Hiking with a tripod

Alright... Let's hear it. What's best for hiking, travel a,d throwing it around on a pack, ground, travel, etc...

I'm looking to change. Carbon fiber, aluminum? I do know I don't want one with the legs that twist to lock. Personal preference on that part.

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swbkrun wrote in post #17823138
Alright... Let's hear it. What's best for hiking, travel a,d throwing it around on a pack, ground, travel, etc...

I'm looking to change. Carbon fiber, aluminum? I do know I don't want one with the legs that twist to lock. Personal preference on that part.

What kind of lens and body combination are you looking to use in conjunction with the tripod?
I ask this because a heavy lens/body combination will require a different tripod than a light lens/body combination.
I use a Gitzo / Wimberley combination, and it is very well suited to my nature photography, but that is because I often use very large lenses.
Your needs may differ from mine.

Knowing more about the way you shoot and what you shoot will help us provide you with better gear recommendations.

Do you like to shoot with the camera very low to the ground at times?

Do you do long exposure work where you need the camera to be extremely steady for as much as minute or two at a time?
(such as when photographing lightning)

Do you tend to pan with subjects a lot as you are photographing them? Such as leaves as they fall from a tree or butterflies as they flutter from one flower to another? Or, do you tend to set up for stationary scenes/subjects?

Do you do multiple frame stitched panorama images, or do you just do single frame images?

Do you always shoot from even, level ground, or do you sometimes shoot from areas where the ground is sloped or rugged?

Your answers to the above questions will all factor in to what type of tripod (and head) will be best suited for your specific needs.

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Tom Reichner wrote in post #17828533
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What kind of lens and body combination are you looking to use in conjunction with the tripod?
I ask this because a heavy lens/body combination will require a different tripod than a light lens/body combination.
I use a Gitzo / Wimberley combination, and it is very well suited to my nature photography, but that is because I often use very large lenses.
Your needs may differ from mine.

Knowing more about the way you shoot and what you shoot will help us provide you with better gear recommendations.

Do you like to shoot with the camera very low to the ground at times?

Do you do long exposure work where you need the camera to be extremely steady for as much as minute or two at a time?
(such as when photographing lightning)

Do you tend to pan with subjects a lot as you are photographing them? Such as leaves as they fall from a tree or butterflies as they flutter from one flower to another? Or, do you tend to set up for stationary scenes/subjects?

Do you do multiple frame stitched panorama images, or do you just do single frame images?

Do you always shoot from even, level ground, or do you sometimes shoot from areas where the ground is sloped or rugged?

Your answers to the above questions will all factor in to what type of tripod (and head) will be best suited for your specific needs.

.

I'm glad I asked, and I am glad you replied. Thanks! It's kind of a tough answer, but I'll give it a shot. Most of the time I use a tripod it will with my wide angle lens. Biggest lens would be 70-200 (older model). Occasional low to ground but seldom enough that I would buy based solely on this. Sunrise/Sunset would be my favorite. Maybe a couple times a year star gazing, but wouldn't influence me to buy accordingly. So in short... Landscape, Wide angle, Sunrise/Sunset.

Love to hike and it'll be strapped to my pack!

Thanks again.

Depends on how strenuous the hike is and how accessible you want the tripod to be. I have put foam pipe wrap on the legs of my tripod - a Manfrotto 055PROB - and I just put the camera on the tripod and throw the whole thing over my shoulder. Mine is aluminum but today I would buy CF if I could afford it.

I have everything else I need (a couple of extra lenses spare battery, three 77mm filters and a few odds and ends) in some pouches on a belt so I travel pretty lightly. This makes everything very easy to get to when I need it. If I took day long hikes deep into back country with a heavy pack, extra body and several lenses, I would probably take another approach and strap the tripod to the pack. I would also look for a lighter tripod.

Try to get the tripod in your hands before buying it. The twist locks should take a minimum of twisting (no more than about 1/2 turn), feel very positive when locked, and you should be able to unlock the entire leg a once with a single twist (unless your hands are smaller). Good twist locks are slim, don't take much maintenance, and function well. Bad ones will drive you nuts. Lever locks have to be adjusted more often and are more bulky but they are quick to use.

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Hey, Avery

I just noticed that you are right here in Washington state! Small world!

Whereabouts are you, in a big city like Seattle or Spokane, or out in the sticks like me?

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rgs wrote in post #17829149
Depends on how strenuous the hike is and how accessible you want the tripod to be. I have put foam pipe wrap on the legs of my tripod - a Manfrotto 055PROB - and I just put the camera on the tripod and throw the whole thing over my shoulder. Mine is aluminum but today I would buy CF if I could afford it.

I have everything else I need (a couple of extra lenses spare battery, three 77mm filters and a few odds and ends) in some pouches on a belt so I travel pretty lightly. This makes everything very easy to get to when I need it. If I took day long hikes deep into back country with a heavy pack, extra body and several lenses, I would probably take another approach and strap the tripod to the pack. I would also look for a lighter tripod.

Try to get the tripod in your hands before buying it. The twist locks should take a minimum of twisting (no more than about 1/2 turn), feel very positive when locked, and you should be able to unlock the entire leg a once with a single twist (unless your hands are smaller). Good twist locks are slim, don't take much maintenance, and function well. Bad ones will drive you nuts. Lever locks have to be adjusted more often and are more bulky but they are quick to use.

thanks for your input. I will play with both. I won't ever need to walk with tripod out (meaning easy access quickly), so it will be put inside, or on strapped to the side of my pack.

Tom Reichner wrote in post #17829248
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Hey, Avery

I just noticed that you are right here in Washington state! Small world!

Whereabouts are you, in a big city like Seattle or Spokane, or out in the sticks like me?

.

My heart and soul are out in the woods with you, but I unfortunately live near Seattle and deal with the bs traffic all the time. If you are ever up for an adventure I am always game. However looking through your Flickr pictures I wouldn't be worthy hanging out with you! Great shots!

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swbkrun wrote in post #17829405
My heart and soul are out in the woods with you, but I unfortunately live near Seattle and deal with the bs traffic all the time. If you are ever up for an adventure I am always game. However looking through your Flickr pictures I wouldn't be worthy hanging out with you! Great shots!

Ridiculous! .If your heart and soul are out in the wilds, then you belong there, regardless of what kind of pictures you like to take!

If you're ever able to break away for a day or three, and want to explore what the "east side" has to offer, let me know - I'd be glad to share some opportunities with you. . But better wait 'till spring - winters here are rather cloudy and lifeless.

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Tom Reichner wrote in post #17830072
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Ridiculous! .If your heart and soul are out in the wilds, then you belong there, regardless of what kind of pictures you like to take!

If you're ever able to break away for a day or three, and want to explore what the "east side" has to offer, let me know - I'd be glad to share some opportunities with you. . But better wait 'till spring - winters here are rather cloudy and lifeless.

.

Be careful what you wish for. I'm always up for an adventure.

swbkrun wrote in post #17823138
Alright... Let's hear it. What's best for hiking, travel a,d throwing it around on a pack, ground, travel, etc...

I'm looking to change. Carbon fiber, aluminum? I do know I don't want one with the legs that twist to lock. Personal preference on that part.

Heya,

I take a few tripods. Depends on needs. I often always pack at bare minimum an Ultrapod II. It's super small, holds a dSLR and wide lens no problem. I use it a low for low to the ground, or strapped to something shots, long duration, HDR, etc. Fits in your pocket. Let alone a bag. It's a micro tripod really. Something to think about.

I tend to take my aluminum Benro when I'm out and about, with a lateral head so that I can do weird things like drop the camera from the center column suspended a few centimeters above water if I want, or use it to pan up and over something while still having the tripod at the height I want without it interfering. It's the A2970F. Flip locks. It's not heavy, but it's fairly heavy duty. I generally just stick it on my backpack and strap it on. It's not something I'd take for long hikes though, more like, I drive some where, hike around, and drive home. If I were hiking a few days, I'd want something smaller for the sake of convenience.

If you compare Carbon Fiber to Aluminum in smaller tripods, you'll notice there's not a lot of weight difference. The weight benefits seem to show up more on the bigger tripods where more material would have been used. So for me, smaller and medium tripods, doesn't seem to matter to me at least if it's carbon fiber or aluminum, from a weight perspective. Features and overall properties matter more to me. That part you have to figure out for what's your overall goal.

There are a lot of light travel tripods that can strap onto a backpack and be very light. Really just set a budget and think of all the properties, like height compared to your height, how low it gets, center column or not, etc, lots of things to consider.

Here's my most common two when I'm hiking the coast or swamps here in Florida:

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/pEb4​6e

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/q5Cj​fa

MalVeauX wrote in post #17830758
If you compare Carbon Fiber to Aluminum in smaller tripods, you'll notice there's not a lot of weight difference. The weight benefits seem to show up more on the bigger tripods where more material would have been used. So for me, smaller and medium tripods, doesn't seem to matter to me at least if it's carbon fiber or aluminum, from a weight perspective. Features and overall properties matter more to me. That part you have to figure out for what's your overall goal.

Before I actually upgraded from a Bogen 3221 (predecessor to Manfrotto 055) to Gitzo 2530, I did this comparison...

Bogen 3021: 5.3lb
Gitzo 3230: 4.1lb
Manfrotto 055 Magfiber: 4.4lb

Linhof Profi-II 1.2lb
Markins M10: 1.1lb

So if I wanted , I could spend $660 plus shipping - $875 plus shipping, all to save myself 1.0-1.3 lbs. total weight and have a tripod which sets up and breaks down as rapidly as what I had at the time, and have a ballhead as smooth and solid as what I already had. I found a sale on Gitzos and I found a used RRS BH-40, and the rest is history, the difference is notably lighter. If you spend money on composite Manfrotto vs. aluminum Manfrotto, the difference in weight is not dramatic.

Weighing my actual tripod (outfitted with spiked feet) and ballhead, the combination tipped the scales at just over 7 lbs. I just weighed my (spiked feet added) Gitzo + RRS BH-40 and it tops the scales at 4 lb. 8 oz...an improvement of -2.5 lbs. vs. the computed combo Manfrotto mag fiber + Markins (even without spiked feet) at -1.5 lb.

In my transition, I moved from my preferred lever locks (Bogen) to twist lock (Gitzo), but only after testing to ensure than G-lock and ALR on the Gitzo overcame my decades of resistance to Gitzo tripods caused by their earlier design! G-lock and ALR made it the same time to set up and take down the Gitzo as my Bogen.

Wilt wrote in post #17830962
Before I actually upgraded from a Bogen 3221 (predecessor to Manfrotto 055) to Gitzo 2530, I did this comparison...

Bogen 3021: 5.3lb
Gitzo 3230: 4.1lb
Manfrotto 055 Magfiber: 4.4lb

Linhof Profi-II 1.2lb
Markins M10: 1.1lb

So if I wanted , I could spend $660 plus shipping - $875 plus shipping, all to save myself 1.0-1.3 lbs. total weight and have a tripod which sets up and breaks down as rapidly as what I had at the time, and have a ballhead as smooth and solid as what I already had. I found a sale on Gitzos and I found a used RRS BH-40, and the rest is history, the difference is notably lighter. If you spend money on composite Manfrotto vs. aluminum Manfrotto, the difference in weight is not dramatic.

Weighing my actual tripod (outfitted with spiked feet) and ballhead, the combination tipped the scales at just over 7 lbs. I just weighed my (spiked feet added) Gitzo + RRS BH-40 and it tops the scales at 4 lb. 8 oz...an improvement of -2.5 lbs. vs. the computed combo Manfrotto mag fiber + Markins (even without spiked feet) at -1.5 lb.

In my transition, I moved from my preferred lever locks (Bogen) to twist lock (Gitzo), but only after testing to ensure than G-lock and ALR on the Gitzo overcame my decades of resistance to Gitzo tripods caused by their earlier design! G-lock and ALR made it the same time to set up and take down the Gitzo as my Bogen.

I carry my tripod on a limited-stretch Optech Super Classic (mine is the 'binocular' version) shoulder strap when out in the field hiking about, even with camera + lens mounted on the tripod (always with an arm thru the shoulder strap of the camera!) if not moving great distances.

This is very interesting. Thanks for posting it. Composite tripods have two advantages - light weight and vibration damping. They are usually much better than aluminum at stopping vibrations but not quite as good as wood. Wood's disadvantage is that it's heavy. My solid mahogany and paduk tripod doesn't go far from the car but it is rock solid.

Unfortunately light weight and stability are opposing principles so the lightest CF tripods may not be the best at stopping vibrations. That's why many have hooks for hang supplementary weight when needed.

rgs wrote in post #17831016
Unfortunately light weight and stability are opposing principles so the lightest CF tripods may not be the best at stopping vibrations. That's why many have hooks for hang supplementary weight when needed.

I have never considered hanging weight to have any influence on vibration.
While greater mass might make the rig less prone to lateral movement from wind forces on the camera + long lens, it does nothing for changing resistance to torsional movement (e.g. wind pushing on long lens to twist the tripod about its centerline), and little to nothing to dampen wind-induced vibrational resonances of a low-mass tripod.

If anything, I have found hanging weight to have introduced motions of its own in the swinging about of the hanging weight, and the more mass the longer the time to stop any swinging after you first hang the weight -- and the wind might prevent it from stopping side to side swinging at all! So I abandoned even bothering to hang weight...I would think a stout line hanging down, that you step on to exert downward force, would be more effective rather than a swinging camera bag as a weight, but I have not tried this theory to test it.

MalVeauX wrote in post #17830758
Heya,

I take a few tripods. Depends on needs. I often always pack at bare minimum an Ultrapod II. It's super small, holds a dSLR and wide lens no problem. I use it a low for low to the ground, or strapped to something shots, long duration, HDR, etc. Fits in your pocket. Let alone a bag. It's a micro tripod really. Something to think about.

I tend to take my aluminum Benro when I'm out and about, with a lateral head so that I can do weird things like drop the camera from the center column suspended a few centimeters above water if I want, or use it to pan up and over something while still having the tripod at the height I want without it interfering. It's the A2970F. Flip locks. It's not heavy, but it's fairly heavy duty. I generally just stick it on my backpack and strap it on. It's not something I'd take for long hikes though, more like, I drive some where, hike around, and drive home. If I were hiking a few days, I'd want something smaller for the sake of convenience.

If you compare Carbon Fiber to Aluminum in smaller tripods, you'll notice there's not a lot of weight difference. The weight benefits seem to show up more on the bigger tripods where more material would have been used. So for me, smaller and medium tripods, doesn't seem to matter to me at least if it's carbon fiber or aluminum, from a weight perspective. Features and overall properties matter more to me. That part you have to figure out for what's your overall goal.

There are a lot of light travel tripods that can strap onto a backpack and be very light. Really just set a budget and think of all the properties, like height compared to your height, how low it gets, center column or not, etc, lots of things to consider.

Here's my most common two when I'm hiking the coast or swamps here in Florida:

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/pEb4​6e DPP_1931 by Martin Wise, on Flickr

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/q5Cj​fa IMG_1333 by Martin Wise, on Flickr

Very best,

Always good advice from Mal!

I picked up an UltraPod II because of you! I love it! I actually hang mine from my belt loop using a carabiner. I even used mine to strap my 70D to a tree hanging over a waterfall on the side of a mountain to get a group selfie of us after we climbed up hire...of course, I had to climb back down and get it. Gives you a lot more respect for those guys on shows like "Survivor Man!"

I'm always looking to save a few ounces when backpacking with my camera gear. It's easy to rationalize a few ounces here and there when at home in the comfort of my chair, but that changes in a hurry when doing a 15 mile day with 4K elevation gain. I'm definitely of the mind that every ounce counts.

My current backpacking setup is the RRS TVC-24 (3.3 lbs) and the RRS BH-30 ballhead (11.4 oz) for a combined weight of 4.0 lbs. That's pretty darn good for a tripod that gives up nothing in stability. I use that tripod for all my shooting, not just for backpacking.

While I would love to get that down to 3 lbs total, the compromises in stability are not worth the weight savings. So I save weight everywhere else I can; tent, sleeping system, bag, cooking setup, etc. I think it makes a lot of sense to get the tripod/ballhead weight down to a level that is light but doesn't sacrifice stability and then look for other places in your pack that you can save weight.