Last updated on March 5th, 2023
In this guide, I’ve put together the best tripod for traveling or Hiking purposes. Actually, This guide not only saves your time but also helps you to figure out the best hiking tripod for your travel camera.
AT a GLANCE, Our Top picks for Hiking Tripod
- Peak Design Travel Tripod (Best Overall)
- K&F Concept 62” (Best Budget)
- Manfrotto Befree (Best Lightweight)
Being a traveler or hike photographer, I know how hard it can be to find the best hiking tripod that is affordable, lightweight, and durable. It is also compact enough to fit in your carry-on bag while you go on a long hike.
In order to, save your time, we’ve done extensive research and tested many of the most popular tripod models that are ideal for hiking. let’s drive and dig into the post…
7 Best Hiking Tripod in 2023 (In-depth Reviews)
There are many hiking tripods are available, but picking the ideal tripod for your travel camera can be overwhelming.
But, a Hiking tripod has to be light enough to carry it for hours, but at the same time heavy enough to withstand strong winds.
It must be compact so that it fits into your backpack, but tall enough for comfortable eye-level shooting.
Anyway, don’t take the hassle while picking the best hiking tripod. Because we’ve put together the top 7 best hiking tripods that are lightweight and compact and affordable models for every budget.
1. K&F Concept 62”
I would say that this is a real steal considering the price tag. It’s one of the most lightweight tripods, having a weight of just 3 lbs.
The tripod in a folded state is 18” high, which is quite convenient for backpack traveling. K&F Concept is a perfect combination of portability and practicality. It also provides the necessary stability.
The maximum height is 62”, making the standing position less inconvenient, and the minimum height of 16” guarantees that you’ll be able to shoot at different heights. No wonder this one was a favorite of mine for quite a while.
Check out the best tripod for DSLR that you can easily use for your digital camera.
2. Peak Design Travel Tripod
If you are looking for the best lightweight tripod for hiking, pay attention to this flexible model. Although it costs only $20, this tripod can compete with much more expensive models.
The tabletop-style device is characterized by the lowest weight, adjustable legs, and tiny ball head. I find it to be very useful due to the possibility to fix it on any surface or object.
3. TYCKA Rangers 56”
Key Terms:
- Leg Sections: 4
- Weight: 2.89 Pounds
- Maximum height: 139.7 Centimeters
- Load Support Capacity: 26.5 Pounds
You can invert and fold the rear legs of this stand so they’re solely 18”. This space-saving feature explains why it’s so easy to carry the Best Zomei Tripod around. It can also be transformed into a full-scale monopod.
The tripod was designed in such a way that it’s compact and enables you to take great shots anywhere you want.
A carrying bag that comes with the set protects the tripod and makes it easy to transport. The mount includes a safety lock, which means you don’t need to worry about it while dealing with a quick-release plate.
There’s even a 360-degree panoramic mode that lets you capture nature’s beauty
Read about the best travel tripods for extreme photographers who are going to take breathtaking landscape photographs. If you take photos with your smartphone, read about the best iPhone tripods. If you have a limited budget, choose the model from our best tripod under 100.
4. SIRUI MT5-C Tripod
Sirui T-025S is the recently designed replacement for the favored prime commercialism Sirui T-025X Your Trusty Travel Companion! They are the proper alternative for your travel photography wants.
This is an upgraded version of the bestselling Sirui T-025X, the main advantages of which are lightness and portability. This is probably the best tripod for hiking and for those travelers who want to reap the benefits of an average-sized tripod while minimizing the weight to carry around.
The quality materials guarantee a safe and enjoyable experience, and the leg mechanism works smoothly. The tripod is extremely user-friendly; it can be unfolded in just 20 seconds.
5. Zomei Q555 62.5”
Zomei Q555 is light-weight and moveable, a high-quality rack that matches carry-on baggage and backpacks, ideal for a travel companion.
Overall, it’s the perfect traveling equipment. The legs are extendable and feel secure enough to withstand light winds. At the bottom of the middle bar, you’ll find a hook for more balance if the weather gets worse.
The foam grips on the legs become very handy in case you’re a fan of shooting outdoors when it’s cold and damp. Three-leg positioning allows working with various angles and different kinds of uneven surfaces.
6. Manfrotto Befree
Key Terms:
- Weight: 2.4 pounds
- Maximum height: 55.9 inches
- Leg Sections: 4
- Folded Length: 15.75 inches
- Load Support Capacity: 8.8 pounds
This tripod went through thorough testing by me. I looked for a lightweight tripod for hiking, which I could unfold to normal size and which wouldn’t cost me a fortune.
The Manfrotto Travel Tripod offers exactly what I need: It is easily folded and fits into a backpack.
There are a few variants to choose from; you can opt for aluminum or carbon, depending on your preferences. The carbon fiber model manages to gear up to 17 lbs; the leg material grants support, yet doesn’t weigh a ton.
The side pull selector ensures a simple setup; you don’t have to guess where to press to start shooting. The tripod is also quite versatile due to the difference in minimal and maximum height: 16” vs. 59”. The tripod’s head has autonomous control knobs, typical for Manfrotto’s products.
7. Gitzo Lightweight Traveler
This tripod is one that you can fold the legs in reverse. It makes for a folded height of just 16”. The maximum height of this hiking tripod is 60” and its weight capacity is around 20 lbs. In my experience, this is a durable device.
It survived multiple backpacking and hiking adventures and never let me down. Undoubtedly, this gear is a good fit for travel shooting. I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a reliable travel companion
Why Are Hiking Tripod Important?
Do you really need a tripod for hiking? Well, Tripod can be great if you shoot while hiking. Because you have to move all the time to make an adventure shot.
The main reason for having a tripod will provide a way to prevent vibration and shoot long-exposure images. While you hike with a heavy camera it can be hard to hold the camera right away.
Hiking tripods allow repositioning of the camera to capture wise shots. For videography and vlogging not everyone wants to hold a camera to create a video.
However, Hiking Tripod is really important to capture the sharpest image or video.
Key Hiking Tripod Features
There are some factors you should consider while choosing a tripod for hiking.
1. BUILD MATERIALS:
The most common materials are carbon fiber or aluminum. Normally, Carbon fiber is more compatible rather than aluminum.
But Carbon fiber is lighter, stronger, not rust in wet conditions. Carbon fiber is more expensive than aluminum. If you’re looking for a budget tripod, an aluminum model will be the ideal choice and save you money.
2. LOAD CAPACITY:
Load capacity is an essential task to follow. However, today’s most popular cameras and zoom lenses come in handy. In these cases, you probably won’t need to worry about this specification, but still, it’s good to know.
With heavier DSLR and telephoto zoom lens together can bring heavyweight. If you have these heavy tools then make sure to check the capacity of your tripod.
3. HEIGHT
This is a key factor to consider for taller photographers while selecting a hiking tripod. Because taller photographers may often find shorter tripods less comfortable. So, make sure to use a tripod that is not only high extended but the minimum height as well.
4. FOLDING SIZE
When shopping for a hiking tripod, folded length is one of the most important considerations. How small can your hiking tripod fold up?
Well, it is wise to check that a tripod can fit in your luggage without any concern to place your tripod in your checked luggage. Anyway, small folding tripods often have to sacrifice maximum height and sturdiness.
5. WEIGHT
Your tripod weight is the major factor. It’s determined, how comfortable you feel holding your tripod.
If a tripod is too heavy, you won’t feel good lugging it around all day while hiking. Anyway, a Lightweight tripod is usually more expensive but to be honest it’s value for money.
6. STURDINESS
A sturdy tripod is important when shooting outdoors on windy days or for long-exposure images. It also prevents vibration. Usually, You can get an idea of a tripod’s sturdiness by looking at its weight capacity.
7. LEG SECTIONS
Leg sections aren’t much important, but the fewer leg sections a tripod has, generally the sturdier it is. And the fewer leg sections quicker it will be to set up. More sections, on the other hand, can also mean more time-consuming to set up the tripod.
8. LEG LOCKS
Tripod legs have some sort of locking mechanism to prevent the legs from retracting when loaded or from extending farther.
Basically, there are two most common types of leg locks the flip-lock and the twist lock. The flip-lock is a lever that tightens around the next smaller section of the tripod leg. Twist locks on the other hand keep a lower profile than flip locks.
Faq’s: Hiking Tripod
Do I Need a Hiking Tripod?
Whether you need a tripod or not it’s totally based on your purpose. For example, if you want to take smooth shots then definitely I suggest using a tripod. When you use a tripod, it allows you to capture a long exposure photo with a slower shutter speed.
Which Tripod is Best for Hiking?
There are hundreds of hiking tripods available on the market, but with deep research, we have figured out only the top 7 tripods. These are 1. K&F Concept 62” 2. Peak Design Travel Tripod 3. TYCKA Rangers 56” 4. SIRUI MT5-C Tripod 5. Zomei Q555 62.5” 6. Manfrotto Befree. 7. Gitzo Lightweight Traveler
What is the Lightest Hiking Tripod?
Manfrotto Befree can be the Best Lightweight tripod for hiking. There are ALSO have some lightweight tripods, but I found Manfrotto Befree more flexible. However, Manfrotto Befree comes as a very handy and affordable choice for professionals.
Is Peak Design Tripod Worth Hiking?
Actually, The Peak Design Travel Tripod is born for traveling or hiking. It is a great piece of photography gear that comes in a compact size and low weight which makes it ideal for traveling. It is a great choice for backpacking or everyday photography. Overall, the Peak Design Travel Tripod is stable, well-designed, and securely supports the vast majority of cameras.
Summing up
If you are looking for the best lightweight tripod for hiking, pay attention to this flexible model. I find it to be very useful due to the possibility to fix it on any surface or object.
Any experienced photographer who wants to purchase the best hiking tripod looks for a model with minimal weight.
It’s of primary importance if you plan to hike or travel with a backpack. No one wants to drag around a 20-lb tripod all day long.
An important point to remember here is that tripods that are made of carbon fiber are lighter than those that are made of aluminum alloy.
I’m a videographer and travel photographer. I created this website to help you buy a Tripod or Gimbal for your DSLR, GoPro, or Mirrorless camera. I tried and reviewed most of the Tripod, Monopod, or Gimbal currently available on the market.