Best way to carry a tripod on a long hike

[anthonty_debase]

What is the best way to carry a tripod when hiking for a half or full day? Is strapping it under the day pack OK? Is there a way to attach it to the side of a pack? What about carrying it by attaching it to a waist belt? Ease of access seems important to me when carrying the tripod.

How do you carry you tripod on hiking trips?

[nes_suno]

<P>A full-fledged photographer's backpack (like those sold by <A HREF="http://www.lowepro.com">Lowepro</A>) will have compression straps (e.g., their Mini Trekker), lash point webbing (e.g., their Photo Trekker AW), a removeable tripod case (e.g., their Super Trekker AW), or a center or side-mount elastic quick-release system (e.g., their new Pro Trekker AW).

 

<P>Personally I would find a tripod a cumbersome load if attached to my waist. The center-mounted tripod case provides good weight distribution.

 

<P>The best way is to take your camera gear and tripod to the local pro shop, try various options, and decide which solution is the most comfortable to <EM>you.</EM> Be less tempted to decide on price since it's your physical comfort you should concerned about.

[frank_kolwicz]

I don't know what's best for you, but I use a standard backpack,

not designed for cameras, and havbe found the lower, horizontal

straps to be bad for the tripod because it flops around while I walk.

There are two other pairs of straps that secure the tripod upright

on either right or left, these are much better to prevent bobbling.

The vertical position also helps prevent snagging brush. Neither of

these are "handy"; undoing the straps and setting up takes more than

a few minutes. Some sort of tube that lets the tropd slide out would help.

[john_a._smith]

IMHO photo backpacks are a pain, if you are doing more than day hiking

how can you carry dinner? I like internal frame packs designed for backpacking. These have better frame and load control features (check out what 50lbs feels like in a good internal frame pack - Like a Gregory or Dana Design). Many companies are now making day pack with good internal frames. My newest one has a pannel that goes over the back for carrying a climbing gear but it works great for a tripod. I use the pads for camera bags inside to protect my lens's and camera bodies.

[john_merriman]

FWIW, I use a tripod strap made by Op/tech and sling the tripod over my shoulder. At the same time I am usually using the Lowepro Mini-Trekker and/or Orion. I find I can comfortably hike with this gear and still be very ready to setup and shoot.

[glen_johnson]

You can go to the hardware store and buy the closed cell polyurethane foam that they use to wrap hot water pipes. They sell it in tubular lengths. You can use this stuff to pad the upper part of your tripod's legs. You can attach it with black electrician's tape. It will provide a padded surface that you will ease the pain as you hoist the tripod over one shoulder, camera mounted and legs extended in anticipation of your next great shot. :-)

 

<p>

 

On a LONG hike, you're probably better off figuring out how to attach the collapsed tripod to the pack system that you are using for the rest of your camping gear as others have suggested.

[Jim_Tardio]

I thought I solved this problem by getting married, but now my wife insists on hotels instead of campsites. When we do hit the trail I not only carry all camera gear, but also the food, water and sometimes my 7 year old daughter. In a few years she should be big enough to carry the tripod.

 

<p>

 

I should mention that my wife was more than happy to carry it while we were dating. So I guess my laziness got me more than I bargined for.

[kaetheko]

I carry my tripod and Hasselblad system in a Mountainsmith lumbar pack or the larger Bugaboo, with Domke inserts inside to protect the gear. The tripod slides quickly in and out of the outside snow shovel pocket without too much fuss. Another system I use is to slide it down the side of a day pack designed to carry winter backcountry ski gear. This is a bit slower though and requires more fuss with straps. As others have already noted regular backpacking gear is far superior to photo packs for suspension and long distance and heavy load comfort. kaethe

[anthonty_debase]

Thanks to all who offered advice. I found that the best way for me to carry the tripod is also the simplest and cheap. I use two velcro straps to secure the tripod to one side of my mini-trekker. The top strap hold two legs securely and the bottom strap hold all three legs. This arrangement is very secure. I have turned my pack upside down and shaken it with great vigor and the tripod does not come loose.

[andrew_de_wijn]

I often carry my tripod on longer (overnight) hikes and I had the same problem as you are having. In the end I got some left over canvas from a nearby tent maker and made a bag which straps onto the side of my pack. This pack (Macpac Cascade) has compression straps on the side, as many pack do and slip through two sleeves that I sewed onto the tripod bag. At the top you simply make the bag taller than the tripod and tuck the spare bit in under the strap. This system works great. Whenever I need my tripod, I simply loosen the straps and pull it out! Obviously if you don't have compression straps on the side of your pack, this isn't going to work, but if you do then this is a very easy and effective solution.

[joseph_alsko]

I lug an 8x10 (in an f. 64 Backpack) and a Bogen 3051 around the Italian Dolomites (a large version of Yosemite). I place my folded up focusing cloth between my head and the backpack and lay the tripod on this, horizontally. The higher your cargo is the easier it is to carry. There really is no easy way to carry this much weight except to do it often so that your endurance increases.

[chelsea]

Does me good to hear that I'm not the only one with this frustrating problem! After having the extension clips hook onto every leaf and branch that I had passed while hiking through the woods here in Ontario, my solution was to just get out the sewing machine and make my own tripod bag. The outer shell is canvas, then a layer of one inch foam (to protect myself and the tripod), the liner is denim. There is a long zipper down the full side length of the bag to get the tripod in and out of the bag easily. I added a long "shoulder handle" to carry it over the shoulder, and two short handles in the middle to carry it by hand.

I normally carry my two cameras in a day pack that has two sections, the cameras are kept in a plastic snap case, surrounded by foam cushioning in which holes are cut to the shape of the cameras.The pack itself is very handy for cameras, film filters, etc., but no way to hook on the tripod. It's a bit of a pain to carry two bags, but the backpack straps make it "hands-free", and the long shoulder strap on the tripod bag allow it to swing back to one side.

Alas, when one is determined to carry all one's favourite photography toys into the wilderness, there is no substitute for keeping oneself in good physical shape.

[nick_fiduccia]

I am still struggling with this one. I have found a good solution for

my small tripod (Bogan 3001 w/small Kaiser head). I had a custom made

bag made that fits the tripod/head combo perfectly and then I strap it

in a horizontal position to the top crosspiece of my pack. The bag is

a few inches longer than my sleeping pad which shares the same space.

The tripod bag has a long zipper down the entire side and a row of loop straps down the other side of the bag as well as the top and bottom. To keep the bag from flopping around each strap (I use two one

on each side) goes around the bag, the crossbar and loops attached to

the top of my backpack bag. Unfortunately, I do have to undo both straps to get the pod out of the bag. Optionally, I can use both straps in series to fasten a shoulder strap for the bag when I am not

carring my backpack. By the way, the custom bag only cost me $25 and

is very well made. The company is called Antelope Mountain Sports, in

Campbell California. (I am not affiliated with them, just a happy customer!). Hope this helps!

[ken_wyatt]

John Merriman suggested the Op-Tech tripod strap and I'd like to second that! The Op-Tech has adjustable snap buckles at each end, so any kind of tripod may be used. The shoulder pad is the usual Op-Tech sort of closed-cell foam and is very comfortable over long periods on the trail.

 

<p>

 

I usually end up slinging it over my shoulder or around my neck (when wearing the backpack). That way, it is instantly available. I had occasion to use this system constantly during a recent trip to Denali N.P. using various sorts of aircraft to get there. By attaching both strap ends just under the ball-head, I could sling it around my neck, allowing the tripod to hang down unobtrusively when boarding these commercial airlines. A really great product in my view.

[stanley_mcmanus]

Best way is to ditch the tripod and use a goodl monopod with a decent ball head on it. Just make sure you get quality stuff. Those hikin stick with a screw thread on top usually don't do the job for me.

[daryl]

I've always just strapped my tripod on the side of my north face pack in the compression straps and if I was expecting rain, I'd cover the head with a plastic bag. Lately I've been thinking about getting one of those padded attachments designed for carrying an ice axe, but I haven't yet tried it to see if it'll fit my tripod (Bogen 3001). Has anybody out there tried this?

[john_wade3]

Hi ,

I personally use an Orion II 1/2 moon pack and for longer trips I put

into a med. backpack and take it out when I get close to the area I

plan to photograph. I sometimes hang it on a tree (if not too many

people around) and come back to get it.

Anyway I use a M.E.C. (Mountain Equipment Co-op.) pack with 4

compression straps on each side. On the botton there is a pocket for

I assume was a waterbottle but I put one the my Bogen legs into it

and tightem the compression straps securely around it. The packs

also has a waist strap and it is very easy to carry around.

I have used this set-up in canoe trips in Northern ontario and day

hiking in Newfoundland.

[kinesisphotogear]

If your tripod or monopod is relatively small, it can be

comfortably carried on your waist with a new product

called the E512 Multi-Lens Pouch (http://

www.KinesisGear.com/e.html) or if you are carrying a

waist belt system and want to ONLY carry the tripod on

your back without carrrying a large pack we make a

lightweight frame where a tripod can be attached

(http://www.KinesisGear.com/k.html).

[bharat_bhatia]

I was also looking for some tripod bags - sling round the back and i do not find any carrying case like the ones for the camera bags round the waist. why don't the manufacturers start selling the bags along with tripods. Is that not a good idea

I hardly find any body selling these bags.

Any source for procuring these type of canvas bags

[jack_flanagan]

Obviously a source of frustration for the hiking/photographing mult-taskers! Including me. I have bagged the photo backpacks for the same reasons cited by others...where does lunch go? Instead I have purchased a rucksack with 2 daisy chains sewn to back of the pack. A trip to an outfitter yielded 2 fastex sliding adjustors (same kind that allow you to adjust the length of the shoulder straps). With a hot knife I cut a slit in the part of the buckle that would generally be sewn into a loop on the pack (refer again to the shoulder strap). You can force the webbing of the daisy chain through this slot, so that to all appearance the buckle was sewn into place when the pack was made. Next I took a long stuff sack and sewned 2 12"long pieces of 1" webbing to the top edge, threaded them into the buckles and had a pouch to support a tripod. Next, I used the same basic set of tricks to rig compression straps that run around the pack to stabilize the whole rig. I've hiked and bakccountry skiied with this rig and it works a charm, even with 8lbs of tripod...ugh. Works even better with 3 lbs;-) The pack that I used was the Velo25 from Mountain Equipment Coop...a canadian company that makes great gear for great prices that, for US citizens are made even better by the current exchange rate.

[durocshark]

Jack:

 

Can you post a pic of what you did? I'm *very* curious.

 

Thanks