The best lightweight compact tripod kits for birding spotting scopes (top for travel)

While it’s possible to buy tripod legs and tripod heads separately, many birders opt to buy a complete tripod kit that includes both components.

When you’re hiking, camping or traveling on a bird watching trip, the last thing you want to carry is a heavy tripod in addition to all your other gear. So what’s the best lightweight tripod kit for a spotting scope?

Quick comparison: best lightweight compact tripod kits for birding spotting scopes (travel)

Vortex Optics High Country II Tripod Kit

Durable and lightweight, this anodized aluminum tripod kits makes packing and transportation easy.

Best overall lightweight tripod kit

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Manfrotto Element Traveller Aluminum 5-Section Tripod Kit

While sturdy and featuring a weight capacity that exceeds other products in its range, the Element Traveler also folds down compactly.

Best value lightweight tripod kit

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Vortex Ridgeview Carbon Tripod Kit

Rugged, reliable, the Ridgeview is able to handle large spotting scopes and especially suits taller birders.

Best carbon fiber tripod kit

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When do you need a lightweight compact tripod kit?

This article will be especially helpful for those people who are looking for a lightweight or compact tripod kit suitable for:

• Use with a compact spotting scope, up to 65mm objective lens
• Use with a medium power spotting scope (20x to 60x)
• Use with an angled spotting scope (less height required)
• Travel
• Backpacking
• Trekking or hiking
• Bird watching overseas
• Easy to pack and transport
• Carry-on to take on a plane
• People of shorter height or slight build

For general advice when choosing a tripod for birding, we have this article: How to choose a tripod for a spotting scope

Advantages of a tripod kit designed for travel

The benefit of a travel tripod is that it is small enough to be packed inside your bag. Many full size tripods are too large for this. Therefore they may have to be attached to the outside of your backpack. While this might be suitable for hiking in fine weather, it gets less ideal in inclement conditions.

For those bird watchers who are traveling on a plane or other public transport, it’s likely that the tripod legs and head will need to be totally contained within the luggage. This is where a tripod kit specifically designed to be portable comes in handy.

If you’re pondering how to pack your tripod kit when traveling abroad there is some advice here: Can I carry a tripod on a plane?

Main criteria for top compact tripod kits for birding spotting scopes (travel)

The best compact travel tripod needs to be both lightweight and small. Budget is of course a factor too. The more you spend, the lighter the tripod kit is likely to be.

However, a very light tripod is at risk of creating too much image shake. It’s important to find a travel tripod that combines lightweight with sturdiness.

You need your tripod to be able to stand up to disturbance from wind and uneven surfaces.

In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the best options on the market and help you decide which one is right for you.

Whether you’re looking for a small tripod kit that’s easy to pack, or a model that can support heavier scopes, we’ve got you covered.

How to find the best packable and lightweight tripod kit for birding spotting scopes (travel)

A good method of telling at first glance how tiny a tripod will pack down is to count the number of leg locks.

The more joints or extendable sections, the smaller the tripod legs will telescope down. The trade off with this is that, with more sections, the tripod is less steady.

This compromise in stability is generally not noticeable with most travel tripods when used in combination with a compact spotting scope.

How the number of leg sections affects stability and size

With a larger sized spotting scope, however, especially at high magnification, this may be a concern. In practical terms, a tripod with two-section legs is likely to offer a more stable image than one with legs that divide down into four sections.

Conversely, on a tripod with fewer leg locks, each section of the tripod legs will be longer overall. This makes it less easy to pack due to its length, but the tripod is more sturdy.

More sections might mean some limitation in the total height of the tripod. It’s something to consider if you are of a tall stature.

Clearly you need to be able to use the spotting scope on the tripod without having to put strain on your back, neck or knees due to having to stoop or bend down.

Also, if you are using a straight scope, it is likely that you will need that extra bit of height on your tripod kit. That will accommodate the fact that the straight scope needs to point directly at the target and be level with your eye.

This position differs from an angled scope, which you would be looking down into.

How to save weight on a tripod kit for birding spotting scopes (travel)

A good starting point is to pay close attention to which specific features you need included. Cutting out those you can do without will keep down the overall weight. It may reduce the price too.

Some tripods purposefully built for travel or for use trekking out in the backcountry will feature components that can be removed.

These removable parts enable you to exclude them when you’re going a longer distance to save weight and room in your bag.

Reviews: best lightweight compact tripod kit for birding spotting scopes (travel)

Here are our top picks of best lightweight tripod kits for spotting scopes – perfect for those who do their birding on the go!

Best overall lightweight compact tripod kit for birding spotting scopes (travel)

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Vortex Optics High Country II Tripod Kit Overview

Small, light, and compact – this tripod from Vortex really fulfills the brief. Durable and lightweight, made of anodized aluminum, it makes packing and transportation easy.

The maximum load capacity exceeds typical compact tripods, at 22 pounds. Its construction should support scopes with an objective lens size from 45mm to 60mm.

The weight of the tripod itself is 4 pounds. If you want to use it from a standing position, the High Country can be lifted to 52.3 inches.

At full extension, using the center pole, you can take it up to 61 inches. But there can be a bit of movement detectable here at high magnification.

Lowers right down to the ground

Take out the center column, splay out the legs to a wide angle, and the tripod will lower right down to the ground. If a sitting position is better for you, then the tripod has a minimum height of 15 inches.

The texture of the rubber tips on the bottom of the legs means the feet grip the ground well, adding more stability.

When setting up your tripod, it’s important to be able to do it quickly, to catch sight of the birds, but also quietly so as not to disturb the birds or any other birders. This sturdy tripod makes both of those objectives easy because its legs extend smoothly.

The legs lock into place at the desired height with quick flip levers. At the base of the legs, the rubber feet grip the ground well.

Padding is more pleasant in heat/cold

The upper portion of two of the legs is padded. As well as making it more comfortable if you are used to resting the tripod against your shoulder when on the move, the padding is more pleasant to hold in extreme temperatures.

It’s not totally clear why the padding is on two of the legs rather than all three, though.

In the middle of the three legs, a balance hook enables you to hang some additional weight from it to provide extra stability to the tripod. This can also be detached.

For example, if it’s fine weather with no wind and you are going to be hiking a long way, weight saving could be more of a priority.

Likewise, adjusting the head is also fuss-free, with effortless movement. There is a long panning lever to manoeuver the two-way quick-release panning and tilt head.

Once you get the resistance of this lever at the most comfortable tension for you, you’re good to go.

Ideal for birders looking for a pan head

If a pan head works for you, the High Country II is a great buy. The head is easy to adjust and scan the landscape if you don’t mind the slightly limited range of horizontal movement in comparison to a ball head.

There is a carry case to transport the tripod if you prefer to pack it all right down rather than carry the tripod with the scope still attached.

As with their spotting scopes, the Vortex name is a guarantee of high quality. And if this wasn’t
reassuring enough, the company also offers an unconditional lifetime warranty. That said, they also have a significant price tag.

Best value lightweight compact tripod kit for birding spotting scopes (travel)

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Manfrotto Element Traveller Small Aluminum 5-Section Tripod Kit with Ball Head Overview

The Manfrotto Element Traveller is easy to set up and take down. It is ideal for smaller optics, but also copes very well with larger spotting scopes.

You could comfortably use one with an objective lens diameter up to 70mm. This makes it great value for the price.

The Element Traveller is both sturdy and has a weight capacity that exceeds other products in its range. Its maximum load capacity is 8.82 pounds, in relation to its own weight which is 2 and half pounds. This helps it stand up favorably to winds.

Perfectly packable

The Element Traveller is also able to fold down quite compactly due to its five sections. This enables its packable dimensions to measure only 12.6 inches in length.

This product is able to be extended to a height of around 53 inches. It’s not the most spacious in terms of height, though many people will be using it in combination with an angled scope so the height can be lower.

Taller bird watchers, especially those wanting to combine it with a straight spotting scope might be better looking elsewhere – unless using it while seated.

Also available in a taller version

Manfrotto does make a larger version of this tripod, which reaches the dizzy heights of 64.6 inches fully extended. As it weighs in at 3.5 pounds, though, we’ve focused on the lighter, more compact version.

Ball head gives lots of mobility

The ball head is easily mobile – sometimes perhaps a little too much so. It requires care to ensure it’s adequately locked into position.

The whole tripod is simple to mount and take down despite having twist-lock five-section legs. You’ll want to ensure these are kept clean and free of dust and grit though, so that the leg movements don’t become temperamental.

Overall the Element Traveler also feels stable, even with the center column fully up.

Best value lightweight compact tripod kit for birding spotting scopes (travel)

BUY ON AMAZON

Vortex Ridgeview Carbon Tripod Kit Overview

Vortex products are rugged and reliable. The Ridgeview Carbon is no exception and can handle large spotting scopes and full size binoculars. The maximum load capacity is 22 pounds.

The Ridgeview’s construction is from a mix of carbon fiber and aluminum. While the legs are carbon fiber, the center post is aluminum and measures 10 inches. This keeps weight to a minimum – at 3 pounds and 2 ounces.

Alternatively, you can completely detach the center column if you prefer. If you wish to use a counterweight, there’s a hook at the bottom of the center column.

Three-section legs are more stable but less packable

Three leg sections mean that the Ridgeview doesn’t pack right down like some tripod legs divided into four or five sections. When retracted, the length is 28 inches, with each leg measuring about 22 inches.

So it is long and not all that packable. The benefit of this extra length is that the total height is great for tall birders, at 75 inches.

Set-up and adjustment is a cinch, even in slippery conditions. The chunky rubber twist controls on the legs are easy to grip even with gloves. It’s really quick to deploy the tripod because they only need a quarter turn to release or lock.

Highly versatile leg angles

Each leg pivots right out. The legs can be set individually at a different angle, either moved freely or locked simply into position with just a click.

The Vortex Carbon Ridgeview has a two-way pan head perfect for anyone looking for quality and ease of use. The pan head is controlled by a tension handle, which makes it easy to make smooth pans.

The twist locking mechanism on the handle is incredibly simple to use with the same hand.

Straightforward quick-release pan head

The whole head attachment is very compact. This top-end versatile and straightforward pan head is Arca-Swiss compatible in case you want to change to a different tripod head.

The included pan head comes with a standard tension quick-release plate that works with a variety of styles of plates and other brands, if you prefer to switch it over to a different set of tripod legs.

Best lightweight compact tripod kit for birding spotting scopes (travel) – which will you choose?

If you’re looking for a compact, stable and reliable tripod legs and head to take with you on your hiking or travel adventures, we have provided a range of tripod kits that will support spotting scopes and other optics.

Hopefully you can use these as starting points for consideration. Tripods in a similar category – small and light – are featured in this article: The best table-top tripods (great for travel or backyard birding!)

The best compact tripod kit for hiking and travel will be as lightweight as possible while still providing stability and strength. This combination will make it the perfect option for birders and nature enthusiasts who need to pack light.

There are some tricks worth knowing to make light work of transporting your tripod kit along with a scope. Check out this article: Top tips on how to carry a spotting scope and tripod

Have you tried using a tripod while hiking or traveling with your spotting scope for birding? What recommendations do you have for other birders seeking a lightweight but sturdy tripod kit?