have been serious. They are really great for fording creeks. They really save my knees (one of which hasn't been 100% since reconstructive surgery after an X-C skiing accident 19 years ago) on the downhill. And using them for my daily walks around home (with rubber tips over the points) turns exercise walking into a whole-body exercise. Here is an excellent site on how to use them (thanks to somebody who posted it on this forum back when I first got my poles). My one caveat is that after a year of use I decided that I don't need the anti-shock feature. It is a bit noisy and certainly adds to the cost of the poles. For someone with arm/shoulder joint problems, though, the anti-shock feature is probably a good idea.

Don't get me started on gear stores, espcially REI, or on Backpacker Magazine! I'm liable to run on for pages and may use some vocabulary not suitable for this forum! I just want to say that my history with REI is that I inevitably get stuck with green teenage clerks who don't know anything. I know there are some experienced clerks around, but I suspect that there is a conspiracy that when an elderly lady walks in they assign the greenest clerk. So what if she may be the next Grandma Gatewood! Anytime I've bought something was recommended by Backpacker Magazine, I've been sorry afterwards.

Any time I encounter beginning backpackers, I refer them to this site, particularly to the articles on the home page!