I hike with my dog about 5 miles every day. I recently started to use poles, which have been great for clearing debris from the trail, and fighting off unwanted attention from unruly dogs on the trail.
I have a pair of lightweight aluminum twist to lock collapsible poles, but after 12 days of use the twist lock mechanism failed on one.
I am looking for something that is going to be more sturdy. I do not need ultra light weight, as the initial thought behind using them was for an upper body workout while hiking. AMA having a little more weight to them should I need to use them as a club would be welcome.
I use bamboo poles that are cut to size for my height. They are sturdy and strong, but lightweight, so they may not be exactly what you need for the workout piece. They have an changeable rubber tip on the bottom that I swap when it loses its grip.