One thing I always bring along when I travel is a walking stick. Mine is also a mono-pod for my camera.
I used to be too proud to use a walking stick, but that was a very long time ago. During a bout of plantar fascistic almost 20 years ago I started using one. It was so useful that I kept using it after my feet healed.
It is very useful for things like crossing streams, climbing up, and down, slopes, areas with uneven ground and the seemingly infinite, usually uneven, and sometimes very tall stairs at temples and other monuments.
Mono-pod
The walking sticks I use are also useful for photography. You turn it into a mono-pod by screwing off the top knob, you can then screw your camera on. At the Mantoro (lantern festival) in Nara I used a mono-pod and set the ISO to 400 on my little Canon A510. I got some great pictures. Since then I’ve never traveled without a walking stick, even if I don’t always use it I always want it available.