Aluminum or carbon fiber trekking poles — which should I buy?

Across specialist subreddits like r/Ultralight and r/hiking, the consensus is that aluminum bends under heavy load while carbon can fail catastrophically (snap) on impact. If you carry a heavy pack, hike off-trail, or wedge poles between rocks, aluminum is the safer bet. If your priority is low swing weight over long miles and you treat poles carefully, carbon is worth the upcharge.