I see trekking poles seem to be in vogue. Did you find trekking poles worth carrying, or were they one of the things you mailed home after awhile ?
I tried some out on a hike or two, and my impression was they were great for stream crossings, and areas with lots of rock that might otherwise trip you up occaisionally - but they didn't seem to make walking any easier on most of the trail and just became irritating.
So, are they worth carrying for a thru-hike ? The collapsible ones are significantly heavier than the short tent poles needed for tarptents...
Thanks.