Thanks for all the advice regarding marking the legs. Suffice to say I have left them alone at present and seem to be coping fine.
I've had it out in the field a couple of times now and am really appreciating the extra stability. The first occasion involved a near 4 mile trek (round trip), for a Red-backed Shrike and I certainly noticed the extra weight, but I can support it on my Scopac with my hands under the rubber feet to a certain extent. This could be a strong reason for not getting spiked feet. The Shrike showed well and although it wasn't particularly blowy for Breydon Water I definitely felt more relaxed about the possibility of the scope toppling over.
Today saw a trip to Minsmere and I'm now starting to wonder how I managed with my old tripod. It's just so much better to have a decent tripod which is stable and you know won't blow over. I think the weight is less of an issue here too and in general most of my birding doesn't involve lugging a tripod/scope combo miles, so I think it will be manageable.
One issue did arise though. I can no longer fit the tripod and scope combo in the back of my friends boot. It's just too long. Now I think about it I'm not sure the tripod on it's own fits. Fortunately it fits in my boot okay. Those VW Polo boots are a bit pokey!
I've had it out in the field a couple of times now and am really appreciating the extra stability. The first occasion involved a near 4 mile trek (round trip), for a Red-backed Shrike and I certainly noticed the extra weight, but I can support it on my Scopac with my hands under the rubber feet to a certain extent. This could be a strong reason for not getting spiked feet. The Shrike showed well and although it wasn't particularly blowy for Breydon Water I definitely felt more relaxed about the possibility of the scope toppling over.
Today saw a trip to Minsmere and I'm now starting to wonder how I managed with my old tripod. It's just so much better to have a decent tripod which is stable and you know won't blow over. I think the weight is less of an issue here too and in general most of my birding doesn't involve lugging a tripod/scope combo miles, so I think it will be manageable.
One issue did arise though. I can no longer fit the tripod and scope combo in the back of my friends boot. It's just too long. Now I think about it I'm not sure the tripod on it's own fits. Fortunately it fits in my boot okay. Those VW Polo boots are a bit pokey!