How do you carry your tripod over hill & dale?

[Heroique]

I have a weakness for fun polls that can elicit unexpected, useful replies.

Maybe this one will work, too. ;)

It’s about tripod transport – an issue I’ve never considered too deeply. Yet, the necessity of hiking with it is what limits me the most (in landscape photography) when deciding where I can go, how far I can go, or where I can set-up for a shot.

Is this your experience, too?

Me, I almost always carry my Ries J600 legs (w/ J250 head) in hand, no matter the distance, unless heavy brush or slippery terrain makes disassembling it into its compact “backpacker” form a better idea. (In this case, I’ll store it inside Ries’ soft case, and strap the case vertically to the outside of my pack.) It works very well in the local mountains, but if I lived in Kansas – or worked mostly in the studio – I would own a different tripod, and my habits would be different. (If I’m walking only a short distance w/ camera on top, my shoulders feel the load.)

If the hiking terrain is easy & I carry it assembled, its extended legs are locked-down so that its three feet are touching. In this configuration, I can use it as a heavy walking stick, helpful on rock-strewn trails. This works surprisingly well when crossing streams. Once, however, in the Smoky Mountains – when crossing Eagle Creek in swollen, waist-high current – I made several back-and-forth trips, carrying the tripod in pieces inside my pack. That time, I used a regular walking stick to negotiate the slippery rocks. Recently, I’ve been using bicycle gloves (w/ rubberized palms) for longer hiking distances. I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner.

So tell us about carrying your tripod – any useful secrets to share?

[rdenney]

I have carried my Bogen 3036-based tripods sideways strapped to the bottom of a backpack (not recommended) and in my hands. That's usually how I do it now for the fairly limited distances I carry it.

But over hill and dale? At present, I use a Ford Flex for that.

(When I hike, I carry smaller equipment, and am pretty good at bracing cameras against rocks, trees, and any other available firm spot, but that requires a camera that allows a shorter shutter speed than I use with LF. If I wanted to do that again, I would absolutely get and convert a baby jogger.)

Rick "no longer motivated to pack a complete monorail setup in a 'modified' Kelty external-frame pack" Denney

[Preston]

I usually carry my tripod over my shoulder with the camera in my pack. If I'm hiking for a ways, I'll attach it to the outside of my pack.

--P

[Vaughn]

I marked both in hand and over the shoulder.

Ries A100 w/ A250 head, 8x10 in pack

My tripod is also a climbing tool -- for letting myself down 3 foot or larger drops. A good amount of my weight gets put on the pod as I lower the rest of me down. Came in very handy exploring side canyons in Death Valley earlier this month!

[NicolasArg]

I carry my tripod attached to the left side of my backpack, it is balanced on the other side with the sleeping bag/tent that ride together in an externally strapped bag. If I carry a ballhead, it goes mounted on the tripod, if I carry the Gitzo 1570M, it goes in the lower compartment of my back.

[John Powers]

Ries A100 w/ A250 head/ RH Phillips 7x17 all connected in a baby jogger with bag of lenses and film holders in another bag on the rails between front and rear axles. Alternate is Ries J600 legs w/ J250 head with RH Phillips 8x10 all connected, as above. On canal towpath or hiking trails at age 71, I'm good for two miles out from the car and back. No need for further distance as there is usually another parking place at that distance or less from the next location.

John Powers

[Heroique]

...On a canal towpath or hiking trails at age 71, I'm good for two miles out from the car and back...

Quite a young man’s vigor.

Hmm, that canal towpath sure sounds tempting for heavy tripods.

“Pulling” might be easier than carrying!

[Jim Jones]

A wide camera strap is always attached to my Tiltall. One end is fastened to the pan locking screw, the other to an eye bolt in the bottom of the column.

[austin granger]

Not to brag or anything, but over the years I've learned to balance my tripod on my shoulder without using my hands. I'm sort of like those women who carry giant water jugs on their heads. Hmmm... that gives me an idea...

www.austingranger.com

[Heroique]

Great reply, Austin – I’m imagining the tripod standing upright, one leg on each shoulder.

The third leg on top of the head...

BTW, the “shoulder” option is looking so popular, I’m curious if anyone has tips about shoulder padding. That would make a long hike more endurable. Maybe a towel? A folded-up darkcloth? Or the tripod might rest on a backpack’s padded shoulder strap. Not that I’d change my habits; I’m still a “tripod-in-hand” person when on the trail. Often for balance, like a tight-rope walker w/ a pole.

[Vaughn]

Tripod rests on the shoulder pad/strap of the pack -- the pod can be balanced on the shoulder (as per Austin) for short periods of time if my hands are needed for something else (adjusting pack, eating on the move, etc.

I also carry the Ries full extended -- ready for use, better balance, and no knobs where it rests on the shoulder.

[kev curry]

Plumbers foam pipe insulation material around the legs then bound in black gaffers tape.
Great padding and good protection against knocks. The insulation material comes in long tubes that are pre split down the middle so they can easily be wrapped around pipes. Ive also attached an adjustable strap to the pod so that I can carry it slung around my neck like a bag when I need to be hands free.

[Scotty230358]

For short distances I carry it but if I have a way to go then it is lashed to the side of my rucksack (a Kelty Redwing modified by Photobackpacker)

[Doremus Scudder]

I carry a rather light tripod, switching hands most of the time. However, when the going gets rough, it gets strapped to the bottom of my fanny pack so I can scramble with all fours.

Best

Doremus Scudder

[bsimison]

I've custom-fitted a shoulder strap for my lightweight carbon-fiber Gitzo mountaineer. It hangs vertically and is easy to access, especially when shooting events when I need the support quickly.

[Scott Walker]

Shoulder strap

[MIke Sherck]

I made a shoulder strap for the little Bogen tripod I use for 4x5 and carry that over a shoulder. For the 8x10 monorail, I screw it to the top of the tripod and just carry it over one shoulder.

Mike

[Steve M Hostetter]

over the shoulder boulder holder

[ajmiller]

Shoulder strap over shoulder.

[William McEwen]

We've all seen the pictures of Ansel carrying his tripod over his shoulder with a view camera attached. I've never felt safe doing that -- plus, back in my landscape photography days, I was usually in a dense swamp, and the camera surely would have caught on something.

But the great thing about the Sinar monorail I used back then was how easily portable it all was. Camera bag over the shoulder, and tripod carried by hand. When I found a promising spot, I'd just pull the camera out of the case and mount it on the tripod. Ready for duty in just a few seconds. No unfolding, etc.

The Lifetime movie about Stieglitz (and O'Keeffe) mentioned here recently showed Jeremy Irons as Stieglitz, carrying his 8x10 Kodak 2D and tripod in a way I've never seen before.

He had the tripod over his shoulder. The camera was folded, and hanging from the tripod's legs by the camera's handstrap. Camera was out in front of him. (Screen shot available on request.)

I have no idea if Stieglitz actually carried his camera this way. (I'm a Stieglitz disciple, and have read all there is to read about him.) I'd try this with my 8x10 Wisner, but it's a Wisner, so it doesn't stay securely shut.

[Vaughn]

Most people tend not to trust the camera's hand strap -- especially with older cameras. If I am carrying the 8x10 across the room I tend to carry it under my arm rather than by the strap -- even though it is a relatively new camera. If the leather does not break, then one still has to worry about the fittings and the screws holding in the wood.

I have an old Eastman View No. 2 5x7 that I carry on the pod -- I have a nylon stuff sack that fits over the camera (and head). Hiking through the redwoods, the sack reduces the chance of the camera catching on something, the bellows getting punctured, or drips from leaves getting the camera wet.

I find the Zone VI 8x10 just too big to carry on the pod -- awkward weight.

[Heroique]

...Stieglitz had the tripod over his shoulder. The camera was folded, and hanging from the tripod’s legs by the camera's handstrap. Camera was out in front of him...

I think I can imagine this, like the hobo below, stick over shoulder – but w/ “belongings” in front, not behind. Probably better balance that way, if Stieglitz’s tripod was already top-heavy.

Like Vaughn, I’d always worry about the camera catching on a branch or vine, or knocking against a tree or rock.

BTW, the Ries wooden design makes it comfortable on the shoulder. You can see how the knobs stay out of the way. Two of its legs actually lay on the shoulder (not just one), better distributing the weight. There’s also a slight “springiness” in the wood, like a shock absorber. Maybe not as comfortable as Kev’s foam pipe insulation, but prettier!

[engl]

For all of you carrying the tripod over your shoulder, how far are you comfortable carrying it like this?

[austin granger]

For all of you carrying the tripod over your shoulder, how far are you comfortable carrying it like this?

About sixteen miles, eight per shoulder.

I strikes me that perhaps someone should develop a fitness plan specifically for large format photographers.

[Heroique]

My personal answer is very different from the master of balance, Austin:

As a “tripod-in-hand” person, only a few yards to the next shot!

For me, the principal attraction of carrying the tripod “in-hand” when on the trail is its use as a “balancing pole.” It works this way every single second I’m walking, w/o my thinking about it. That is, I’ll move the tripod slightly this way or that – I’m talking inches – correcting my balance (or counter-acting my imbalance). When on my shoulder, this trail benefit is lost – as is its use as an occasional walking stick, or an emergency, in-the-ground stability pole.

Coincidentally, the farthest I’ve walked w/ my tripod (the Ries J600) in one day is about 16 miles, but that was down a flat canyon in Utah. I carried it the whole time in my hand, not in my pack. It was a cool autumn day, and I was wearing gloves…

[rguinter]

I use a Tamrac tripod bag with a perfect fit and carry it by the handles.

Bob G.

[austin granger]

I should amend my last. I can do sixteen miles, but not "comfortably." There's a lot of suffering involved.

[William McEwen]

It strikes me that perhaps someone should develop a fitness plan specifically for large format photographers.

I think being a large format photographer is a fitness plan!

[ROL]

http://www.rangeoflightphotography.com/SupportPics/Kit/CameraPack.jpg
Complete 5X7 camera pack - the reason I use 4 leg sectioned tripods and ballheads – always except for very short distances over open terrain.

[MIke Sherck]

For all of you carrying the tripod over your shoulder, how far are you comfortable carrying it like this?

With the 4x5 and most gear in a backpack and the tripod on a strap over my shoulder, I'm good for as many miles as my feet will hold up to. For the 8x10 monorail on the tripod and carried over one shoulder (with the dark cloth as padding and the tripod legs wrapped in foam insulation,) there's also a cooler bag with lenses, film holders, etc. over the other shoulder. Three or four miles on the level, a couple if there are hills involved. Wish I were 20 years old again -- the mileage would be a lot greater than it is today at 53!

Mike

[Andrew O'Neill]

I carry it over the shoulder, or in my hand. Easier to get it down on the ground to mark the spot.

[Vaughn]

For all of you carrying the tripod over your shoulder, how far are you comfortable carrying it like this?

As far as I have to go! Total pack & tripod is about 60 pounds, so while I may walk and photograph most of the day, the distance varies with the terrain, temperature and the number of set-ups. But rarely would I do more the 10 miles, usually half that. Often it is not how far I go, but where I go...most often off-trail.

If the light dies, or I run out of film, and I still have a long way back to car or camp, then the tripod head goes in the pack, reducing the weight in hand/on shoulder.

[tgtaylor]

I always carry my tripod attached to the outside of the pack. I find that its weight is more tolerable when its evenly distributed balancing the weight of the tent, air mattress and water bottle. Also it leaves both hands free for hiking poles and scrambling when necessary.

A few years back when I was a 'one tripod photographer' and that tripod was in for repair, I bought an ancient Gitzo Studex that weighed a ton at a local camera swap and hiked out to Ten Lakes in Yosemite with it. The feet were too big to place into the mesh webbing on my Gregory Reality as I usually do so I hand-carried it alternating from one shoulder to the next. I hated it; it was torture all the way out and back. Should I find myself in a similar position again, I'll spend some time figuring out a way to attach it to the pack.

Thomas

[Tim k]

In the back seat of my truck. I read somewhere that there was nothing photogenic more than 5 ft from the parking lot. That seemed pretty reasonable to me.

[Dave Jeffery]

I use a cheap folding chair bag for my tripod on long hikes and it is really comfortable to carry.

The Eddie Bauer folding chair bags seem to be the strongest.

I cut off the cheap original strap and sew on an adjustable, nicely padded shoulder strap from a duffle bag.

As the shoulder strap would eventually chafe my neck on long hikes I made about a 6" long adjustable strap with webbing and a quick release clip. This strap wraps around the tripod bag strap and the backpack strap at the top of my shoulder which holds the two straps together away from my neck. It's fast and easy to remove -just pop the quick release to remove it and clip the short strap around the tripod bag strap for quick retrieval later.

The tripod is quickly and easily removed from the bag using the draw string.

The tripod can still be guided through the brush a fair amount without taking it off. I like this setup better than mounting the tripod on my pack as the tripod would catch on things going through thick brush and my pack has a little more clearance and flexibility without it. I just point the bag into the brush and push through which I find easier.

The bag also protects the tripod and head from getting beat up, and scratched, and leaves my hands free to climb or use hiking poles etc.

The beat up bag also looks like it contains a cheap folding chair rather than a nice tripod.

The bag is also not very bulky and is easily stashed in my pack when it's not needed.

[letchhausen]

Since I don't have a car and often ride a city bus somewhere I carry my tripod in a Tundra tripod bag in my hand which allows me to maneuver it so I don't bump somebody and the padding helps if I do. Same thing on crowded city streets, best to switch from hand to hand depending on how I'm cutting through the crowd. The tripod is a Gitzo 3541 XLS and I don't want that extra weight on my back either. In the city the Lowepro backpack is already enough hanging back there and that Ebony SV45U is heavy enough. If I'm trekking through some industrial buildings etc somewhere or if I accidentally end up in that place with all the trees....ummm....the woods I think they call it....then I usually forgo the bag but still carry the Gitzo in my hand. I've seen that movie Grizzly Man and in that case I want it up front for protection......which can come in handy in some industrial areas as well.....

[Dave Jeffery]

I've seen that movie Grizzly Man and in that case I want it up front for protection.....

I watched the movie "Girly Man" before I made my "man bag" for my tripod :)




It's nice not to carry a tripod by hand on very long hikes.

If your time is worth nothing you can Google "Indian Thriller Girly Man" and also watch other Buffalaxed videos

[picker77]

In the back seat of my truck. I read somewhere that there was nothing photogenic more than 5 ft from the parking lot. That seemed pretty reasonable to me.

I use a modified version of Tim's method for my Sinar F2. Big aluminum case and tripod strapped in the cargo bed of my Polaris Sportsman 500cc X2 ATV. Plenty of room for lunch and other stuff back there, too. Admittedly, there are some trails too narrow for this rig, but in that case the modified parking lot rule applies: There's nothing photogenic that a 4x4 ATV can't get close to.

[Jim Shanesy]

In its case, with the strap slung over my shoulder. The camera's in my backpack. I'm getting old enough so that I can't go as far as I used to, but I'm still good for about 2 miles each way.

[E. von Hoegh]

9, 8, 7, 4, & 1.
When hiking with a pack, either tripod gets tied onto the pack. Short distances in my hand.
Small tripod, Marchioni Tiltall.
Big tripod, Camera Equipment Co. Inc. with "Pro Junior" spring head. 16lbs. Now that I'm 50 I'll be making a lighter head, I can cut the weight at least in half.