Packing a tripod with you every day.
Most hunters can relate when it comes to cutting down on pack weight. In my experience being involved in an outfitting camp for over two decades I have seen it all when it comes to packing unnecessary items.
I was on the mountain with a client one day having lunch and as he was rifling through his pack looking for a granola bar a whole box of rifle shells must have been on the lunch menu.
I couldn't help but chuckle a little, but then realized it was my own fault for not consulting with him prior to the hunt about what he needed to have along. Then I began to question to myself his shooting ability. I usually don't ask about shooting ability as it tends to create anxiety for the shooter. There are better ways to find that out. Needless to say we stayed in the woods that day to avoid the temptation of a long distance shot. On another occasion we packed in a group where one guy claimed to be very proficient at long range and he packed a rifle to do it. He also had us pack 4 boxes of ammo for him to the camp for a 5 day hunt.
Which brings me to the topic at hand. Though all people are created equal, hunters are not. And I am not just talking about my clients here. Some require help, some don't. Some like to be solo, some like the company of a friend or someone they can visit with on the hunt. Some feel the need to pack with them anything imaginable for a hunt and are ok with it, while others cut their toothbrush in half to save on weight. And still others who might call themselves minimalists, that somehow get a charge from being uncomfortable, hungry, thirsty, cold and one could even say unprepared. I've even been one of them a time or two. But with age and experience comes wisdom.
There have been many advancements in the outdoor industry when it comes to backpacking. The one common theme throughout is saving weight. Anyone can relate to what you feel like when you get back to your camp after a long day in the field. You are feeling every ounce that was in your pack. Though this feeling is often related to how successful you were that day and how you define success.
A true minimalist knows what items they need, because they've experienced needing it before and know the advantages of having it, whatever it might be. A true minimalist will have cut down on the size and weight of every one of those items knowing that they will be more productive as a result.
They know, they don't guess. Guessing can only lead to being uncomfortable, hungry, thirsty, cold and unprepared. Or in worst case even lost. But when talking about hunting and gear, having this knowledge also means more often than not, success requires a full size toothbrush and knowing how to use it.
The Top Hand Tripod is a very packable piece at a mere 2.5 lbs. If you haven't noticed, the majority of hunting packs today have been getting more slender to fit the torso of your body best. This makes these packs taller and in most cases the Top Hand will easily fit along side or in any part of these packs.
All hunting packs should allow you to strap an accessory like a tripod to it somewhere. There are many packs that have side pockets that can hold the bottom of the legs along with a strap to keep the top of the tripod held in place. Some packs even incorporate a gun scabbard that make for a great spot with quick and easy access to your tripod if you're not already using it for a gun.
Some higher end pack makers have accessory bags designed to easily add onto the side of their packs that can be a good option for a tripod as well. The Top Hand legs connect together tighter than the head diameter creating a tapered effect that allows the tripod to easily slide into or out of deep pockets. Using a sling of sorts can also work well for those quick hikes up to some high ground to glass without taking your whole pack along.
If you do a lot of glassing you like to have a spotting scope or binoculars with you daily when the type of hunt requires it. The Rally Clip is designed to either remain attached to the tripod keeping your set up intact and always ready, or the Rally Clip allows you to keep just your scope and pan head intact or just the spotting scope or binoculars and quickly remove or attach them to the tripod. Yet they can be kept stowed separately inside your pack. It is a much faster setup than screwing around with plates, knobs and buttons that only add weight and complexity to your setup.
The Top Hand head is designed to pivot using any one of its legs as a handle. So you can mount the Rally Clip directly to your scope or binoculars and still be able to operate the setup much like using a pan/tilt glassing head by keeping two of the tripod legs on the ground and using the third leg as the handle to rotate the view point around. When you find something to look at you simply set the third leg back to the ground while keeping the object in the view and then fine tune it by slightly moving the legs individually until the object is centered in the view for a closer look. It works great and you don't have to have the additional weight and bulk of a glassing head
At this time in our R&D department we have our own Molle strap type tripod scabbards and even a sling that should be available soon. These will be great options for making it easy to plan on taking your Top Hand along with you daily. After all, if you don't have it, you can't use it.
With all this being said, you may already know there are a ton of tripod options available and many of them have been very refined and are very well made designs. We are not here saying those tripods are anything less than perfect for what they are designed for. We are here saying that as a hunter there is a new approach you should consider when choosing your next hunting tripod. And that is being better prepared for not just if, but when you are successful.
Jamin Florell is 47 and considers himself a proficiently standard outdoorsman. He is a professional hunting guide working exclusively for Medicine Bow Outfitters on Colorado's public land back country for over 20 years. He has been hunting Big Game since he was 10 and killed his first Elk when he was allowed to get an Elk tag at the age of 12. He has hunted Elk every year since then. He has also successfully hunted and guided for Deer, Bear, Mt Lion, Pronghorn, and Moose. He's an inventor, and the proprietor of the Top Hand Tripod.