How to handle your tripod on that big trip!
If you’re heading away on a holiday and you want to make sure you have all the gear you need to get ‘that shot’ then you will almost certainly want to pack your tripod. The dilemma is that carrying a tripod around can be a pain in the butt! Especially if you’re on your feet all day heading from tourist attraction to tourist attraction.
I too have grappled with this dilemma and have come to the conclusion that if I want to get sharp shots I will need to just suck it up and take a tripod. Considering my main tripod is a Really Right Stuff TVC-33, it is BIG. And I get asked a lot how I travel with this chunky piece of gear.
Firstly, I must confess. I do own a Benro ‘Travel Angel’ and this is answer number one! If you have a light setup, like my Fuji X-E1 then the Travel angel will do the job. Make no mistakes, this tripod is light, but that has a tradeoff, and that is that this tripod is also flimsy, it takes longer to set up and will not handle the weight of my D800 and still be a ‘stable’ shooting platform. The good thing about the Benro Travel Angel is that it will fit into a small backpack, and you wont even know you’re carrying it (either will security at that cathedral you always wanted to photograph from the inside đŸ˜‰ hint, hint).
What if you want to take your DSLR with some larger lenses? You’re just going to have to toughen up and carry your larger tripod. The Really Right Stuff tripod I use is a few kilos, and once strapped onto a camera backpack is manageable, I have hiked to the Tarn Shelf and back in Tasmania, a good 3 to 4 hour hike with it strapped to my backpack and it was fine.
The problem starts when you have to physically carry it, work out a way you can strap your tripod to yourself and I think you will find it much easier. There are plenty of straps on eBay you can buy that are made for carrying your tripod over your shoulder.
As for how I get my tripod to my destination, I rarely carry it on, I remove the head and pack the legs into my check in baggage, and re-assemble it when I arrive at my destination. I have heard of some airlines not allowing a tripod to be carried on as ‘carry on’ baggage so be careful, maybe check with the airline first.
If you have any tips you want to share on how you manage your larger tripod on holiday trips, let me know, I would love to hear from you!
Today’s iCandy – Cannon in Dresden
On my first day in Germany I visited Dresden. I had heard that a lot of the history had been preserved and if I wanted to see some of the ‘old’ Germany this was the place to go. It was a great place to spend a few hours wandering around. I found this cannon on a cobblestone street and loved the character that it had.
I took this with my Fuji X-E1.
I carry my main tripod which is a Manfrotto steel with a ball head. I found that an old Vanguard tripod bag I had fit the Manfrotto which makes life much easier walking around. I also fitted a carabiner to the loop on the tripod which let’s me clip it to my backback if I don’t use the bag.
Thanks for the tip Jason!