A note on tripods. Last summer I took two small trips and didn't have a tripod at that time. I brought a small ziplock bag of rice, which most of you who camp already have with you on tours. Place the bag on any rock or stump or whatever and then set the camera on top. You can shift the camera to whatever angle you need and it's really sturdy. Downside is when there isn't anything to set the bag on, but what I would do is put my helmet on the ground and the bag on top, so that I could at least be able to look through the viewfinder without my face being on the ground.
ErickL: For some reason I had never thought of that setup. I think the camera bag I have would work great with that setup. Thanks for the idea.