Very cool, thanks! Even if they don't add to the coefficient of friction, they'll save wear and tear on my wand pockets (I usually switch out between carrying the tripod and using trekking poles, depending on terrain.)
My A100 Ries comes with both spikes and rubber ends -- I am surprised the Junior does not. Photos of new Ries J100 show rubber feet.
Check your pod -- find the spikes, then look at the opposite end of the piece of wood they are on...it should have a rubber end. If not, order some from Ries.
"Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China
Vaughn, thanks--one section does have a hard Delrin cap, but I'm not sure if it's any "stickier" than the metal spike...much more friendly to your hardwood floors, though. FWIW, I usually just use the lower, spiked section while hiking along our streams, since it's usually the case you're trying to "peek under" the rhododendron rather than "over" brush as you might in a drier environment.
A new set of rubbers might be all you need, then. I need to sharpen my spikes -- after 20 years they are quite dull. I find that sharp spikes do a nice job on most rock...one must be careful on the polished granite, but the points do well on rougher rock surfaces.
"Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China
My smaller Ries has reversible lower leg sections with spikes on one end, rubber tips on the other. Convenient for hardwood floors, but doubt it would improve traction on sandstone. You might look into what kind of rubber is used for rock climbing shoes.
It's actually wading boots that got me thinking along these lines--"studded" versions can get you into trouble on some substrates. At any rate, no doubt it's case of a solution that's looking for a problem, but if I find a field expedient approach that works I'll pass it on...
My own tripod spikes work just fine on sandstone. It's my own feet on slickrock I'm worried about sometime, even in Vibrams.
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