As a backpacker, I purchased these before hiking the Long Trail in Vermont. These held up through the nearly 300 miles tricky terrain which included rocks and roots. These supported the weight of myself and my pack at times without difficulty or damage. At the conclusion of the trail, the cork began cracking slightly, which I did not feel was terrible given the abuse they sustained, but I contacted Foxelli to inquire about the warranty out of curiosity. After sending photos, and talking with very responsive and pleasant customer service, it was determined they would replace the poles just in case the cracking was a defect. Based on this experience, I would say both the product and customer service is great! I recommend these poles whenever I get the chance and it's always refreshing to use companies which stand by the products they produce.