I recently ordered the Geekoto 79” Carbon Fiber Camera Tripod in order to compliment my field kit. I shoot mostly landscape photography and have always been reluctant to bring along a tripod – opting to make my pack as lightweight as possible for hiking through the backcountry. I finally succumbed when I saw the price and weight of this tripod, and decided to give it a shot and see what it could do. As I carry all of my camera equipment while hiking and photographing in the backcountry, the weight of this tripod was my number one concern: if an item is too heavy I find that, more often than not, I choose to leave that item at home in order to avoid the hassle. I was, however, pleasantly surprised at the very light weight of this Geekoto tripod. From the moment the box containing the tripod arrived, I was shocked to feel not only how light the box felt (I nearly confused it for a poster tube I was also expecting at the time) but also by how compact the box was, being a bit shorter than I’d expected. Opening the Amazon box, I found a smaller, black and orange Geekoto box housing the tripod. Inside that box was a black, zippered bag with an adjustable strap. The tripod was folded up very compactly and even had a small, soft, reusable cloth bag covering the metal camera mount. The tripod was very self-explanatory and was easily unfolded and extended to full height. The carbon fiber legs, while very light, are nice and sturdy. Each leg has three locking extensions, ending with a large, grippy rubber foot at the bottom. The mount itself is attached to a fourth carbon fiber pole which itself contains two locking extensions. When extended fully, the entire setup is impressively tall. Each leg can be bent independently to varying angles and the extensions allowed the tripod to rest evenly on practically any rough, rocky, or steeply angled surface I could find. The tripod is easily leveled using the small bubble level attached to the mount. The bright orange mount is made entirely of metal and, while light, it is just hefty enough to provide a good, solid feel in hand. I was particularly impressed with the very smooth and silky movement present in both the circular and ball joints. Both joints have solid tightening mechanisms that keep each securely locked in place when not being adjusted. There is also a quick release mounting plate that can be left on the camera itself and is securely held in place by a clamping mechanism on the mount. I was always confident that my camera was in good, solid hands. Both the circular and ball joints provide full 360-degree rotation, with the ball joint allowing a wide degree of angles to position your camera. There is even a notch allowing the camera to be tipped 90-degrees for portrait photos. This notch also allows full 360-degree rotation of the camera, giving you the ability to position the camera for shots pointing straight up at the sky or straight down at the ground. The extensions attached to the mount can even be removed and reattached from the underside of the tripod, allowing the camera to hang underneath. I found this feature to be perfect for photographing tiny plants and insects. A botanist looking to take high quality macro shots of plants would probably find this feature quite useful. Lastly, one of the three legs features a soft, foam grip and a detachable connector. This allows one to fully remove the leg and reattach the metal mount to the top – creating an extendable monopod. Both the leg and mount are quickly and easily removed from the rest of the tripod, and just as easily reattached. I found this feature useful for quick hikes where I did not anticipate needing a full tripod but still wished for a way to keep my camera sturdy and steady for shots. I wouldn’t rely on the monopod as a full-blown walking stick, but it held up quite nicely on the sharp, rocky, uneven ground of the desert where I live. I took this tripod out with me on trips through the desert for about a month before writing this review. As someone who rarely takes tripods along on hikes, I found this particular one to be easily incorporated into my field kit. I didn’t really notice the extra weight, and the carrying bag allowed me to strap the tripod to my back and keep it out of the way whenever I wasn’t using it. The tripod and bag actually weighed less than my entire camera bag with camera, three lenses, and various accoutrements. Because of this, I’d say I’m far more likely to bring the tripod along with me on longer treks. Despite its lightness, I found the tripod to be very durable. All of the extensions and locking mechanisms continue to work perfectly, despite the dirt and dust of the desert. Each leg is smoothly extended and firmly locked in place, with the entire unit able to be quickly extended or collapsed between shooting locations. The tripod survived being dropped on the rocky ground multiple times, with no apparent damage. It even survived a trip bouncing around in the bed of my truck after I forgot to stow it away in the backseat. It can be hard to be gentle with equipment out in the rough backcountry, so it was nice to know the tripod could withstand the conditions I put it through. I think that the Geekoto 79” Carbon Fiber Camera Tripod would make a great addition to any photographer’s kit – especially those who carry their gear on foot and wish to be able to quickly deploy a tripod when needed or stow it away when not needed. To be honest, given the price and the relatively unknown manufacturer, I didn’t have high expectations in the beginning. But I must say that this tripod easily outperformed my expectations and can hold its own against more expensive and well-known tripod setups. It managed everything I asked of it, and then some. I would definitely recommend this tripod to anyone seeking an affordable, light, and compact camera tripod. I look forward to bringing it along on many more photography trips.