Hi, I've been hiking since August on the PCT. I've gotten most of my equipment, sheared off weight and am in pretty good shape. My question regards trekking poles, I current have MSRs which don't retract. I'm currently looking at Lekis, any suggestions as to which one? I've had 3 spine surgeries in the past 8 years, so poles are a real plus for me. Thanks for any suggestions.

A lot of PCTers like the Leki Super Makalu poles.

I'd recommend not getting the anti-shock device. It does nothing for me (my old poles, Leki Makalus, have them) and makes a LOT of noise (click, click, click at every step gets annoying really fast). You might want to try renting or borrowing first to see what works best for you. I thought I'd have trouble with my carpal tunnel syndrome, but I don't.

I currently use the Leki Carbonlite poles and are very satisfied with them. They are quite pricey but I fortunately caught them on a good sale. It's a real plus to have less weight to lift with each arm swing!

Excellent website on how to use your poles: Pete's Pole Pages.

You are absolutely on target. Anti-shock devices are silly. Anti-shock is why arms bend at the elbow.

I use Gossamer Gear's Lightrek 4s-- the pair weigh around 7oz.
http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/Lightrek4_Trekking_Poles_Matte_Black.html

Thanks so much for your input, glad to know about the anti-shock feature, I couldn't imagine how that would help. Will do my research now into which one to purchase. Thanks again, this site has been a real help in so many areas.

I'll second the Gossamer Gear recommendation. I have a set of their older adjustables and have been happy with them. I think they're around 3.6 oz each, but don't quote me on that. Another good brand to try is Titanium Goat, but I don't know if they sell fixed ones: http://www.titaniumgoat.com/poles.html