Trekking poles as an aid to balance in the hills have gone from being a big joke at the expense of the user to an accepted essential for anyone walking or mountaineering on rough or snow covered terrain. They are particularly useful in winter, especially when carrying a big sack. The best ones for mountaineering use collapse down small so that they can stowed in your rucksack - however, most three section poles will fit in a rucksack if you take them to pieces.