I shopped for quite a while for a trekking pole that would double as a mono-pod. I chose these because they are from a USA based company. From an Amazon fine print "All products are designed and manufactured in the US with US made and imported components. Final assembly is done in Portsmouth, NH." (Kind of like everything else.) As an American worker "Made in America is important" assembled in the USA is a close second.
The poles are very lightweight and thin. They seem quite sturdy but I would hesitate to put a lot of weight on them for support. I'm old school and still equate strength and sturdiness with some heft and density so take my thoughts as merely an opinion. I'm not going to try and bend the poles to test the strength.
The threaded stud for the camera doesn't inspire confidence for me. It feels like it was added as an afterthought and selling point. The **** appears to be aluminum and that metal won't take repeated changing of cameras and ball heads with steel inserts before the threads start to deform. There is a looseness of the studs themselves which makes me want to keep tightening the head down but that won't solve the problem, the stud itself is loose in the top of the pole. I'm not at all comfortable putting an expensive camera on a mount that wiggles around. I have no idea when that wiggle would become a separation from the pole and my camera along for the ride if I don't have it tethered to a wrist strap of it's own.
My wife likes the poles so they won't go to waste. I'll hand them off to her. I'm still not sure what I'll do for a mono-pod but it seems like I'll be back to shopping.
My wife has had several falls and her prior walking sticks felt too flimsy and didn’t offer her enough support. A friend who is a physical therapist recommended your poles.
These make her feel very safe, even on uneven ground.
Ross & Linda
I have used the large round rubber replacement pole tips for about 1 1/2 years now and they have been great for my Nordic Walking. Because of balance issues and arthritis, I never leave home without them. They provide great traction on all surfaces. One suggestion is to check the tips every few weeks and rotate them so that they wear evenly.
I use the Smart Crutch because canes or crutches with horizontal handles give me symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. I usually use one crutch for balance, and have the forearm support adjusted close to a 45 degree angle. A recent knee injury means I now need the option to put my full weight on two crutches. My new crutch arrived quickly, and I adjusted both crutches almost horizontal, so I'm taking the entire load on my elbows. So far so good! And a bonus I didn't anticipate was that the crutches are safe to have in an MRI suite, which simplified getting imaging quite a bit. I'm a huge fan!!
I was looking for crutches that wouldnt hurt my wrist but were foldable or otherwise more portable for public transit. I couldn't find any, but I found this!
This little bag definitely helps make my crutches more convenient, and I don't have to scrounge through my big bag every time I need something. Really good for when I'm out and about!