Tripod Recomendation

[Drew Wiley]

I've hardly been impressed by REI hiking poles in recent years. They've gone Chinese, and I got a rash from the handles due to the excessive plasticizers. Plus a couple poles broke. Warranty means zero if that happens to you crossing a creek of snowmelt and you go down, which I did. Fortunately, all my camera and camping gear was double wrapped in plastic. The original pole mfg was Leki - good stuff. Handle options are either real rubber or cork, and no cheapo vinyl needing pthalate plasticizers. But recently REI seems to have brought in some Komperdell, another good Austrian manufacturer. Black Diamond is now all Chinese except for climbing hardware per se. When I was young I simply used my ice axe as a walking cane. But now that most of our glaciers have disappeared in the
lower 48, I seldom need to cross one.

[StoneNYC]

I've hardly been impressed by REI hiking poles in recent years. They've gone Chinese, and I got a rash from the handles due to the excessive plasticizers. Plus a couple poles broke. Warranty means zero if that happens to you crossing a creek of snowmelt and you go down, which I did. Fortunately, all my camera and camping gear was double wrapped in plastic. The original pole mfg was Leki - good stuff. Handle options are either real rubber or cork, and no cheapo vinyl needing pthalate plasticizers. But recently REI seems to have brought in some Komperdell, another good Austrian manufacturer. Black Diamond is now all Chinese except for climbing hardware per se. When I was young I simply used my ice axe as a walking cane. But now that most of our glaciers have disappeared in the
lower 48, I seldom need to cross one.

When I was younger I used to hike blindfold in just socks, and I would never wear Chinese socks, that's bad quality, only American socks, everyone knows that American Alpaca are built better because of the feed they give them. I know the guy who owns the biggest alpaca farm in the US and he told me he doesn't wear Chinese socks either. I once met the leader of China (I can't tell you how that's between us) and he told me he won't even wear Chinese socks! On my hikes when I was younger when I used to wear only socks, no boots or plasticized covered poles, I used to whittle my own poles from sticks with my teeth, the sticks were given to me by ancient Native American tribesmen who took me in and taught me to make my own socks and poles.

I am a true American and I have had a life of true adventure and I look down upon all others in my greatness

:whistling:

[Kirk Gittings]

When I was younger I used to hike blindfold in just socks, and I would never wear Chinese socks, that's bad quality, only American socks, everyone knows that American Alpaca are built better because of the feed they give them. I know the guy who owns the biggest alpaca farm in the US and he told me he doesn't wear Chinese socks either. I once met the leader of China (I can't tell you how that's between us) and he told me he won't even wear Chinese socks! On my hikes when I was younger when I used to wear only socks, no boots or plasticized covered poles, I used to whittle my own poles from sticks with my teeth, the sticks were given to me by ancient Native American tribesmen who took me in and taught me to make my own socks.

I am a true American and I have had a life of true adventure and I look down upon all others in my greatness

:whistling:

[Drew Wiley]

Nice try, Stone. But I grew up with Indians, and some of them wore neither socks nor shoes. Nor did I much of the time. But my first pair of boots were Swiss Raichle double boots which would post-hole snow all day long without getting cold. Miserably heavy, however. But I didn't think you were every younger, Stone,
unless you believe in metempsychosis or reincarnation or whatever. Did you watch too many Shirley Maclaine movies back in acting school, or did you pick that
up from your interview with the Dalai Lama - or was it an alpaca, at the sox weaving plant?

[StoneNYC]

Nice try, Stone. But I grew up with Indians, and some of them wore neither socks nor shoes. Nor did I much of the time. But my first pair of boots were Swiss Raichle double boots which would post-hole snow all day long without getting cold. Miserably heavy, however. But I didn't think you were every younger, Stone,
unless you believe in metempsychosis or reincarnation or whatever. Did you watch too many Shirley Maclaine movies back in acting school, or did you pick that
up from your interview with the Dalai Lama - or was it an alpaca, at the sox weaving plant?

Oh Drew, I'm just an Actor playing a part, the difference is, I'm legit



EDIT: OP, don't mind me, I'm a little loopy from finally developing all this C-41 8x10 and 4x5 I've been collecting the past year. Stacks of color negatives and Chems might have gotten to my head.

Oh look they are real too

Being loopy

Batch one

On batch 3...


As for tripods, I've been doing fine with a simple Manfrotto, the 550 EX? Something 550. It depends on what you're shooting, I'm using a lightweight 8x10.

Try them out at the store.

[Drew Wiley]

Then how come ya never got paid?

[StoneNYC]

Then how come ya never got paid?

Huh? I always get paid, I got a check for a commercial last week.

I'm in school, so I'm only taking weekend work these days.

Let's stop now before we get deleted, we had our fun, lets not get crazy up in here

[Drew Wiley]

... I at least went into business at a young age and earned my first pair of real mtn boots, along with a genuine wooden handle ice axe. On my first venture I cracked pine cones for two days straight and then tried to sell the pine nuts, which wasn't an easy task in a very rural area. I grossed eight cents. Not bad. Back
then you could buy a Big Hunk candy bar for a nickle. My only mistake was not knowing that the pine nuts Indians ate came from pinyon pines on the other side
of the range, which is one reason they walked barefoot clear over there to trade acorns for pine nuts and obsidian. A few had moccasins, not made in China however. I actually had that described to me by one them, who made the crossing as a child slightly before the turn of the century. It was Paiute Pass. I can hardly imagine doing that walk barefoot. I'm no Indian. Have done it several times in Vibram soles. Indians had to walk a long ways further to the nearest REI
store in the 19th Century; but that's a different story. Head out here someday and I show you the way over Paiute Pass. Great view camera country.

[John Kasaian]

Ries works for me. I've got two of 'em.

[AlexGard]

I have absolutely no idea what's going on