My wife and I are just getting into backpacking this year. Fortunately we are located in the northern rockies of Montana and have a plethora of options. One of the things we thought about purchasing was a mediocre set of hiking poles.

Now, we aren't people that just go out and buy stuff on a whim...so we spoke to some friends, did a lot of research online, and eventually came to the conclusion that we'll just wait and see how we feel after a few trips. Neither one of us have back issues or knee problems...but then again we've never carried a pack 5-10 miles in a day. Although some of our day hikes have been 15-20 miles in a day.

Anyway, one bit of info I found online was a video explaining how the poles should be used. I found it pretty helpful. It explains how to use the straps, how/when to adjust the length, and also the correct technique and form. Hopefully anyone looking into buying and using poles can find this video helpful too <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Video: http://rodale.typepad.com/backpacker_gearcasts/

Note - you'll have to scroll down a bit, it's under the heading of "Backpacker's Gear School: Trekking Poles"