High Sierra Topix

Depending on how concerned I am about my pack weight I have two tripods that I use. My lightweight tripod is a Gitzo 1541T. With a RRS BH-30 ballhead that weighs a total of 46 Oz. When I'm not as concerned about weight I use my RRS TVC-24 with the BH-30 (66 Oz).

I've used both while setup in fast flowing water and both were stable enough for sharp shots. The Gitzo isn't as easy to position as it only has two locking leg positions and you have to remove the center column to get close to the ground. Still, an acceptable trade-off for the weight savings.

Something else to consider is support after purchase. I've never had to call the Gitzo service center (now handled by Manforotto) but everything I've heard from friends and read online is that their support ranges from horrendous to non-existent. I have had to call RRS a couple of times and they were amazingly helpful and both times they sent me replacement parts for free.

Since Manphoto took over Gitzo support, yes, it's essentially non-existent. A couple of years ago, one of the legs on mine got stuck so it couldn't be adjusted. I phoned Manphoto and pointed out when I purchased it, the tripod came with a lifetime warranty. They said forget about a lifetime warranty and anyway it was too old to get parts for them to fix it. I fixed it by using a plumbers wrench and a vise grip to loosen the leg, cleaned out the sand that was stuck inside, and it's been working fine ever since.

I have had great luck with using two small bean bags I sewed up using plastic beads from a craft store - think beanie babies.
Using approx. 6 inches from the bottom of an old pant leg, jeans as a matter of fact, filled it halfway with the beads and sealed it up using upholstery thread. You can shift the beads around to get almost any contour you want to support the lens. And I don't fear the risk of dropping it on rocks in water; just pick it up and dust it off. Works great as a supplement to the rock pile method and I can get the camera to point in almost an infinite number of angles with no vibration at all. Checks in at about 8 oz.
I also fashioned another small one out of a shop rag about four inches square. Not as rugged but does the job at about 4 oz. Works wonders for small point and shoots like my gopro.

I use a Really Right Stuff series 1 carbon fiber tripod with a Kirk BH-1 ballhead. Very pricey but light weight, compact enough to fit inside my backpack and rock solid enough for my 70-200.

second trip with this contraption - works fine if you have the patience to set it up (3 hiking poles or 2 poles and stick you pick up somewhere).



the ballhead I added with arca clamp is heavier than the actual "tripod" plate. I use it for night shots with a D810 and heavy lenses, no issues with stability. Moving the setup from spot to spot is a pain, though, because the poles will inevitably fall out of the plate when you lift it. Still, it's a fraction of my carbon Benro and packs away easily. Just too much effort to set up for the random shot along the trail. I only use it for night exposures or ND1000 filter stuff

I use the trailpix that fishmonger uses. It is super small and works well with my sony a6000. It is a hassle to setup but so nice to actually have a tripod option when needed.

I carry a slick sprint mini when I am brave. Found it plenty stable for night photography or long exposures, if there is a lot of wind I will weight it with with a bag of rocks. It weights 810 grams and folds super tiny, making it an easy carry. Have not been able to find any other full featured tripod that was close in weight. Only downside is it is a little short - extends only to 43 inches, but that was a good enough compromise. I usually shoot with an a7r with a 16-35 lens, total weight about 1100 grams. The slik has no trouble holding that weight.
When I am not brave, I use a gorilla pod which is only 192 grams with head. Then need to fiddle with sticks, rocks, hiking sticks and string to fix something like a tripod to get some height...