If you have ever been hiking and wanted a tripod to stabilize your photos, but didn’t want to lug along extra pounds of photo equipment, you haven’t had much choice. There are some small tripods out there that you can use, but your point of view when shooting in nature is often very low to the ground, or you need a tree branch or rock to work off of.

The TrekPod and TrekPod Go look like well-constructed walking sticks, but the bottom section opens up James Bond-style to reveal a small tripod, and the top has a screw thread to match a camera base. It can become a perfect walking stick, a monopod, or a surprisingly effective camera stabilizer.

There are two models, the Trek-Pod and the Trek-Pod Go. The Go breaks down to about half the length, which is great if you need to pack it in your luggage for a trip. If you don’t need that capability, you can save some money with the standard TrekPod. Either one would make a perfect gift for the hiker-photographer in your life.

Harris Fogel, Posted 12/20/2007

For more information visit: www.trek-tech.com