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Ian, Here’s a half-baked idea for you. Any merits please stand on my shoulders.
This is conceptually similar to what I was thinking for a portable drop-keel for a small boat; where the dimensionally-awkward keel would be hollow then when in place, or at setup, several closed-bags of lead shots (or even sand) would be dumped in and the top secured off.
Here, such a pier must be multi-purpose, using little extra stuff/volume/weight, and as packable as possible.
So, a hollow cylinder (or two halves if can be solidly fastened) with a shelf close to the bottom, then say two more removable/securable shelves higher up sitting on inner flanges. Round is a must for better solidity against winds. During travel store stuff in it. At stops, set as a table, with another folded piece –it could even hold up a market-umbrella! If metal you could even cook on it. At night you could leave stuff stored there too, lidded against (bears or) dingoes.
For telescope, drop a bag of heavy stuff down the bottom if not already. Secure down the next shelf and drop another bag of heavies on it; then the next; but one shelf might work.
‘Stuff’ can be canned food, chains, oil can, a non-moving sleeping person (just checking if you’re reading), or containers filled with water at destination (when leaving, the water there is a great incentive to wash down the car/avan).
Cans have to be bagged! You don’t want to get out piecemeal 79 cans to get to the baked beans next morning.
An added possibility is a loose sandbag, large and flat with not much sand, to maybe help level the ground a bit.
Well…. Might not suit this but I had been eyeing those big electrical cable drum thingy. Would likely need hacking off some, all round. They look tantalisingly useful with lots of err... potential.
Cheers
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