Somehow, whenever Dani and I go on a trip, we end up shopping for it. This time we bought better carry-on suitcases with laptop bay, since we will try to cut down on our check in luggage.

We also end up buying camera stuff, even if we buy just a filter or some other accessory.

This time we will go on a big city trip in the eastern USA and Canada. Big tripods are always a hassle on trips like this. Even if you would choose to lug a big tripod through a city, officials often restrict access to public places if you carry a tripod. They automatically assume that you make a load of money from your pictures, just because you plan and choose not to have blurry pictures.

On this trip we are going to better the odds in our favor with our new Gorillapods. We bought the large version (Gorillapod SLR-Zoom) which is surprisingly small. It appeared bigger on the pictures. I think you also need a tripod head, although you can screw the pod into your camera directly, some positions require the head. I am using my Bogen Head in the picture.

Attaching the pod to the tree is surprisingly flimsy. I do not expect to get superior results from this, especially on a windy day. I have to remember to turn on the mirror lockup feature, even with moderately long exposures. When I am back from the trip, I will post a Gorillapod review.