I’ve got a strong relationship with Platypod, as I’m sure you’ve noticed from any of my social media channels, and there’s a good reason for it. Want to very quickly take you into my mind and into my history as an Instagram Influencer.

Once upon a time I was an Influencer. I still am in a sense, but I’m talking about how I used to be registered with an agency who picked me up based on the focus and engagement I get on my Instagram account. They wanted to pay me to promote things. It sounded like a fairly good earner to me, so I did. I found that I was promoting products that I didn’t necessarily use or have any particular feelings for, and it all felt wrong. This continues now with a lot of Influencers, but it wasn’t something I was willing to continue doing. I made the decision that I was going to sacrifice money in exchange for maintaining my credibility and would only promote products or brands that I used and felt strongly about. Platypod is one of these brands, and I absolutely love their ethos and their products, so today I want to tell you all about the brand new member of their family: -

This is the Platypod eXtreme, and it’s flippin’ awesome! I’ll have some posts coming out soon on the Platypod blog that show what I’ve been up to with it, including putting it through its paces with a field test in Iceland, but trust me what I say that this is the coolest Platypod so far. Coupled with a Platyball, it’s a head turner.

I’ve been very careful to not only keep this thing off my social media, but also to keep it relatively well hidden when I’ve been using it. On several occasions, in various countries, I’ve been approached by people who have asked me what it is, and I’ve had to be very careful in my response and tell them about Platypod without saying much more.

The eXtreme isn’t far off the size of the Max, but it weighs in lighter and has much more functionality. The screwed spikes are incorporated into the design and simply twist around and lock into place, making the set-up far quicker than it was before. We also have more options for carriage with a carabiner, and more options for mounting using the strap from the Multi Accessory Kit, or with screws. The build quality is exceptional, which is something I always expect from a Platypod with their reputation of high-quality, and the eXtreme suits so many photographic situations.

Don’t be put off by the folding spikes - the eXtreme is still perfectly flat. I’ve tried and tested it in many situations and on many surfaces, including sheer ice walls, domes ice chunks, sand, grit, dirt, stones, uneven ledges, I’ve basically tried to make it all go wrong… but it hasn’t! The eXtreme has held its cool every time and helped me to get some great photos. My affinity for Platypod remains, and I can’t wait to see a whole load of eXtremes in the wild!

Platypod has a great history of Kickstarter launches, and this one was launched by the inventor of the Platypod, Larry Tiefenbrun, together with Scott Kelby on The Grid.

Much love
Dave