I have a few hundred AT miles and many scout trips on the Ruta Locura CF poles in my Warbonnet Ridge-runner. The best configuration we've found is to have 5 equal sections made. You will end up snapping a section at some point and the 4 sections with the nipples will be interchangeable. Go ahead and have him send you 2 middle sections with one as a backup. As my son and I both use this carbon pole configuration, we also keep an end section on hand. Insist on the solid ferrules for strength. This coupled with the Ruta Locura 2-piece hiking poles (foot section) allow for excellent backup.
The art of snapping a hammock pole is another discussion, though it's always the head pole that snaps, and there's little worse than snapping a hammock pole and having to improvise with a tree branch in the middle of the night.
I just wrote this for backpacking light. They did an excellent, unbiased, comparison of hiking poles
https://backpackinglight.com/lightwe.../#post-3565312
Don't forget the functionality of poles with hammocks and tarps. The Ruta Locura also fit the foot section of a Warbonnet Ridge Runner Bridge, while compressed, perfectly with the adapter. Poles can be used to pitch a tarp in porch mode or in other configurations. The Ruta Locura also fit with a takora fly fishing kit. I'm a real fan of the Ruta Locura, with about 200 AT miles on my pair, though I use Z-poles while traveling due to their ability to break down into 3 sections.
The BD Z-pole straps last about 50 trail miles (they are crap). I've been through 3 pair and now use just nylon webbing.
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