How about this for backpacking tripod?

[lewdog]

I'm curious to see what you all think about this combination as a cheap, lightweight backpacking tripod.

I currently have the classic 055xprob/488rc2 setup. I could use the 488rc2 on top of the gorillapod slr-zoom:

http://www.joby.com/products/gorillapod/slrzoom/

It only weighs .5 pound for a total of right at 2 pounds total with the head. After adding the head, it'd support about 5 pounds of camera and lens, which would seem to be fine for my 50D and my 70-200 4IS, which is the heaviest lens I own. Lens + camera weigh 3.5 pounds.

I know that there are taller, cooler, sexier tripods that people use for backpacking out there. The draw to this combo for me lies in the fact that it's cheap ($40 to buy the slr-zoom at REI, $0 after the gift cards I have) and that it would be really light. Seems like it would stable enough, maybe not as tall as I'd want, but also give me some sort of cool placement options I'd otherwise not have.

What do you guys think? If this is a totally inane idea, do you have any suggestions for cheap/light ways to stabilize a camera for backpacking?

[_aravena]

No, get their new one if you're actually looking to replace a tripod with one of these. The zoom is not bad but acts more as a bean bag than an actual tripod. I'll set it up for macros, self portraits on a table, or use it as a stsabilizer (i.e. Medieval Time I put it on the table like a monopod) and it does fine. Out hiking or something. No...not tall enough and no where to set it. Maybe certain shots but if you can, I'd go for the new one.

[Jon]

Yeah, that. But you probably don't want the head on one. Just flex the legs accordingly.

[_aravena]

Yeah. If you're using it as a tripod. I used my ballhead to manuever quick, like a monopod.