A mini tripod might give you additional stability. I have found that trying to make do with whatever is available is rarely successful because the camera often has to be tilted one way or the other, or up or down, and that means fiddling with packing under the body. And if you have nothing, except the ground, then the picture might not be quite as well composed. There also is the risk of the camera slipping from its perch, falling and being damaged.

If taking pictures is really important to you and you want them for magazine or poster reproduction, the weight penalty shouldn't be an issue. Otherwise, leave the big camera at home and get a small Nikon P&S that takes perfectly adequate pictures, in the experience of both myself and Machka.