I always have a stash of good Beaver Sticks, and I usually offer friends their choice of them when we hike, but a lot of them decline.

That surprises me, because I use mine, a lot.

But, based on what I've read here, I think it has a lot to do with hiking style and location. I can see where trekking poles would work great on a trail, and I know you wouldn't want an 8ft staff while bushwhacking here in the Ozarks, where there are so many low hanging branches.

A friend of mine fashioned a foot peg, like the ones that fold up on a dirt bike, onto a hiking stick so he could use it as a step for wet crossings. He uses it kind of like a stilt, but with only one leg, and for one long step. He told me there is a commercial product that is similar, but I've never looked into it. It actually works pretty good for creek crossings, which we have a lot of here.

I thought a retractable knife in the tip of my staff would be cool. Then I could turn it into a spear in case a bear wanted to eat me. So far no bears have shown an interest in that though, so I've procrastinated in actually making it.