My wife and I use trekking poles for basically the same reasons JohnK lists in his first paragraph. In addition, we find the poles also relieve that swelling you get in your hands when they dangle at your sides for long periods when walking. I don't know what that is called, but you'll know what I mean if you've done much hiking, especially in warm weather.
We are in our mid to late 50s, so we appreciate the knee support as well as the balance provided by these 3rd and 4th legs, especially when coming down slopes with loose rocks or crossing streams (see my avatar).
Like JohnK, we use relatively inexpensive adjustable poles and find they work just fine.
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DayTripper
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