Such a great idea, Carrie!
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I carry a LumeCube PanelMini for supplemental lighting. Mostly for plants/flowers where I want to spend some extra time to get a pretty photo. My usual document&dash just uses the flash from the Canon sx70 with homemade diffuser for when the subject is close and shadowed by the lens.
I like these ringlights too. Bookmarked for future needs.
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Did you find anything?
I did quick search and found these options:
Those both look pretty promising. TheStickPic is pretty affordable, too.
Someday, possibly one of these load-reducing, bio-mechanical energy harvesting backpacks:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210203090533.htm
This does everything. But, I am not sure how sturdy those little fold-out legs would be on uneven ground.
It looks sturdy enough for a monopod/tripod/selfie stick to me. But, I am not sure I could trust it to double as a walking stick (which I really need on some terrain).
I have a collapsible monopod, not overly sturdy, but you would be surprised how well it works as a walking pole. I think the greatest benefit is just an extra grounding point, which seems to help tremendously with balance.
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My list:
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Camera
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That random stuff that hangs out in my pockets (it varies; right now I have a face mask, pair of socks, bouncy ball, cat harness, several small rocks, some loose change, $24, hair rubber band, and a headlamp with a dead battery. Sometimes I also have up to four flashlights.) You never know when this stuff will come in handy!
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Very true; that’s why I always end up carrying around too much stuff. Also just had a fun little mind vacation imagining the iNat uses of a bouncy ball
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I have an old Eastern Mountain Sports walking/hiking staff. It can expand to about 6’, which is a pretty good length. It has a cork ball end (about the size of a golf ball) that unscrews and reveals a screw for a camera. So, it can be a monopod. Unfortunately, they don’t make it anymore. But, there are other companies that do: https://mountainsforeverybody.com/hiking-poles-with-camera-mount
There are plenty of smartphone mounts for a camera mount like this. Just search Amazon.
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I know I talked about this on the Discord, but I must have forgotten to post it here. For the forensic scale card, check out the products from https://www.forensigraph.co.uk/ - I’m pleased with the one I ordered, and they threw in some of the little sticky note ones for free!
I love this feed! Depending on where I am going, I carry different items, but on an ordinary little excursion out on the woods I bring…
*My phone, obviously
*My notebook and two pens, for taking notes
*My, birding Binos, they were only about 20 dollars and work really well!
*My Kodak camera
*A water bottle, very important especially on hot summer days
*If I’m going somewhere wet, extra socks!!!
*My pocket knive
*Flashlight
*A mini water color kit, I use my notebook for paper and any nearby water
*Field guides, I don’t like field guide apps
*Blanket
As most of these are items are pretty small, I carry them all in a small, kid’s hiking backpack from REI that is really good quality, everything fits inside except for the blanket, which is lightweight and easily tied to the top of the backpack.
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Welcome to the Forum 
that’s a good idea to use a smaller pack, more maneuverable and less likely to get too heavy from adding “just one more thing”. What kind of blanket do you use?
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Just a plain polyester ‘pillow blanket’ I got when I was little, I use it because it is already old and rather dirty, as I know it will take quite the beating in the field!
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One thing I intend to have with me but never remember until I’m away from home and need them, is a pair of fine forceps for getting thorns out of my fingers.
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I can defiantly relate to the cat harness and leash! ;)
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Another thing I love using is carabiner clips. They are soooo useful!
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One thing I learned a long time ago from watching one of those TV survival shows with Les Stroud is to carry a small plastic bag in case I need to sit down somewhere on a rainy/snowy day. Les used to sometimes carry a small rectangle of carpet which would work well in some cases, too. It would provide some padding. I found that carrying a small hand towel inside the plastic bag would work, too. And, the towel might come in handy. I also tried a small rectangle of a closed cell sleeping pad. There are some places to go birding along some railroad tracks in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. That little bit of padding was nice when I wanted to sit on the edge of the tracks and scan one of the wetlands in the Valley. I know that I have seen people using kneepads when they are digging for various things like fossils. So, why not bring along a little padding?
Note: We are allowed to hike on the tracks. The only trains that run are the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and the occasional maintenance truck.
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Well it varies, but I always remember to bring a towel…
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