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How to carry a scope and tripod? (1 Viewer)

M

michaelmorris

Well-known member
This may seem like an odd question, but I'm struggling with a decision on how to carry about a newly-acquired scope and tripod.

I've managed to pick up an Acuter ST 80ED spotting scope for a song and have bought an Opticron Birdwatchers tripod to mount it on. My wife and I already have one scope and tripod which gets carried around by the shoulder strap on the stay-on case.

Unfortunately the Acuter does not come with a proper stay on case so this option is not available to me. If I can find a stay-on-case that fits it, I suspect I may revert to the case shoulder strap as the preferred carrying option.

So here is my question. Does anyone make a tripod strap that you don't need to take off each time you open the tripod? I know the Scopac and it's equivalents will allow this, but is there an over-the-shoulder strap that allows such rapid deployment?

Thanks
 
I use a strap which lassoos under the tripod head and then fixes to the bottom leg of the tripod. I think its an opticron one, and its a bungee version so it has some give. I carry on one shoulder, only downside is that if you have a heavy scope it might not balance too well and it will slip forward with the weight.
 
Vespa said:
I use a strap which lassoos under the tripod head and then fixes to the bottom leg of the tripod. I think its an opticron one, and its a bungee version so it has some give. I carry on one shoulder, only downside is that if you have a heavy scope it might not balance too well and it will slip forward with the weight.
Click to expand...

Which is one reason why I switched to using the ScoPac with my tripod. I'll be honest I can't see me ever going back to a single strap.
 
When I used a bungee strap it was around the centre column at the top and attached to just one leg at the bottom. Think I might still have it somewhere.
 
Keith Dickinson said:
Which is one reason why I switched to using the ScoPac with my tripod. I'll be honest I can't see me ever going back to a single strap.
Click to expand...

The problem I have is that I have a bad back and continually taking a back pack on and off can sometimes give me back ache. The other thing is that if I'm on a long walk I'll often have large day sack on my back. I know that the Scopac has an optional backpack bit but it doesn't look very big. Perhaps I should find someone who sells them and give on a try.
 
The pocket on a Sco Pac will take a copy of the Collins bird guide and not much more. I use multi-pocket waistcoat to store stuff, although I've yet to find a flask that's small enough to fit the pockets but big enough to have more than a cupful in it.
 
With my Mulepack I can carry a couple of slimmish guide books in the pocket incorporated in the pack itself. The bag has a special pocket for a water bottle, a zipped pocket which will take a wallet and any small valuables and the main pocket will take food and various bits and pieces. If I have a spare fleece or cagoule, I usually roll it up and strap it to the free tripod leg at the back. It's no substitute for a large day pack but you can carry a surprising amount.

Ron
 
NoSpringChicken said:
With my Mulepack I can carry a couple of slimmish guide books in the pocket incorporated in the pack itself. The bag has a special pocket for a water bottle, a zipped pocket which will take a wallet and any small valuables and the main pocket will take food and various bits and pieces. If I have a spare fleece or cagoule, I usually roll it up and strap it to the free tripod leg at the back. It's no substitute for a large day pack but you can carry a surprising amount.

Ron
Click to expand...

Hi Ron

I looked at the Mulepack on the web. It looked nice (but at £59 + postage probably at the limit of my budget) but I'd need to see it and try it out before buying. From my recollection it's only sold by Cleyspy and I'm not back in Norfolk until the end of September.
 
michaelmorris said:
The problem I have is that I have a bad back and continually taking a back pack on and off can sometimes give me back ache.
Click to expand...


Have a look at this thread, in post No.8 there are links to PDF files for a brochure (and price list) for Mondell straps, a few people on here use them, generally the Speyside Sling is the favoured option.

The Speyside sits on one shoulder but goes over your head so it doesn't slip off, it has a quick release clip, one half of which stays on the tripod and the other on the main strap.

I've had mine about three years and wouldn't want to use anything else, I often have a rucksack on too, and the two work together just fine (so long as you remember to put the scope sling on first).
 
Keith Dickinson said:
When I used a bungee strap it was around the centre column at the top and attached to just one leg at the bottom. Think I might still have it somewhere.
Click to expand...

Yes that's what I do. You're right about the weight - I have an ED50 so I get away with it, but anything heavier would pull it down and be quite annoying I suspect.
 
John P said:
Have a look at this thread, in post No.8 there are links to PDF files for a brochure (and price list) for Mondell straps, a few people on here use them, generally the Speyside Sling is the favoured option.

The Speyside sits on one shoulder but goes over your head so it doesn't slip off, it has a quick release clip, one half of which stays on the tripod and the other on the main strap.

I've had mine about three years and wouldn't want to use anything else, I often have a rucksack on too, and the two work together just fine (so long as you remember to put the scope sling on first).
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link John P
That Speyside sling looks like it might be the thing I'm looking for.
 
Vespa said:
Yes that's what I do. You're right about the weight - I have an ED50 so I get away with it, but anything heavier would pull it down and be quite annoying I suspect.
Click to expand...

Yes, my Zeiss 65 Diascope was top heavy, so I turned the set upside down (tripod collapsed of course) and with the scope at the lowest point the center of gravity was much better.

Eventually I attached two straps instead of the one I used, and wore the tripod with scope attached, like a backpack. Each strap lassoed onto the top of the center column, just under the head, and the two ends onto two tripod legs.
Just like a Mulepack, but I hadn't even heard of that at the time.
For a few bucks you can invent your own carrying device.
I even tried this set-up upside-down, with scope on the lower back and tripod legs sticking up. Low center of gravity, the heaviest things (scope and tripod head) being under.
This worked even better but I had to use longer straps for this low center of gravity set-up, because the tripod legs couldn't be spread out like in a Mulepack.

I've tried each and every solution I could think of, and came to the conclusion that a tripod, aluminum or CF, is a major pain to carry around all day. Sold the scope, stored the tripod and bought Canon 18x50 stabilized bins.

Regards,

Ronald
 
I switched from mostly using Cley-Spy's mule to a neoprene bungee strap (http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?i...pticron+tripod+strap+neoprene&hl=en&sa=N&um=1), contra Keith. That works, though, only with lighter scopes. My ED50 is well balanced with the bungee strap and my Opticron GS665 was OK (the trick is to slacken off the scope head allowing it to rotate and find it's own balance) With my new 80mm scope I do have the problem of the weight imbalance, though, and for anything more than a short walk would put the mule back on or carry the ED50.

Don't carry a scope and tripod by the stay-on case strap. Puts too much strain on the attachment between scope and tripod head and can damage both.

And don't go old-school and lug the thing without any strap - I got terrible shoulder trouble from that.

Graham
 
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