Turn a Trekking Pole into a Monopod
I’ve appreciated hiking with adjustable trekking poles for many years. They help with balance on uneven footing, let me use more muscles when climbing, and most importantly for me, reduce the impact to my knees on the downhills. I also like that I can bring a lightweight tent that uses the trekking poles for support, thus saving me carrying extra poles.
I also like to take pictures, and often have wanted to use a pole as a monopod to hold the camera. This would let me stick it in the ground or lean it on against a tree for a group shot, or hold it as a selfie stick. So, the requirements:
- Easy to put camera on/off, and even hike with camera in place
- Stick in ground for set shots, or use as selfie stick
- Can still use the poles for hiking and supporting tent without a lot of configuring
There are some poles that have camera mounts built in, like this one, but they don’t come in sets, and frankly I didn’t like the handles. The StickPic is kind of a cool option, but is limited to the selfie use-case and not really the monopod. And the TrekMount seems like a great option but has disappeared.
For a few trips I tried a one of those flexible “gorilla” tripods, wrapped around my pole (see above). I thought the tripod would give me flexibility for other kinds of shots — wrap it around a tree branch, or set it on a rock, for example. Unfortunately, I found that on the pole it’s janky and prone to falling off. And I didn’t use it nearly enough otherwise to justify the weight on a backpacking trip.
So, I decided to modify my Z-packs poles to put in a 1/4” threaded mount. I figured I could mount a bolt embedded in the top of the handle, and cover it with a knob, like a drawer-pull. This threaded bolt from Home Depot looked like a good option, but it’s too long and I wasn’t 100% sure the threading was right. Eventually I found this screw adapter that was meant for a camera mount, and the right length.
I also needed a knob or drawer-pull to cover the threads, since I sometimes move my grip to the top of the poles, especially when climbing. I also use the poles for my fantastic X-Mid tent, and need to put the handle down on sometimes wet or muddy ground. A little more searching found this cool knob that I think will work really well.
I clamped my pole in my vise, and drilled a 5/16” hole, a little smaller than the 3/8” screw I was threading in, but I figured I could self-tap in the hard plastic of the handle. I lined it up on the top to be behind the pin that holds the strap, but still have enough depth to hold the threads. The fit was pretty tight, but after a few tries and some persistence I got the adapter screwed in and straight up and down. I thought I might need epoxy or superglue to lock it in, but it’s pretty solid right now.
I screwed on my camera and it works great! Sometimes the small projects are the most satisfying.
