That said, the Walmart aluminum Swiss Army $20 poles I had held up well. They had a twist lock and spring shock system. The grip has a small compass in it that was marginal, but they were a bargain. I gave my set to a guy that spent two weeks hiking with me on a backpack stone sheep hunt last August. He really liked them, as did I.
I have 2 pairs of really cheap Cabelas poles with those compasses. Each of the 4 points a different direction. If you don't like what one says, look at another one. At least 1 of the 4 will be more or less right.
