Thanks for the reply, John. I have both, but don’t carry either one on my trail walks. When I bought my new (slightly weightier) lens this week, the person advising me suggested using a monopod. I trust her advice, so may give it a try.

I keep a tripod in the trunk of my car for occasional use, but I seldom use it and I don’t take one on airline trips. When necessary, I make use of impromptu “tripods”, walls, fences, anything solid to brace the camera against if I need too slow a shutter speed to hand hold. Sometimes I end up spoiling the shot with camera motion. It has occurred to me to buy a monopod to travel with me, but I haven’t yet made that purchase. A small one would probably easily fit in my camera backpack. Do you carry a tripod or monopod?