I went for years without using them, thinking that they were more of a crutch than anything and that only older people really needed them. Was I wrong. Once I bought a pair (with the shock absorbers), I was hooked. I never do Whitney or anywhere in the Sierra without them. Well worth their weight.
Their value: Balance and keeping you from falling in during some stream crossings, giving you something to lean on and leverage with when negotiating rocky steep uphill, saving your knees going downhill, and saving you from falls if you use them as extra appendages, which essentially they are. Others have used them for more varied uses than these. If for no other reason, think of how many jarring steps your knees will take in a 6,100', 11.2-mile descent down Whitney.
I would (and did) spend the $150. Good investment.
The only way I find them a minor pain is when you pause to take a drink or take pictures.
In that case, you just lean them against a tree or rock, or stab them into the dirt so they stand erect.
CaT
