Trekking Pole Monopod

[Steve Calderaro]

I have been using trekking poles for over a year now and while I am certainly a believer in their benefits, I like the idea of getting additional use out of these "sticks". Some recent experiences with poor images in low light gave me the inspiration to use one of the trekking poles as a monopod.

These gorilla pods are well known on this forum and while I am a fan, they do require some time to set up. The benefits of this system is that the camera can be mounted on the monopod quickly and just as quickly removed with the quick-release.

I am by no means adept at carpentry, but saw how the segments of these pods came apart easily. I was able to mount on the pole simply by removing the top segment; pre-drill holes and attaching with a #6 1.25" screw.

Of course, this does make using your gorilla pod for other uses more difficult, but it is by no means permanent. It can be unscrewed and re-assembled rather easily. You may find this is necessary for also using the pole for a tarp tent. Although, I am also trying to fashion some sort of cap that could fit over the mount so unscrewing would not be necessary for tent set up.

I've searched for other means of solving this dilemma and have yet to find something that offers the versatility and lightweight benefits of this solution. I have yet to field test this so your thoughts or concerns would be appreciated.

[Todd Ler]

good job on the gorilla pod mod.

this video below was posted on the gossamer gear blog:

Simple Trekking Pole Monopod Solution

[Steve B]

I drilled a hole in the top of one of my poles, screwed in and glued in a double ended screw/bolt from home depot, one that has threads for either the camera or a tripod head. I put a nut at the top to add surface area for gluing. I carry a small ball head, and the whole set up can work like a stick-pic. I'll take a picture and add it to this post later on tonight.

Steve

[Jason Schmidt]

Can you comment on how you took the tops off? I also have BD trekking poles and was wanting to do the same. Thanks!

[Steve B]

Well, it can take me a while. But here is a picture of my trekking pole mount for a camera. Probably nothing special, and it does prohibit the use of this pole under a shelter. But it saves me about 5 ounces over a mid-size gorilla pod.

Steve

[Jack Hoster]

http://www.briangreen.net/2011/07/trekking-pole-camera-mounts.html

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