Use either my pack frame, a free standing bipod, boulders, stumps, or trees. I can not get the desired stability from a single stick unless I have the time and place to get it firmly wedged into some sort of structure.
By itself, my trekking pole is pretty wobbly. However, it's easy to find a way to stabilize it. I can brace it against my leg if sitting or kneeling. A very good way is to grab the pole and a small branch of a bush in the same hand. Then pull the pole away from the bush to get the branch tight. It's almost as rigid as a bipod and a lot faster to use.
