A few long-time users I know won't use the straps at all, fearing they'll break/strain their wrist or arm if they do.
I would be in this group, but mostly because I don't like the feel of something around my wrist, and if I need to drop the poles very quickly for some reason, that's impossible to do with the straps on. But mostly, I feel less constrained in my overall use of the poles when not using the straps. Just personal preference. I've tried it both ways. If I could get rid of the straps on my pair, I would.
CaT
