Alternative to Weight on your tripod hook

Tonto · 05-02-2012, 05:07 PM

As the weight can swing in windy conditions hitting the legs and causing a pendulum effect. Also if your bag maybe too light without equipment.
So I thought of this to try:
Get a bungy or stretchy rubber like a bicycle innertube, hook it and step on it pulling it tight and the tripod into the ground - YOU are the weight!

Weighs nothing and takes up next little space, you could probably fashion a foot loop of some kind to make it easier. I use punctured bicycle inner tubes alot to fix my bick to car rack as I find it tends to hold stiffer and is great to reuse.

What do you guys think? Let me know as I haven't tried it yet as my current tripod doesn't have a hook.
Too bad it costs next to nothing- no money to be made

amoringello · 05-02-2012, 05:39 PM

Sounds like a pretty cool idea. My only thought is that is the loops is not adjustable, it won't do much good on a tripod if you adjust the legs often.
An open ended bungy, or the inner tube, sounds like a better way to go.

Luckily my camera bag is almost as heavy as my wife's purse, so it holds the tripod quite well. (my camera bag, that is...) :-)
But if I have to travel light, I'll have to remember something like this.

Tonto · 05-02-2012, 05:50 PM

Originally posted by amoringello

Sounds like a pretty cool idea. My only thought is that is the loops is not adjustable, it won't do much good on a tripod if you adjust the legs often.
An open ended bungy, or the inner tube, sounds like a better way to go.

Luckily my camera bag is almost as heavy as my wife's purse, so it holds the tripod quite well. (my camera bag, that is...) :-)
But if I have to travel light, I'll have to remember something like this.

Good point, why I would go with something stiffer, also would benefit longer tripods anyway (especially 4 legged which can get a bit shaky)

ElJamoquio · 05-02-2012, 06:03 PM

Originally posted by Tonto

What do you guys think? Let me know as I haven't tried it yet as my current tripod doesn't have a hook.
Too bad it costs next to nothing- no money to be made

Yup, and someone else already makes one. I forget who it was, though.

magkelly · 05-02-2012, 06:19 PM

This is going to sound very weird but it works for me. I took a bunch of those quartz yard stones and put them into these Crown Royal pouches I got from my Dad. Closed them up, tied them off and attached some spring clamps to them. When I need extras ballast I just clip them on. I probably should replace the CR bags with black ones, more professional, but same difference. They work just like sandbags and we have a ton of the bags around actually from when Dad used to actually drink the stuff. I was looking at the Cowboy studio thing that they make the other day? I thought it was neat but I don't see why I couldn't just attach a small weight or barbell exactly the same way with a nut and bolt. Or and this would probably make some of you who do fish smile, why not just put a couple of spring hooks through some larger fishing weights and hang them as you need to? It wouldn't take much doing. My 2 cents. That's what I do anyhow.

Tonto · 05-02-2012, 06:22 PM

Another cool idea. Mag
I want to try mine as it utilises the weight I carry anyway....me!

philbaum · 05-02-2012, 07:12 PM

I have a heavy aluminum full size tripod, Giottos MT9360, with long ground spikes. Once i get that planted, i've never had to use weight to get sharp images. On the other hand, I have a carbon fiber small Manfrotto 190csx tripod, or some such. I've gotten soft pictures out of the Manfrotto tripod if i didn't have a weight on the tripod. (the Monfrotto doesn't have spikes with it)

So it all depends on the weight of the tripod, whether it has spikes or not, whether the ground is soft and spongy, like a forest floor, etc. as to whether you need weight or not. Tying oneself down to step on a bungy cord doesn't sound useful to me, particularly if its a long exposure like 20 minutes or more. But bringing along a cord that you can tie to a stone, tree limb, roots on a tree, etc. is all feasible. You can also bring along one of these canvas or fabric reusable grocery bags and load it down with smaller rocks, if thats all you can find. But one needs a hook or tiedown point on the tripod.

My $.02

05-02-2012, 05:07 PM	#1
Tonto Inactive Account Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Wellington Posts: 969	Alternative to Weight on your tripod hook As the weight can swing in windy conditions hitting the legs and causing a pendulum effect. Also if your bag maybe too light without equipment. So I thought of this to try: Get a bungy or stretchy rubber like a bicycle innertube, hook it and step on it pulling it tight and the tripod into the ground - YOU are the weight! Weighs nothing and takes up next little space, you could probably fashion a foot loop of some kind to make it easier. I use punctured bicycle inner tubes alot to fix my bick to car rack as I find it tends to hold stiffer and is great to reuse. What do you guys think? Let me know as I haven't tried it yet as my current tripod doesn't have a hook. Too bad it costs next to nothing- no money to be made

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05-02-2012, 05:39 PM	#2
amoringello Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Virginia, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,562	Sounds like a pretty cool idea. My only thought is that is the loops is not adjustable, it won't do much good on a tripod if you adjust the legs often. An open ended bungy, or the inner tube, sounds like a better way to go. Luckily my camera bag is almost as heavy as my wife's purse, so it holds the tripod quite well. (my camera bag, that is...) :-) But if I have to travel light, I'll have to remember something like this.

05-02-2012, 05:50 PM	#3
Tonto Inactive Account Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Wellington Posts: 969 Original Poster	Originally posted by amoringello Sounds like a pretty cool idea. My only thought is that is the loops is not adjustable, it won't do much good on a tripod if you adjust the legs often. An open ended bungy, or the inner tube, sounds like a better way to go. Luckily my camera bag is almost as heavy as my wife's purse, so it holds the tripod quite well. (my camera bag, that is...) :-) But if I have to travel light, I'll have to remember something like this. Good point, why I would go with something stiffer, also would benefit longer tripods anyway (especially 4 legged which can get a bit shaky)

05-02-2012, 06:03 PM	#4
ElJamoquio Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 4,873	Originally posted by Tonto What do you guys think? Let me know as I haven't tried it yet as my current tripod doesn't have a hook. Too bad it costs next to nothing- no money to be made Yup, and someone else already makes one. I forget who it was, though.

05-02-2012, 06:19 PM	#5
magkelly Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,901	This is going to sound very weird but it works for me. I took a bunch of those quartz yard stones and put them into these Crown Royal pouches I got from my Dad. Closed them up, tied them off and attached some spring clamps to them. When I need extras ballast I just clip them on. I probably should replace the CR bags with black ones, more professional, but same difference. They work just like sandbags and we have a ton of the bags around actually from when Dad used to actually drink the stuff. I was looking at the Cowboy studio thing that they make the other day? I thought it was neat but I don't see why I couldn't just attach a small weight or barbell exactly the same way with a nut and bolt. Or and this would probably make some of you who do fish smile, why not just put a couple of spring hooks through some larger fishing weights and hang them as you need to? It wouldn't take much doing. My 2 cents. That's what I do anyhow.

05-02-2012, 06:22 PM	#6
Tonto Inactive Account Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Wellington Posts: 969 Original Poster	Another cool idea. Mag I want to try mine as it utilises the weight I carry anyway....me!

05-02-2012, 07:12 PM	#7
philbaum Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Port Townsend, Washington State, USA Posts: 3,659	I have a heavy aluminum full size tripod, Giottos MT9360, with long ground spikes. Once i get that planted, i've never had to use weight to get sharp images. On the other hand, I have a carbon fiber small Manfrotto 190csx tripod, or some such. I've gotten soft pictures out of the Manfrotto tripod if i didn't have a weight on the tripod. (the Monfrotto doesn't have spikes with it) So it all depends on the weight of the tripod, whether it has spikes or not, whether the ground is soft and spongy, like a forest floor, etc. as to whether you need weight or not. Tying oneself down to step on a bungy cord doesn't sound useful to me, particularly if its a long exposure like 20 minutes or more. But bringing along a cord that you can tie to a stone, tree limb, roots on a tree, etc. is all feasible. You can also bring along one of these canvas or fabric reusable grocery bags and load it down with smaller rocks, if thats all you can find. But one needs a hook or tiedown point on the tripod. My $.02