Fustest With The Leastest

General Bedford Forrest was nearly right - he used to give his formula for success on a battlefield as " Git thar the fustest with the mostest .". He frequently did, though the logistics eventually defeated him.

In the case of a the wise traveller, it is still good to get thar fustest, but if you try to take the mostest you find that your back and legs give out. The images we take may be as insubstantial as thistledown, but the damn cameras, bags, lenses, tripods, and accessories are not. The fully equipped enthusiast who lurches from the hotel on Day One at 9:00 loaded down like one of Sullivan's mules will eventually be brought back at 4:00 by either a taxi or ambulance attendants. Day Two of the venture will be harder still, and Day Three will see them sitting in the hotel bar developing a case of the regrets.

Look at the Cullmann Freestyler in the picture. An extendable pole with a small ball and socket head at the end, and attachemnt for either a flash or a camera. It makes a good handle to put the camera or flash up above the crowd. Or round a convenient corner. It makes a tabletop monopod. Depending on how you orientate the stick you can take selfies in either landscape or portrait mode. It has a 1/4 threaded socket on the bottom of the stick and you can attach it to the top of a tripod to make a light stand. It may be possible to use it at a Girl Guide campfire to toast marshmallows...

Remember every 10 grammes of weight that you save as you leave the hotel becomes a kilo when you return. And 5 Kg the next day....