It was a blast renting this gear. I enjoyed using these poles, very light weight and durable. I used them on my first ski trip, mind you I was a snowboarder for 20 years. I learned to ski in around twenty minutes. The poles were a good height, and the strap held up well on the first five trips I did. The strap released well from my hand on a fall I had, which was on my second trip, and it made me more comfortable with the poles, for safety.