Review on Ape Case TD140 Monopod by Mark Marcellus

I bought this monopod for two reasons: weight and price. I bought it here at Revain for about $13 and it came with an APE carrying case. The monopod is so light that I don't notice it when hiking. I was concerned about the build quality given the price but I have to say I was blown away by this thing. I've dunked it in rivers, lakes, salt water, raging rapids, carried it through many thickets, put it through long rains, and it just kept going. He hit the trees and I fell on him off the rocks. After all the bullying, there's only a slight wobble between the different sections, but it goes away once the latches are in place. The plastic fasteners themselves are no less difficult to use after all this time. You have to use some force to loosen them, but once tightened the extensions (which are metal) go nowhere. The painting is also more or less preserved, except for the places where it was actually nailed. The screw on the top seems pretty sturdy and I've only had it rust a couple of times and it always looked new after rubbing it down with a cloth. I can't tell if the rust came from the monopod mounting screw or my camera adapter. The rubberized bottom end is very strong and durable. The carrying case is fairly light and seems ok although I never use it. I've only used this monopod with a lightweight GoPro HD Hero, so I don't know how it will end up performing with a heavier camera. My main use for this monopod is to help me get smooth panoramas underwater or to keep it far enough away for me to appear in my shots. It is used in situations where multiple hits may be required. It says it's rated for weights up to 3 pounds, and considering how badly I beat that thing up, I'm inclined to believe it. If you need something to hold your hand, the trick is in how you hold the monopod. Because it is so light, it can be very susceptible to wind. Of course, after climbing a mountain slope, my hands tremble no matter what I use. The last thing I want to point out is that this is the first monopod I've used so I have no comparison with it. My review. The 5 stars is due to how well this device has been working after all this time (just over 2 months) compared to when I first tried it. I will have no problem buying a second or third one if this one eventually breaks. It's a great abuse for how light it is. If you need a monopod to counterbalance your camera, heavier gear may be better for you. Or tie a stone underneath - that's also possible.