RE: 4 or 5 inch vanes?
Aligning your broadhead with your fletchings is a wivestale, I would not recommend a 5" vane or feather unless you are shooting over a thiry inch arrow, and if your bow is tuned properly you don't need more than a straight to slight offset, helicals are for people with bows that are not tuned properly, or do not have proper consistent shooting form and want a more forgiving arrow. Don't bother with the 5" vanes
If you are shooting carbons, I prefer vanes, but it's up to you.
From my experience vanes are very durable, The pros of feathers do out weigh vanes, but with a good carbon you don't need them.