So, my tripod packed it in last week and I'm in the market for a new one. When I bought my last one, it was before I got more interested in photography and I wasn't very picky about what I wanted. I had an 'inca i531' if anyone knows what that is.

This time around I'm looking for something hopefully a bit more precise and a bit more stable. However, having had a bit of a look around, I am absolutely stumped at the wide array of things to choose from. Does anyone have ANY suggestions of a good place to start looking?

I'm looking in the price range of preferably under $300 - the cheaper the better.
I do intend to travel with it and carry it on a backpack.
My last tripod weighed 1.6kg, and the weight was not a big concern for me. I don't think I'd want to go too much heavier though.