There are a lot of one person tents that use one pole. I like the one I use. I had the same concern when I bought it because I hadn't been a pole user before. So far, I haven't broken or bent one, but knowing I have a spare pole is reassuring.

It's nice to set up a base camp, leave most of the heavy gear there, compress my pack into a daypack and head out with one pole. Most of the time, the side trips are up above treeline, so it works out to have one hand free for scrambling.