Every now and again a product comes along that makes you ask yourself, "why didn’t I think of that?" This is one of those moments. I got sick of taking the self-portrait summit shot with outstretched arm that always seems to result in a crappy picture. So I went searching for a small, lightweight tripod for my tiny little point-and-shoot digital camera.

I picked up the Joby Gorillapod last week at REI before making a trip into the Eastern Sierra. Long story short: it’s perfect. It’s small and lightweight. It takes up almost no room in your pack. It provides a stable platform for your camera wherever you happen to find yourself. Attach it to a tree branch, a rock, a car door handle, whatever. It has grippy material on the arms, so it fits securely to whatever you’re attaching it to.

I’m not affiliated with these people, btw. I just tend to get a little too excited about good gear.