>>2667993Their answers wouldn't differentiate "day hikes" since you can still walk a long way over rough terrain carrying a pack on a day hike.
The consensus I seem to see is that distributing load to upper body helps prevent/stall leg fatigue, eases pressure on joints especially going downhill and can help substantially with balance especially when heavily loaded over certain types of terrain. Poles also have miscellaneous uses like checking water depth and warding off vicious squirrels.
Downsides are increased heart rate and energy expenditure (arms/shoulders/torso are not as efficient for locomotion as legs) and getting in the way when scrambling or climbing. In general it can be a pain to be stow and retrieve them frequently. Over-reliance on poles may discourage muscle development and techniques for good balance and joint support.
Apart from the pack weight factor, all the pros and cons apply similarly to single or multi-day hikes. (assuming a sufficiently long day hike-- the fatties on this board seem to consider a "day hike" to mean walking half a mile from the parking lot and back).
