1) Price-it has to be cheapish. Lets say under $100 but ideally $60-80. My mistake last time was I decided to get a Gitzo, started saving up money... got side tracked and never ended up getting any sort of tripod. I would love a gitzo but I rarely use a tripod, so even though i want to start using one more often, I don't need anything top of the line. Most of my $$ is tied up right now but I still want one so lets see what I can get.
2) Compact-This is an important one, it has to be relatively small and lightweight. I plan on taking this tripod on trips with me, hiking, backpacking, etc... The less I carry the better. Both weight and size are important to me here.
3) Durable-I'm going to be shooting in dirty/wet areas. I don't want a tripod that is going to get gunked up from dirt or mud immediately or rust after I have it in the water for a bit. Don't get me wrong, I would obviously clean it off after such a shoot but still I want something that can withstand the elements as much as possible.
4) Versatile-Something that can get low and high...need I say more?
Ok I realize this is a broad request, I'm sure there are 100s of possibilities out there. But if you guys have any suggestions they are more than welcome. I plan on using this tripod for a variety of types of shots... long exposures (water, night, etc..), landscape photography (HDR type stuff), and less so but also for long distance wildlife photography.
I remember before when I was trying to find a tripod I was reading various reviews and discussions and most people were saying how you need to buy a good tripod right away as you will end up spending more $$ in the long run replacing shitty tripods and how you can only trust your equipment on quality pods, blah blah blah. I see where they are coming from but a quality tripod just isn't in the budget right now so as much as I would like a gitzo or some other $500+ tripod its just not going to happen. Lets consider this one a "bridge" tripod to tide me over until I come around to the mindset that I need a top of the line pod and have a chunk of cash for it.
And just to keep you guys entertained, here's a few photos I wish I had a tripod for...
Balanced the camera on my knee for these next 2...



Any general advice is always welcome and brand suggestions, tips, etc are also appreciated! And for those of you who regularly or occasionally use a tripod feel free to share what you like/dislike about it what brand it is, when its useful, and so on.