Tripod needs to be easy to carry around

There are two specifications to consider when it is important the tripod is easy to carry around:

• Maximum closed height of a tripod.
• Number of leg sections.
• Leg tube size.

Specification: Maximum closed / collapsed height / carrying length of a tripod

This is simply how long the tripod is when folded. Or how big bulk it is!

The smallest tripod can be as short as 20 cm when folded, while the longest tripod can be 80 cm or even more. Big difference!

If you are travelling or hiking, it is welcomed a tripod’s folded length fits into a suitcase or on a backpack.

Specification: Number of leg sections

This specification tells you of how many sections an individual leg of a tripod has. Most commonly, there are 3 or 4 sections of the leg, but you can also find tripods with one, two, five and even six sections. Usually the ones with three sections are the most preferable, but if you are travelling or hiking, you might want to have four-section-leg-tripod (check your backpack/luggage dimensions!).

Leg sections have two purposes:

• They allow the legs to be folded and therefore make tripod more compact and easier to carry and store.
• With sections of the leg the height of the tripod is adjusted.

Most often these apply:

• More sections the tripod has, the more compact it is when folded.
• More sections the tripod has, the higher the tripod. This is usually true, but not always! Always refer to maximum height of the tripod (with center column down) for this specification.
• More sections the tripod has, the more locks it has, and the longer it takes to assemble. Leg locks are also considered the weakest part of a tripod.
• Less sections the tripod has, the more stable the tripod is.
• Less sections the tripod has, the less chance dirt gets into the leg.

Specification: Leg Tube Size

The diameter of leg tubes can also answer you why less sections the better:

The lowest section of the leg is the thinnest because it needs to collapse into the other sections, and is therefore the least stable. For that reason, whenever you are extending the tripod, first extend the widest top sections and in the end the the lowest section of the leg!

Accessories for portability and/or how to carry a tripod

Again, this is not important if you are going to do studio work. But whenever you are travelling and/or hiking, you want to transport the tripod in the easiest and the most comfortable way possible.

Carrying tripod with your hands: use tripod leg warmers or leg wraps

Whenever you want to have a tripod ready at any moment, for quick reaction to take a shot, you will have to carry a tripod with your hands.

For that to be comfortable, tripod should have (a must really if you own an aluminium tripod) tripod leg warmers. They have generally two functions:

• The most obvious one is to prevent your hands from holding tripod leg directly with your hands. That can be especially unpleasant in cold weather.
• Additionally, they protect your skin against bruises when carrying a tripod in your hands or over your shoulder.

Don’t forget you can always make them yourself!

So how do you carry a tripod with your hands? There are numerous ways, try them and see which one feels the most comfortable to you:

• The simplest way is to just hold a tripod by its leg so the tripod is in vertical position. This is usually comfortable for shorter distances (your hands will get tired, but then it also depends on your strength and the weight of the tripod itself).
• Put it over your shoulder, again in somewhat vertical position. Remember the tripod warmers I have mentioned above? You will appreciate having them!
• It is also possible to spread the legs of a tripod and hold it over your shoulder or on your shoulders (like you would carry a child: two legs in front).

Using a tripod strap

A strap is just that: a strap. To use it, place a tripod inside the loops on both ends and hang it over your shoulder or over your chest.

Using a backpack

To tie a tripod on a backpack, make sure the backpack has either a strap for a tripod or a tripod pocket.

If you already own a backpack and it doesn’t have a tripod strap or a tripod pocket, but it has a strap for around your waist, try carrying it by sticking one leg into the strap.

Using a tripod bag / case

Tripod bags and tripod cases are very resistant, durable and perfect for storing a tripod especially when travelling with an air plane. They are not very comfortable to carry though, so they are not good for i.e. hiking.

A quick note about taking tripod on an air plane:

• In most cases you should not be having any problems travelling with a tripod as a carry-on luggage (inside USA and most other countries) as long as the tripod length does not exceed the maximum allowed carry-on dimensions. However, some countries do prohibit it (such as Italy).
• If your tripod has spiked feet and you want to have tripod as carry-on, remove them, the security won’t like them.
• It is always best to remove tripod head when travelling.
• If you check-in the tripod, make sure it is safe from any strokes.

To be continued

That is all about portability!

I hope you have enjoyed the article. In my next article I talk about everything that influences the height of a tripod, including all about the center column!

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