What do you do for real backpacking like 4 daytrips

[riooso]

Bill I hear you but when I went to Hawaii my wife forced me to go backpacking for 5 mile day trips. I thought it would be boring and a pain in the butt. I loved it! There are shots that I got that would not have been possible from the car. The buddy system is hard because I put the limit on my wife to a total of 20 pounds and I am the pack mule that gets the rest. I have gotten my camera gear down to 11 pounds without tripod. Toyo AX 4X5-90mm,150mm,240mm. The trouble with the tripod is that it is a Berlabeck, 7 pounds but no head attached, just the ball center post with quick connect. I really like the day pack Idea!

Thanks as always,
Richard

[Robert Oliver]

I'm carrying a 190mf3 bogen carbon fiber with a tiny bogen 3-way magfiber head. Haven't weighed it, but it's pretty light. It's worked pretty well. I don't use it near the car, but for off the beaten path it's pretty cool. Working height is pretty low, but It goes to super low to 4' (approx) definitely hang some weight off the center post to pre-flex it.

I'm also the pack mule on my trips. But as my kids get older, they can take more of their own stuff and more importantly as I get older carry more of mine.

[riooso]

Oh, ok! I need to ask this. I have a Berlebeck 2040 which has a ball head built in so I just added a Bogen 577 quick disconnect. I put a Toyo 45 AX on it with the column up and it always gives me sharp images even multiple exposures. Total weight is 7 pounds. Is there really something wrong in using just the balled center column on the Berlebeck? It is as solid as a rock but not very small. With a good head what will some of the lighter Carbon tripods weigh? This one area that I have to start getting a grip on this tripod can be a killer on a long packing trip. It is big for one thing and that is probably what you get with the Carbons smaller packing size, right?

Do not know how this will fit into the thread but I am really starting to need to know these answers because spring is around the corner.

Thanks,
Richard

[Robert Oliver]

I sure like lashing my super small carbon fiber tripod to the top of my tripod. It doesn't get tangled in the trees any more than my backpack frame. I couldn't imagine carrying a big heavy tripod. I try to keep my camera/tripod weight as much as problem so I can make sure I carry essential gear that will save my life in an emergency and not be so heavy that I won't enjoy my trip.

[naturephoto1]

Oh, ok! I need to ask this. I have a Berlebeck 2040 which has a ball head built in so I just added a Bogen 577 quick disconnect. I put a Toyo 45 AX on it with the column up and it always gives me sharp images even multiple exposures. Total weight is 7 pounds. Is there really something wrong in using just the balled center column on the Berlebeck? It is as solid as a rock but not very small. With a good head what will some of the lighter Carbon tripods weigh? This one area that I have to start getting a grip on this tripod can be a killer on a long packing trip. It is big for one thing and that is probably what you get with the Carbons smaller packing size, right?

Do not know how this will fit into the thread but I am really starting to need to know these answers because spring is around the corner.

Thanks,
Richard

Hi Richard,

I do not think that you have seen the Gitzo 1257LVL and the 1258LVL tripods. They have leveling built in. By replacing the long column of my1257LVL tripod with the short column my tripod weighs 53.8 oz. I can carry this with my Markins M20 head and Kirk 2 1/2" Arca Type QR (together 20.4 oz). The tripod has 15 degrees of rotation in all directions. If I wished I could purchase the Really Right Stuff PCL-1 Panning QR clamp which would weigh 10.4 oz. I could then carry a tripod with a Panning QR clamp weighing 64.2 oz. I have included the attached photos below of the tripod and the RRS PCL-1 Panning QR clamp.

Rich

[riooso]

Thanks Nature for the input. Yes I have seen the 1257 tripod and was really going that direction. How do you like the stability? I am new to a lot of this and I am wondering why the heads at all? What job do they perform? If one were to put a quick disconnect on the column you would get the 15 degrees. Do the heads give you more than 15 degrees which I suppose would be nice on a mountain top. Sorry about all the questions but this is really my last stumbling block with the tripod situation. My Berlebeck is stable to the point that it is hard to get another pod because I am always comparing.

Thanks,
Richard

[naturephoto1]

Thanks Nature for the input. Yes I have seen the 1257 tripod and was really going that direction. How do you like the stability? I am new to a lot of this and I am wondering why the heads at all? What job do they perform? If one were to put a quick disconnect on the column you would get the 15 degrees. Do the heads give you more than 15 degrees which I suppose would be nice on a mountain top. Sorry about all the questions but this is really my last stumbling block with the tripod situation. My Berlebeck is stable to the point that it is hard to get another pod because I am always comparing.

Thanks,
Richard

Hi Richard,

First of all what I am talking about is the 1257LVL and not the 1257 tripod. The 1257 does not have the leveling built in while the 1257LVL does. The pan and tilt or the ball heads will give much more than 15 degrees of movement. They can allow for 90 or more degrees if they are necessary for some purposes. But the heads will add generally an additional 6 or so ounces to several additional pounds to the weight of the RRS PCL-1 Panning clamp as an example. You would have to plan on using your tripod according to what you are carrying and the intent of what you are requiring. But, to able to get a tripod down to about 4 pounds of weight for backpacking it is a consideration.

As to the question of putting a QR plate onto the center column of the 1257LVL you would still have the 15 degrees of adjustment available. The problem with just a normal QR plate affixed to the column on the newer carbon fiber Gitzo tripods however is that these tripods now have a groove that prevents the column to rotate. As a result a normal QR on these tripods lacks any panning ability. That is the reason for the purchase of either a RRS PCL-1 Panning clamp or mounting a normal QR on a panning head.

As to the question of the stability of the 1257LVL and the 1257 as an example, it should be quite stable if you use a cord or a bungee cord that is attached to the hook hung from the bottom of the normal or short column of the tripod. You can either stand on the cord or attach the cord to your pack as an example to increase the effective mass of the tripod. The 1257LVL and 1257 tripods are supposed to be able to support 17.6 pounds but without using the center column I would suspect they will support much more. By using the weight tied to the hook on the center column you will lessen the flex in the tripod legs and and this should increase the load capacity of the tripod and also as mentioned increase the effective mass of the tripod.

Many of us avoid the usage of center columns at all to avoid the effect of placing a monopod on top of a tripod. that is part of the reason that many of us will replace the normal column of our Gitzo tripods with either the short column (as with the 1257LVL and 1257) or a flat plate as in many of the 13XX series tripods. By replacing the normal column an added bonus is there is less weight. Additionally, by using the short column or plate on these tripods the tripod can be taken down to or almost down to the ground for compositional and subject reasons.

Rich

[eric black]

There are some good lessons to be learned from this post! My contribution is when the trip is in the desert or anyplace that my water filter isnt going to provide that necessary ingredient of staying alive. In those cases I downgrade my preferred arca to a wista dxII for which I had a custom arca mounting bracket made. A small Lowapro shoulder bag is loaded into the top of an REI internal frame pack and contains the camera, darkcloth, lightmeter, loupe, filters and a Gnass film/quickload holder with about 30-40 quickloads. I load 3-4 lenses into a Gnass lens case which is stowed near a zipper on the main pack. The small shoulder bag (Lowepro AW bag)is placed at the top of the pack (inside) along with ready to eat freeze dried meals, whisperlite stove, small sig bottle, titanium pot for heating water, tent and sleeping bag and changes of underwear/socks (my only luxuries), first aid kit and as much water as I can fit inside using Platypus bags. I figure on a gallon of water a day (Im a big guy). My Gitzo 1325 tripod with arca B2 head is strapped to the outside using a tripod holding system swiped from a Lowapro backpack. Total weight the last time I ventured into the Sonoran desert- approx 85 lbs of which 32 was water for 4 days out and a lightweight hike back.

[naturephoto1]

I will be using my new Toho Shimo FC-45X (2lb 12 oz) like Kerry and Harley. I will normally be carrying the camera, lenses (3 or 4), spot meter, dark cloth, loupe, and filters in a Kinesis V092 (17 oz) padded bag inside and at the top of my custom made McHale panel loading internal frame backpack (5.5 lb). The film and Readyload holder Quickload film will be carried in my Gnassgear 3 pouch rapid load file. My Gitzo 1257LVL with either the Markins M20 head and Kirk 2 1/2" Arca Type QR or the RRS PCL-1 will be carried in a Think Tank Bazooka Tripod Bag which is strapped to the outside of the pack. If I should decide to carry more lenses, they will fit into my Gnass Gear lens case.

By the way an alcohol stove can be used for heating water rather efficiently and save weight in the pack. Also, rather than carry an additional daypack much of the time, much of the gear (additional clothing, sleeping bag, etc,) will be placed in a 1.8oz pack liner. This will save 1 or more?? pounds for a panel loading day pack. I could leave the gear in camp and carry the 5.5 lb backpack with all of the camera gear, a bit of clothing, and food to go out to photograph if so desired.

As the last of the equipment arrives, I will be posting photos (need to borrow a digital camera) and additional information.

Rich

[riooso]

Thanks guys. I did not know that the 1257LVL column did not rotate. My Berl does. This is all good insight. I am going pretty light with the rest of the stuff so I should not be over 35 pounds total. I found out in backpacking that the lighter you go the more it costs.

Thanks,
Richard