Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles
These have been in Black Diamond's line more or less continuously since this review, which tells you the design was right. Still made, still the reference point in the category.
What makes them good: cork grips that mould to your hand and do not get slimy when you sweat, external flick-lock clamps that hold in mud and wet, and carbon shafts that are noticeably lighter than aluminium over a long day.
The trade-off to understand. Carbon is lighter and it snaps rather than bends. An aluminium pole caught in rock deforms and keeps working; a carbon one can fail outright. For established trails that is a risk worth taking for the weight. For scrambling, loose boulder fields, or a trip where a broken pole ruins the week, aluminium is the wiser buy.
Use them properly: elbow at ninety degrees on the flat, shorter uphill, longer downhill, and hands through the straps from underneath so the weight hangs on the strap instead of being gripped all day. Most pole complaints are grip fatigue caused by using the straps wrongly.
Care: take them apart and dry them after wet trips. Water sitting inside the lower section is what corrodes the internals and makes a lock start slipping. Replacement tips and baskets are cheap and available, which is a real part of the value: these are repairable.
For travel, note that poles cannot go in hand luggage on most airlines. The folding Z-pole versions fit inside a checked bag and avoid an oversize charge.
Part of the guide to packing and organisation.