Easton ATR-60

These are decent poles for the price but at a 1lb. they're heavy. The powder coat length indicators don't hold up so mark your spots with a scratch. Also keep in mind that these are rigid poles.

I found these poles for a steal but was still hesitant to buy them since I'm a firm believer in "you get what you pay for." For $30 I figured what the hell and got them anyway. I've now had them for the past 3 years and use them for both hiking and snowshoeing. They don't blow me away, but I'm not disappointed and feel I definitely got more than my money's worth.

The downsides are:

At just over 1lb, these poles aren't what I consider lightweight. There are much lighter carbon fiber and aluminum poles out there, but you'll pay a whole lot more for them.

My biggest disappointment is that the powder coat painted length indicators started wearing off after about the third use. I finally scratched down to the metal to mark the lengths I use most frequently.

Finally, the powder baskets push on to the tip of the pole rather than screw on. Instead of a flush fit where the top of the basket seats against the bottom of the pole, they're angled and can be difficult to line up and push on completely. However, once they're on they definitely don't come off.

Now the good stuff:

These poles are compact which was one of the big selling points for me. I don't always use poles so I wanted something that I could easily slide into or strap on the sides of my different packs. They barely stick up above the top of my Deuter and Kelty packs so there's no risk of them getting hung up on low hanging branches. The straps are also adjustable, and the foam padded grips are comfortable and have held up really well.

I'm impressed with the Real-Lock (their name) locking mechanism. It's easy to adjust, even with gloves on, and it does its job really well. Being rigid poles, I was afraid they'd slip, especially on a rocky trail with continuous impact, but I've never had to adjust them once I have them set.  The tips have also held up better than I expected.

The fact that these poles came with snow baskets is another thing in their favor, especially considering their price point. Because of their design, it doesn't look like I can replace the baskets with any kind of one-size-fits-all or screw-on options so when they finally break, I'm hoping I'll still be able to get replacements from Easton.

While these poles are definitely not top of the line, they're not garbage either. I'd pass on them if you're doing the PCT, AT, CDT or any other long distance treks where weight is a major factor. For snowshoeing, day hikes, or a weekend trip to the backcountry, I'd say go for it!