If you have a consumer-grade camcorder, such as the Flip MinoHD (2nd Generation), like I do, you probably should use a tripod of some sort to stabilize your shots. Obviously, if your camcorder is smaller than a deck of cards, you probably aren’t going to lug around a full sized tripod. Luckily, mini-tripods exist, which are (almost) pocketable, and make steady shooting easy. The GorillaPod is a prime example.

The GorillaPod.

The GorillaPod is a mini-tripod for cameras and camcorders with an interesting feature: bendable legs that conform to almost any surface. As you might imagine, it is very effective when placing your camera on uneven surfaces, such as rocks, blankets, and nearly anything found in nature. The extreme flexibility of the legs also allows you to clamp it onto vertical, horizontal, and diagonal handrails, chair-rails, guide-wires, and what have you. Indoors, chair backs make a great, impromptu stand.

GorillaPod, attached to a vertical chair-rail.

Flat surfaces, however, are more challenging to deal with. Every “node” of these legs, including where the legs and mount attach, is posable, and there is no easy way to perfectly straighten them. This means that you have to manually adjust the mount to ensure the camera is level. That’s a minor inconvenience for such a cool and flexible tripod. I’ve even found that I can use its legs to steady the camera even while I’m holding it.