Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Are trekking poles necessary/recommended?

I own those poles without the shock absorbers. I used Leki shock absorbers for year and prefer the former after using the BD for the last 4 years.

Do you need them to do Mt. Whitney? No, but they will help.

However, they are a want, not a need. They are something you buy after you buy good footwear, pack and the 10 essentials.