Backpacking Tripod Revisited
- This topic has 15 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated Aug 17, 2007 at 2:39 am by
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Carter…this might be something you are interested in…with regard to your tripod search.
I’m headed to Yellowstone in ten (10) days for three weeks of backpacking and flyfishing. I hope to get some good photos while in the backcountry. This year I’m taking a tripod with me. I’ve looked everywhere for a lightweight and sturdy pod with not much luck. To a lightweight backpacker like me (40 pound pack), a “lightweight” Gitzo is not so lightweight at 3 plus pounds for the legs. So….after much looking, I snagged a carbon fiber knockoff from Ebay for $70 bucks. If it doesn’t work out, I won’t be out too much.
Okay…here’s the scoop on the bootleg carbon fiber tripod from Ebay. I carried into the backcountry and it performed flawlessly. The only glitch was while photographing a waterfall from a particular angle….the tripod was not high enough to allow the camera to “see” over the bushes. Of course that is to be expected when you whack two leg sections off a 4 section tripod. This thing is nothing fancy but will work nicely for those backcountry excursions where weight is an issue. I had thought about whacking off the center post to save some weight….but left it in. Glad I did.
BTW….the Pelican case was worth it’s weight in gold. It was rained on, got muddy….and I slipped and fell twice, landing on the case. Camera survived. It even road down a bumpy gravel road in the back of a driftboat….bouncing all the way. No problemas.
Something I may not have mentioned, the legs will spread to three (3) locked positions if you so desire.
…and it worked just fine for waterfall photos. (Nikon D70s w/kit lens was mounted on it)
The tripod is about 2 1/4 lbs and add another pound for the ballhead. I’ll try to get an exact weight tonight of the whole rig together.
The lower sections will unscrew and can be reattached later.
There are about a dozen listed now on Ebay. One closes in 3 hours and is at $11.00 right now.
You got a deal! I think they’ve flooded Ebay with them and the price has come down considerably. I paid $70 total for mine after losing three (3) auctions in previous weeks.
So I weighted my tripod, which is the same ball head as yours, Drifter, plus a set of Manfrotto 3011BN legs (I am pretty sure that’s right but it’s back at the house).
I weighed the setup last night. Total weight of the “altered” tripod WITH the Manfrotto ballhead attached is 3 lbs 1 ounce.
I just got one of these for $51, figure it will be great for the big hunting trip in a couple weeks.
I went to Lowe’s and purchased a 4-pack of the rubber caps you slip over chair legs to keep from scratching the floor. They are black in color and I want to say I got the 1/2 inch size. They are about $2.00 a pack if I remember right. Soak them in warm water and slide them on. As they cool, they will tighten up.
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