New 21 oz Hoplite mini tripod from Spartan Precision Equipment

Oregon Hunter

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Hey Roksliders,

We just released a brand new mini tripod called the Hoplite that might be interesting if your a lover of ultralight gear. When you are going to the furthest extent to shave weight and bulk from your hunting kit, this is the perfect tool for the job. The relatively short legs mean it’s primarily a shooting tool. Having three legs noticeably increases steadiness over a bipod, and the four leg pitches with height adjustable makes it awesome for adapting to the uneven terrain on mountain hunts. If you were to rest it on top of your pack or a boulder, it could also serve as a makeshift glassing platform when paired with an HD Optics Adapter or Binocular Adapter.

HopliteTripod_600x.jpg

Hopefully we can begin shipping in a couple weeks. You can hit the "notify me when available" button on this link to be notified when it's ready. Let me know what you think, and if I can answer any questions (y)


HopliteTripod-1-2_600x.jpgHopliteTripodProne_NZ_2_600x.jpg
 

Vaultman

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I'm sorry. I don't get it. No one in their right mind would want to glass the way the guy with the swaro is glassing. Wouldn't your bipod be a much better option for this tripods intended use?
Maybe if we look at it like a bipod just with an extra leg.

Honestly when I saw the thread I was kinda excited as I'm in the market for another tripod, but it's purpose is for glassing with binos. This won't work. :(.
 

archp625

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Maybe if we look at it like a bipod just with an extra leg.

Honestly when I saw the thread I was kinda excited as I'm in the market for another tripod, but it's purpose is for glassing with binos. This won't work. :(.
Agree. That price is wild too. I love innovation and spartan is a good company but....
 

Happy Antelope

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Maybe if we look at it like a bipod just with an extra leg.

Honestly when I saw the thread I was kinda excited as I'm in the market for another tripod, but it's purpose is for glassing with binos. This won't work. :(.
It will work with a small angled spotter the best. With binos you would want to set it on a rock for sure. Kestrel is another company making a bino glassing mono-pod that again is trying to trim as much weight as possible.
 
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It will work with a small angled spotter the best. With binos you would want to set it on a rock for sure. Kestrel is another company making a bino glassing mono-pod that again is trying to trim as much weight as possible.
What’s the benefit of this over something like the slik 632 (22oz, max height 37”)?
 
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Dang, I was pretty excited when I saw the title. What a dumb concept. Is it more stable than the spartan bipod? Probably. Is it better than shooting off an atlas bipod? Probably not and the atlas weighs less. The situations where this can be used with a spotter outside the bench at the range are minimal.
 
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Maybe if we look at it like a bipod just with an extra leg.

Honestly when I saw the thread I was kinda excited as I'm in the market for another tripod, but it's purpose is for glassing with binos. This won't work. :(.
Glassing prone off a tripod is the new thing…haven’t you heard?! LMAO
 
OP
Oregon Hunter

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I'm sorry. I don't get it. No one in their right mind would want to glass the way the guy with the swaro is glassing. Wouldn't your bipod be a much better option for this tripods intended use?
Fair point. Before I got a chance to use it, I took a minute to wrap my head around it too. It was helpful to separate what it is versus what it's not intended to be.

We've got lots of tripods that are bigger for dedicated glassing sessions, and this is decidedly not the intention of this one. Rob (the boss man) designed the Hoplite for the most hardcore minimalist people, think the folks who are cutting their toothbrush in half. Maybe these folks would know they're going to do more hiking than glassing, or they would be fine with perching the tripod on top of their backpack or a boulder to gain more elevation. Perhaps they've already spotted and selected the animal that going to put a final stock on from a base position, and they would take this ultralight weight option for the final stalk so they can climb with as little weight as possible.

It's incredibly stable to shoot off of, more so than a bipod because it's got three legs instead of two. This tool is not trying to replace a full size tripod in any way. We're simply offering another option for those who want something on the farthest end of lightness and small size.
 
OP
Oregon Hunter

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Maybe if we look at it like a bipod just with an extra leg.

Honestly when I saw the thread I was kinda excited as I'm in the market for another tripod, but it's purpose is for glassing with binos. This won't work. :(.
You are onto it with the first part, being a bipod with an extra leg. Think of it as mainly an really stable shooting platform, that you can also glass from in a pinch. We have many full sizes tripods for the hunter who plans to spend hours glassing. This is intentionally for the farthest end of the ultralight spectrum, optimized for specialized situations.
 
OP
Oregon Hunter

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What’s the benefit of this over something like the slik 632 (22oz, max height 37”)?
That's a sweet tripod too. Couple small differences. With the Spartan MagnaSwitch attachment system, you can shoot or glass off it. You would only need an adapter for your rifle (which will add under an ounce), or a HD Optics Adapter for your glass (which adds 2.4 oz). When you start adding other traditional adapters to tripods from competitors, you'll be surprised how fast the weight adds up and defeats the purpose of their work to create a light tripod. People also like the ability to switch between optics and a rifle real fast with the MagnaSwitch system.
 
OP
Oregon Hunter

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Dang, I was pretty excited when I saw the title. What a dumb concept. Is it more stable than the spartan bipod? Probably. Is it better than shooting off an atlas bipod? Probably not and the atlas weighs less. The situations where this can be used with a spotter outside the bench at the range are minimal.
You're right, this is for specialized situations. We wouldn't try to sell this as a product for everyone. Just trying to give those looking for something super compact for their final stalk, a particularly rough climb, or a hunt where you expect to be glassing just a little.

It will be more stable than any bipod though. Three legs that can vary height and pitch will give a real solid footing compared to balancing on two legs.

These are all good points and questions guys. I think it helps to clarify as much who this is not for versus who it could work for. I know our boss would rather have a wide variety of tools that work really well for a specific hunt, which means we end up steering some people away from a product when it doesn't fit what they're trying to do. That's totally fine. We'd rather do that than make a generic product that makes compromises everywhere. I appreciate the input from everyone!
 
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