This is a great thread. I'm in my forties and just this year got some LW sticks. I don't like to put large gaps between the sticks...when descending in the dark I prefer to have the next stick down at a gap that replicates the distance between the steps on the sticks. Due to this I purchased a 5th stick. This allows me to get up a decent elevation and have nice even spacing between the steps and also be able to have the very top stick so that its well above the platform - Randy