I love walking but suffer with a back problem that can make walking painful. A few years ago I decided to buy a pair of trekking poles after borrowing a friend's poles and finding that they really helped me to walk further with less pain. Trekking poles are really good for reducing the impact on all joints but in particular your knees.

I knew I wanted to buy a decent pair as I wanted a pair that would last. Having researched what was on offer I decided to buy Leki trail walking poles. The American company Leki are leading manufactures of skiing and trekking poles and have been trading for over 60 years. All the reviews that I read about their trekking poles were positive and they are widely available.

Leki trekking poles are made using aluminium making them both lightweight and strong. They can be adjusted to suit all heights by simply twisting and then locking the poles into the correct position. The poles have a soft grip handle with safety strap. They can be extended to 145 cm and collapsed to 65 cm. The poles have a carbide tip that makes them secure to use on ice or slippery rock. The tips can be replaced. Each pole weighs just 273 grams. The poles are coloured red and black.

It is recommended that you use two poles to gain maximum benefit. I find that they make a huge difference when walking particularly when it is icy or when walking downhill. The poles help give extra security and take the pressure from my back and knees. The poles are also great for helping a fellow walker over slippery rocks when crossing burns.

These poles are widely available and I think I paid around £40 for the pair from a local outdoors shop. If I had to find any negative points it would be that there are no markings on the poles so it can be difficult to adjust both to the same length.

Overall I think these poles are an excellent buy and they have enabled me to walk further with less pain. Highly recommend!