Q: Best way to dispose of a Wal-Mart Tripod A: Molten Lava

[azccw999]

I was on a trip with my buddy in Hawaii on the big island, he had bought a 70-200 f4L before we left and was too cheap to upgrade his tripod before the trip and just brought along this crappy $20 Walmart Tripod to use for his Zoom.

We were taking some shots with wide angles and he mounted his zoom and tried to get some shots with his janky tripod and it kept shaking cause of the wind. He was getting pissed and I was enjoying myself as I was sitting behing a bogen with no troubles. We were down by the coast while we were trying to get some of the zoom shots and we decided to move up closer to the lava. We went past the sign that said "lava viewing point no one beyond this point" and continued on until we could get right up close to it.

We started another session in the new spot and my buddy continued to get more frustrated and asked it he could use my tripod for a few shots and I agreed, of course with some trash talking about his cheapness. He said, "good, I'm going to sacrifice this one to the lava gods" I thought he was joking and I turn around and he is walking to lava saying over his shoulder "get some pictures of this"

So I lit him up with a flashlight and in the lava the tripod went. It actually caught the aluminum on fire.

Funny Huh

Jed in AZ

[tim]

lol, nice

[Feihung08]

LMAO!!
WTF?!?!
Isn't that supposed to be pretty damn hot that close?

And which tripod was holding the camera?

[Cr8tor]

hehehe,

I have one of those, the exact same one from what i can see, even paid the same price. I originally purchased it for my video camera before i got into still photography... havent been able to afford a new one yet though so still using it.

Hopefully when i upgrade i can do the same with my old one.

[bolantej]

that is GREAT! glad he didn't forget to detach the camera. did you also throw in the quick release? or did it come with one?

[sugar_babygirli]

Poor tripod didn't have a chance... :( :( :(

[tiefelj]

Oh, My Precious. LOL

Jake

[azccw999]

The lava was real hot, you couldn't stand that close for too long. He basically posed for the pic and threw it in. We got a few other pics (using my tripods) of each other posing in front of it and it was hard to face it cause it was so extremely hot.


Thought you guys might get a laugh.

Jed in AZ

[robertwgross]

Jed, it is just as well that you keep below the radar screen for the National Park Service.

Technically, they could get your ass in a sling for violating their warning signs. On the other hand, let's see them prove that you guys actually threw Walmart litter into their lava flow.

---Bob Gross---

[RockOne]

Hmmm. Interesting way to dispose of a tripod.
You were quite lucky walking beyond the sign. A lot of the lava can travel below the surface (the surface solidifes as a thin crust), and if you were to put a foot wrong and end up on a thin patch, you may have joined the tripod.

[defordphoto]

Cool! I can think of many objects I'd love to do that do. Cell phone(s). Pagers.

[Curtis N]

Geez. Those things are at least good to hold a slave flash. Or you could give it to some other hapless tourist with a P&S. No need to trash it, but I'm sure the experience was worth every bit of $20.

[RockOne]

Cell phone(s).
Absolutely !! :-) :-).....and Noinks !! :-)
Interesting reading here
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2000/fs152-00/

[deedas]

LOL! That's sweet. Did you try throwing anything else in? :D

[nomaddan]

LOL, I was thinking the best way to get rid of a Wal-mart tripod was to use it...but that was very effective.

[Feihung08]

Oh, My Precious. LOL

Jake
Oh man! LOL!! I totally missed that Lord of the Rings opportunity!!
Nice one!! :lol:

[robertwgross]

The last time that I was out there shooting the lava flow, the soles of my boots were melting onto the warm rock where I was standing. That's when I decided that I was too close.

Back then, there was still a black sand beach at Kalapana.

---Bob Gross---

[HJMinard]

Excellent! We should gather all of our purchases from the evil empire of Wally World and chuck the whole lot of them into a volcano. Thanks for sharing, Jed ... very amusing!

[ron chappel]

HAHAHA sooo funny.
Just what a cheap trpod deserves! I do worry though that the future earth of hawaii is forever cursed LOL

[Dante King]

Too funny. Thanks for making me split a rib!

[Harry Settle]

I understand the fascination to do such things, but, on the other hand disobeying the signs and rules and throwing trash into a lava flow. . . this is where the rules and regulations come from that makes us wonder why we can't get to special locations to shoot any more. Pretty juvenile if you ask me, thanks for giving us all a black eye. Instead of reading about this kind of stupidity on this site, we could just as easily be reading about the "village idiots" that ignored rules and had to be rescued (or worse)

Having said all of that, I wish I could have watched that sucker go up in flames.

[Feihung08]

I understand the fascination to do such things, but, on the other hand disobeying the signs and rules and throwing trash into a lava flow. . . this is where the rules and regulations come from that makes us wonder why we can't get to special locations to shoot any more. Pretty juvenile if you ask me, thanks for giving us all a black eye. Instead of reading about this kind of stupidity on this site, we could just as easily be reading about the "village idiots" that ignored rules and had to be rescued (or worse)

Having said all of that, I wish I could have watched that sucker go up in flames.Good lord Harry! That was one hell of an "about face"!!

[mrclark321]

Great story.....lol

[lancea]

It actually caught the aluminum on fire.
Don't tell me - then your friend said "Gosh darn it - that stuff must be hot!" :rolleyes:

[RockOne]

I'm surprised that the Goddess Pele didn't get a little offended when you only offered up that el cheapo Wal-Mart Tripod instead of a real offering of a Bogen or that nice 70-200. :-) :-) :-) :-) !

[Harry Settle]

Good lord Harry! That was one hell of an "about face"!!

I know it, but, like most others, I enjoy a good firecracker once in a while, so I recognize the fascination and attraction with some of these things. The stunt still strikes me as being counter-productive to good photographer ettiquette.

[lancea]

I'm with you Harry. Not a good look. If he'd slipped and followed the tripod, then I guess Pele at least would be smiling. I'm assuming the tripod was fully consumed, but if it got stuck it would have marred the splendour of the view for those following.

[Harry Settle]

I'm with you Harry. Not a good look. If he'd slipped and followed the tripod, then I guess Pele at least would be smiling. I'm assuming the tripod was fully consumed, but if it got stuck it would have marred the splendour of the view for those following.

I wouldn't want to be there when Pele burped.

[cmosdos]

Lol, so what is your friend going to buy now? And where's the rest of the pictures of the lava flow? :)

[Harry Settle]

I've got a Sunpak 800UT, that I purchased last year, that he can have for shipping and handling.

[berrylish]

LOL nice!

[azccw999]

I didn't claim for the act to be well thought out. I guess if I would have sat and thought about it I wouldn't have encouraged him to make the decision that he did. However, I am just telling the story for the sake of amusement. There was no one around since we were way past the signs saying keep out, so it wasn't as if there was a crowd witnessing the sacrifice.

He actually has purchased a new tripod as of the last time that I talked to him and he is on his way to being a proud Bogen owner.

Jed in AZ

[DavidEB]

Maybe your old tripod will be re-incarnated as one of these...

http://www.gitzo.com/rightscreen.php3#



David

[Ikinaa]

Maybe your old tripod will be re-incarnated as one of these...

http://www.gitzo.com/rightscreen.php3#



David

So Gitzos are made of molten Walmart tripods? :lol: