carrying a wooden tripod vs. Alu.

[mandoman7]

After getting absorbed in the lore, I got a used Ries in good shape for 8x10 usage. While I loved the craftmanship and look, in use it seemed heavy and balky to me. My old Bogen 3036 set up more quickly and was easier to adjust once up as was the Gitzo Studio Pro, but I swore after a few years to never take those on a hike again. The solution for me was a feisol carbon fiber with a hook that allows using the camera bag as a weight. After using that arrangement in the field a few times, I'd never go back to carrying a heavy tripod a long distance. Working out of the trunk is a different matter and I'll use the heaviest tripod available then. But for me there seems to be an inverse relationship between the amount of gear I'm carrying and the quality of shots that I seem to find.

[Vlad Soare]

I am wondering if carrying a wooden tripods of equal weight is more comfortable? Comfortable being a relative term for sure.

No, quite the contrary. Wooden tripods have sharp edges. All other things being equal, I find wooden tripods less comfortable to carry than metal ones (which have round legs).