Wait, he said he only picks loads he can set up from the same spot? Like the same dock, same yard, same parking lot? Because that sounds less like a strategy and more like a guy who just hates driving anywhere new. I ran it his way for two months too and my cycle times tanked about the same as yours, so either we both did it wrong or he was straight up messing with you. My guess is he found one sweet lane where it actually worked and turned it into a whole philosophy. Some guys just like sounding wise in the lunchroom.

Tried the same thing after tweaking my shoulder last spring, one stick just made more sense. Still bring both poles for big mile days with a pack though, the extra support on tired legs is worth it. For day hikes the single stick wins every time lol.

Ugh, same scam happened to me in Whitby, paid forty quid for planted junk.