I've noticed that there are a lot of hiking/backpacking type people here, and thus it occurred to me last night that maybe someone knows from this:
You see, I decided to try out the walking-stick-with-tripod-screw concept out last year, and I tried a sort of 'guide pole,' I think they're called, ...the rationale there was not for camera support to be the primary function, (rather to help me negotiate snowbanks and the like, when some rheumatoid issues make me kind of stiff and unsteady) ....and it might as well be some kind of camera support, too, especially cause where else are you going to put a stick when you need your hands to shoot. )
Anyway, I got something cheap to try out the concept, (It's kind of like a collapsible ski pole with a tripod screw on it) and it came with a pretty cool screw-on crook meant to steady a shotgun or spotting scope at about eye level. This works out *great* for my purposes, (in that it stays out of my way and helps compensate for when I'm having some muscle weakness) except the pole itself is rather too bendy to really brace good against and actually get some advantage with slow speeds and the like.
Since we hope to return to that snowy place, especially, (though they're handy following my botanist partner around down here, too) I'd like to improve on this skinny aluminum pole. Probably short of getting a particularly-light monopod (pricey and maybe not as abuseable,) but something less springy.
I imagine there are better-quality poles like this out there. Anyone have a recommendation?