As we travel we are constantly exposed to amazing things to capture on photo. Whether it be a landscape or something cultural, great photo opportunities are everywhere. To get certain pictures you need to have the right  gear. A huge part of travel photography is carrying a tripod around. You want something stable and light weight that will fold up as small as possible. This is how I got to the MeFoto tripod series. Before I decided on the tripod that I wanted I did a lot of research. I wanted to make sure that what I was getting was light weight, small and sturdy. I stumbled upon the MeFoto tripod series and after doing my research I decided to go with the Backpacker version, the smallest and lightest. Weight it can hold: 4 kg Size (folded): 32 cm Size (unfolded): 130 cm The tripod is tiny and you start to question how big it actually gets and if it will hold. A little flip here and there, loosen the legs and you have a full sized tripod. It’s small but it feels sturdy, I also like the use of the colors.

I tested my heaviest combination on the tripod first which is my 7D with a 70-300mm lens. There are two leg levels, one straight up and one to get very low to the ground. With the legs straight up you have to be careful with what you put on the tripod, because with a zoom lens, it will tilt forward if you don’t have one of the legs under the lens. When the legs are sprawled out there is no problem as the stability is great at this level, the downside is that you don’t get too much height out of your tripod. My 7D with a 28mm lens had no problem. I still put the leg under the lens just to make sure though. Also, on the bottom of the tripod there is a hook to hang your backpack or a weight which gives the tripod the extra stability you sometimes need. Before getting this tripod I used to question whether or not I needed to take my tripod with me wherever I went. Now that I have the Backpacker it actually fits very nicely into the front pocket of my backpack, hence the name =).

Simply judging from the size you would never imagine all of the types of pictures that you would take with this. The legs can be set to stay close so you can get higher or you can sprawl them out for a low shot. Also included is a hook at the center base of the tripod which allows you to add additional weight to the tripod for more stability. For panoramic video the head of this tripod isn’t that great. It works but you need to practice getting it to move without any chops. If you’re doing a fast pan it works great. The Mefoto Backpacker is a great travel tripod. Although you have to be a bit careful when using bigger lenses, the size, weight and price combination of this tripod is unbeatable. Also, if you don’t mind going for something a little bigger I would recommend the MeFoto Roadtrip as it comes with a mono pod and other awesome features. As for the durability of it, judging by my couple of weeks with it, it looks like it will hold up. After a fair amount of use and abuse I will update you guys with how durable they are.

*Which travel tripod are you currently using and how do you like it?Simon Uribe-Convers , Jun 05, 2014; I'll be on a 7 month backpacking trip through Asia (Japan, Philippines, South East Asia, India, Sri Lanka) soon and I'm looking for a light, compact, and robust tripod. I'll be doing all sorts of photography, including night, low light, sunrise/sunsets etc., where a tripod is really a must.backpack winkel alkmaar /c/product/680973-REG/Joby_GP8_BHEN_Gorillapod_Focus_Ballhead_X_Bundle.html) thinking it would be great because of its weight (1.68 lb including the head) and it's compactness (~15''). kelty backpack yukonIt supports my Canon 6D and a Canon 100-400mm like a champ, but recently during a trip through the Pacific Northwest I noticed that I'll might need something a bit higher than the max 15'' of the Gorillapod (great for low ground shots though!).targus 16 crave laptop backpack

These are 1.65 and 1.7 lb respectively, compact to 20'' and 18'', support the same weight, and are pretty much the same price. /c/product/720698-REG/Slik_611_615_Pro_624_4_Section_Carbon.html), which is the same weight (1.8lb) but compacts to 14'', and get really low 3.5''! I'll use the Focus Ballhead X with any of these tripods. Do you guys have any insights about these tripods at all? swissgear laptop backpack synergyIs there something I'm missing that makes one of these better than the other? merc's muffler backpackShould I even get another tripod or will the Gorillapod be enough?rent backpacking at philmont Thanks for any comments on this in advance!k1000 backpack

Jos van Eekelen , Jun 05, 2014; I think that I'd stick to the Gorillapod for a backpacking trip - or no tripod at all. That being said, I use a Feisol CT 3441 + CB-40D ballhead when I want to bring a compact, lightweight tripod. I'm quite pleased with it's performance. I backpacked through Asia once already for 10 months or so and after some months I ended up leaving my tripod behind. It was useful for panorama pictures in the Himalayas but didn't use it much more than that. However, I'm a bit more experienced now and I think I'll be able to take more advantage of a tripod now (time lapses, star trailing...) and that's why I'm wrecking my brain with this issue. The Gorillapod is definitively a good option except for its very low height, which would be less than ideal for taking pictures of myself or for when having a couple of extra inches would make it a better shot.Dieter Schaefer , Jun 05, 2014; Have a look at the MeFoto and 3 legged thing offerings - I consider the Oben and Slik tripods you have linked too a bit undersized for a 6D with 100-400 lens.

Also look at Feisol and Induro. And for a light-weight ballhead, Acratech is the way to go. I know that every ounce counts when backpacking - but consider an L-bracket for your 6D nonetheless. You don't give a budget - but if you are serious about a good tripod setup, figure that it'll cost around $1000 (that's the legs, head, bracket for the camera and Arca-Swiss plate for the 100-400). Thanks Dieter, unfortunately I do have a budget and it's $250 for only the legs. The MeFoto series looks great but they are a little bit heavier than what I'd like to carry (3.6lb - 4.6lb). The one lighter that they have MeFoto Backpacker (2.6 lb) has the center column extended all the time and I don't know if I want that. The other brands are outside my budget. I'll think a bit more about the last one MeFoto Backpacker though. Thanks for the comments! Dieter Schaefer , Jun 06, 2014; 2.2lbs for this one: http://www.naturescapes.net/store/sirui-t-1005x-5-section-aluminum-tripod.html - it's not carbon fiber though.

The carbon fiber version doesn't save that much weight though: (link)Kent Staubus , Jun 06, 2014; I've been using a Benro Travel Angel A-269. It's very compact but not lighweight. There is a carbon fiber version and you would likely get away with the lighter duty one, the C169. Kent in SDAndy L , Jun 08, 2014; Do yourself a favor and get a carbon fiber MeFoto. With a DSLR and a 100-400mm lens, one of those tiny tripods with rated capacity under 10 pounds is not going to cut it.Steven Quan , Jun 13, 2014; Simon, you didn't say where you were headed off to first on your trip. If your first destination is Japan, I would recommend shopping there. I don't know where you live now, or if you've been Japan before, but the selection of camera gear there is unparalleled. Go to Yodobashi Camera, Labi, or any camera store and you will have an insane selection of tripods from all sorts of price ranges and features. There are no stores in the U.S. that offer an equivalent to the giant Japanese Camera stores.

I was in Japan for 2 weeks. The majority of those 2 weeks were spent not sight seeing, but shopping inside Yodobashi Camera store. I went to the one in Kyoto, and 2 in Tokyo (Shinjuku and Akihabara). The flagship store in Akihabara is too large. It's divided up into multiple buildings along several blocks. I saw photo gear that I've never seen anywhere else. Majority of the tripods I saw were commonly available in stores or online, but you never know. You might find a gem. Their prices are competitive, you won't be overpaying. For me personally, I would get the MeFoto Daytrip tripod: (link) It only extends to maximum 24" but it only weighs 1.8lbs and only cost $119. 7 months is a very long time to be trekking. I would not want to lug around anything of significant weight. I'm not a fan of the gorilla pod. I do have a camera clip that I keep attached at all time just in case I need a tripod in a pinch. Manfrotto makes one ($27) but there are other clips that may be more robust.