From Experience: The Best Lightweight Tripod for Backpacking

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I have quite the tripod collection. It seems like I keep buying and testing them and am pretty much dissatisfied with one feature or another. Currently I own four tripods and have finally figured out what qualifies as the best lightweight tripod for backpacking.

The tripod obviously needs to be light, compact enough to fit in a backpack or even a carry-on suitcase, easy to use, and sturdy enough to fit a decent camera body and lens. Check out the lightest travel tripods that don’t sacrifice quality or functionality and won’t be a hassle to bring on your next backpacking or hiking adventure.

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The All-Around Best Lightweight Tripod for Backpacking

GEEKOTO

MeFoto

The best lightweight tripod for backpacking is a tie between two brands: GEEKOTO and MeFoto. They both use ball head over a traditional pan and tilt head, which I’ve found to be the easiest to adjust the angle and tilt of my camera without much fuss. This is an ABSOLUTE MUST for me when choosing a tripod.

Of course, they are both also light, fold up small, have removable monopods, and have warranties! Here are their differences and why I’d choose one over the other.

Why GEEKOTO is Better Than MeFoto

The GEEKOTO is not the lightest travel tripod and it’s not even the most compact, but it has flip leg locks, which makes it less of a hassle to undo and redo if you plan on shooting at a lot of locations.

It’s really not the biggest inconvenience but on a recent trip to Paris where I went solely to create content, I brought a Zomei travel tripod* with twist legs with me. In a couple of hours, I had gone to 4+ locations, and at every location, I had to twist-twist-twist the legs in and twist-twist-twist the legs out. The following day, we used my friend’s MeFoto tripod (which back then at flip leg locks), and I loved how light it was and how easy it was to flip the legs in and out.

*This Zomei tripod weighs 3.7lbs and only folds up to 19″, which is why I don’t recommend it. It is portable in the sense that it fits in a carry-on, but at 3.7lbs, it’s not the lightest travel tripod there is. It is a great tripod though if you don’t mind the weight.

The GEEKOTO also holds almost twice the weight as the MeFoto and extends almost 4″ higher. As of the date of this post, it also costs less than the MeFoto.

Why MeFoto is Better than GEEKOTO

The MeFoto is the lightest travel tripod between these two tripods, but at 0.2 lbs less, it probably won’t be the biggest factor effecting your purchasing decision. The best factors about the MeFoto tripod is that it folds down to only 12.6″ and has a five-year warranty (two upon buying and three after registering).

If the twist leg locks aren’t an inconvenience for you and you don’t mind putting in an extra bit of money for a lighter, more compact tripod, then I would opt for the MeFoto as your choice for the best portable tripod for travel.

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Best Lightweight Travel Tripod for the Budget Conscious

Mactrem

Amazon Basics

 

Out of the two all-around best lightweight tripod for hiking, backpacking, or even Instagramming, GEEKOTO is very reasonably priced. I would highly recommend choosing either the GEEKOTO or MeFoto tripods, but if you want something very affordable and go even lighter, then here are two options.

Both of lightweight travel tripods even lighter than the all-around lightweight tripods I listed above. This is because they don’t use a ball head, but instead use a pan and tilt head. I don’t feel like pan and tilt heads are as convenient and easy to use as a ball head, but they do make the tripod lighter. If you’re willing to forgo the ball head for an even lighter tripod and price, then these are both good options.

The Mactrem is better than the Amazon Basics tripod because it can support up to 11 lbs and extends to 55″. However, it only folds up to 19.7″, which is basically the height of a carry-on suitcase. It will easily fit in but may take up more space than you’d like.

The Amazon Basics is better than the Mactrem because it’s even more affordable and lightweight at only 1.25 lbs. It also folds down smaller to 16.5″. Nonetheless this tripod is not recommended for heavy, high-end DSLR cameras* so it’s really only recommended for your phone, point-and-shoot, and mirrorless camera. If you have either of those and are on a tight budget, then this tripod is for you!

*I actually have this tripod at home, but that’s all it’s for. I wouldn’t dare use it outside the house with my Canon 6D because it is so lightweight!

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I hope this post helps you in buying the best lightweight tripod for backpacking, hiking, or even Instagramming in cities! Let me know how it goes.

Thanks for stopping by! xo.