Outdoorsmans Tripods & Tripod Heads

[tdhanses]

When you say half the size, are you referring to the height specifically? Thanks for the feedback!

Height and width, take the complete size down 40-50%. Try to get the weight around the 5oz mark.

 

[chippewawarrior]

I would also like to see the panheads have arca swiss compliant adapter plates and for the pan heads and tripods be anodized with a flat coyote tan or something other than black.

I second this. A tan would be amazing. I wrap the legs with camo form. That would take some weight off.

I have a question please. What’s the difference in the balance plates?

 

[gdog]

Arca Swiss compliant without having to add plates on your proprietary plates.

 

[armyjoe]

I agree with the posts above. I would like a standard Arc Swiss compatible pan head. Your proprietary system is ok but all my other gear is compatible with an Arc swiss plate. I stopped using your stuff because it was a hassle. I use my stuff for glassing and camera gear.

I never thought about it but a tan head and tripod would be super cool too

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[Dioni A]

Have you tried using a balance plate? We have also developed balance plates for stability with heavier setups like the Swarovski BTX (or a DSLR), and another for arca-swiss compatibility. Thanks for your feedback!

Now I feel really dumb that I didn't look to see if that was already a thing that you did. could I add that to my current order since the head is backordered?!?! Please email me @ [email protected]

 

[pirogue]

The bino adapter needs to be a slanted post instead of a plumb, vertical post. The result would locate the center of binos over the center of the tripod (presently doesn’t happen with the adapter post near the optical end hinge). This would reduce the radius(center of tripod to eyecup), which would reduce the circumference of the eyepiece end, while panning, and thereby reduce head, neck, and upper body movement to pan the same depth of field. The longer the binos, consistent with greater powers of Swaros, the greater the above described radius and circumference, and less ergonomically friendly.

 

[Napperm4]

Likes:

After trying several binocular mounts I’m in the club that the outdoorsman’s is one of the best. My personal favourite.

The regular pan head locks the tilt function flawlessly and is awesome.

I like the design of the QR plates and having it incorporated into the bottom of the head so that I can easily and quickly switch a head between different tripods and a window mount.

QR panner and QR plates. Definitely well built, smooth and hold my heads well. I love the versatility of the entire system for offering mounting alternatives on other tripods with the benefits of the QR.

The QR panner is awesome when paired with one of my ballheads and is my go to set up for my lightweight glass (swaro 10x30 cl and stx 65)

Dislikes:

I am incredibly disappointed that there is no tension adjustment for the tilt on the regular pan head. It’s all or nothing and forgetting to hold the handle when I so much as breath on the lever has almost cost me a few of my optics.

The pan lock on the head seems to shift the image in my spotter a lot, even at minimal magnifications. I find it either tilts the scope up so that my target almost needs to be out of the Center of view when I lock it to predict the shift. Other times it does the same but on the left to right which is unpredictable since it shifts sporadically. The least amount of the time it works perfectly and locks where I stop panning.

Not at all a fan of the outdoorsman’s tripods. I find them heavy, bulky and overpriced when compared to others out there. I understand that they are meant to be stable / bombproof but they are double the cost of other lighter, stable / bombproof metal options.

Extendable Center post - was also not a fan of this. I tried out a compact medium as its the least bulky but it wasn’t tall enough for me to glass in the areas I hunt. Adding the extending center post reduced stability to the point my binoculars performed better off the tripod. Great in concept but not in real performance.

Uses:

I use(d) the system exclusively for glassing.

Binos (with bino mount system and pan head)

10x30 CL companions
10x42 SLC HD’s
15x56 Kaibabs

Spotter (sometimes with tines up or novagrade mount and iPhone X)

65/95STX

 

[twall13]

I own and love your tall bino mount. It's by far my favorite of the the mounts I've used. I had to install a small arca plate on the bottom so it works with the rest of my gear and that's the biggest reason I've not tried your tripod heads. My camera gear is all arca compatible and I use my tripod for both glassing (Binos and Spotter) and cameras. There are work arounds with adapter plates but I don't want to deal with that and the extra weight in the backcountry. If I'm going to fork over the dough for an outdoorsman's setup I don't want to add weight and costs to it. I hear you are coming out with an arca compatible Jim White 2.0 head and that has my interest. I'm looking forward to hearing what Ryan Avery has to say about it after he gets more time with it.

I'm a fan of carbon fiber tripods with good twist locks that don't get caught on my pack pockets like flip locks do. Carbon fiber is lighter, warmer to the touch when cold, dampens vibrations and is quieter. For those reasons I haven't looked at your tripods (aluminum and flip locks). I know they are solid and well built but they aren't for me. Perhaps it's not user feedback but it's the reason I'm not a user of more of your product line so maybe it's worth taking into consideration as you make plans for future products and improvements.

I hadn't thought of it either but the tan color would be a nice option.

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[CodyB]

I like the size and weight of the pan head I have but the tilt control leaves a lot to be desired. I use the pan head on a Slik 623 tripod. While the tilt control can lock down my spotting scope (ATX 65) and binos (SLC 15s) fine when loosened just a bit the head will allow the optics to completely forward or backwards if I do not keep my hand on there. Due to this I often end up using a Manfrotto fluid head despite it being much larger and heavier.

While the tripods are nicely constructed I cannot justify the price when there are similar options from Slik that weigh less and preform well. When stability is my main concern I usually opt to carry my carbon Manfrotto tripod with Manfrotto head. Even though it is a bit heavy and bulky this combo has served me well for many years.

I am a big fan of the bino adapter and stud which has been a big improvement over the Swarovski setup I previously used. The machining on the bino post is very nice and fits perfectly into the pan head and I also like being able to thread on a Manfrotto adapter plate.

 

[Beendare]

I have a dozen buddies that own outdoorsman products......all are satisfied. A few are full time guides that use this stuff 50x what the avg hunter would. I've had the chance to try many items.....you make excellent quality stuff. Not cheap of course...but what machined metal products are? Nitpicking; most guys I know prefer a tripod with all rubber feet

Have you thought about making a very ultra light...like under 1/2 pound tripod?

EDIT; I have to commend you on opening yourself up to internet criticism....typically you won't hear from the 20 guys that love your stuff...but will get blasted by the one that doesn't. Then there is operator error....that balance bar is a necessity for any heavy optic.

It might be worth giving some examples of when to use that balance bar. My buddy has one on his BTX setup of course...but pics of 15x and spotting scope setups might save some of these issues.


...

 

[yogr]

I'm a big fan of your bino stud. After doing some research, it seemed to be the best option for me, and I've been very pleased with it.

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[JaredJ]

Thanks for the opinions, I have been trying to decided if the outdoorsmen is the tripod I want.

 

[mcseal2]

I really like your pan head and the rifle rest attachment for it. I reviewed both on your website. That shooting rest with the 2 points of contact with the rifle is much steadier for me than a single Y yoke like most shooting rests have. It also lets me leave the rifle in it at times, keeping it closer to shooting position while having both hands free to glass. It's faster than a clamp type rest and doesn't put pressure on the stock that might affect the point of impact on a light rifle like mine.

I used that set-up to take my moose in AK kneeling at 300 yards and my whitetail sitting at 379 yards last year. I took both with a Rifles Inc LW70, a rifle light enough it is less forgiving to shoot than some. On the moose the extra stability helped steady the rifle while my adrenaline was running over max. On the buck it helped me keep the rifle in position for several minutes before the buck finally quit sparring with his buddy and offered a shot. This set-up has been a game changer for me when vegetation does not allow me to shoot from prone, something that happens quite often in the tall grass around home.

On to what the pan head is meant for, I like how the head and adapter work with my 15x Swaros very much. It works great with my Kowa 554 too. I like how easy it is to switch optics and the head between my tripod and window mount so I can have the same adapter on everything. I have a quick attach adapter on the tripod that I attach the head with. I tried the micro pan head and ended up returning it. After using both I think the stability and smoothness of the regular pan head is worth the extra weight to me.

For the dislikes, I had a compact medium tripod and ended up selling it. I didn't like the lever locks hanging up in my pack side pockets. Once they got a little grit in them they were loud snapping into place on a hunt also. I got to where I carried a can of compressed air in the truck and used it on the locks daily. I went to a Promaster 525 carbon tripod with twist locks, switched your head over to it, and sold your tripod. I really like my current set-up. It is multi-purpose. It works with my optics or rifle very well. This tripod also has a removeable leg that can be handy as a trekking pole or another upright to elevate a tarp. I've used the main part and leg on opposite corners of a tarp at times.

Hope this helps.

 

[TheCougar]

I’ve used your medium tripod and pan head before, along with a lot of your smaller gear (digiscope, Bino adaptor, triclawps, etc).

Likes:
High quality, no doubt, and you guys know how to make solid equipment. Sturdy in the wind and durable. I don’t know anyone who has broken one of your tripods. I’m pretty sure I could fight off a Grizz with one of your tripod legs.

Misc: love the triclawps, digiscope system, Bino adaptor, and customer service.

Dislikes:
Cost: a tall tripod with center extension post runs $610, plus $330 for a micro pan head. That’s nearly $1000 for a tripod setup. My carbon tripod and fluid head was less than $350.

Weight: same system weighs 64 ounces with the light pan head (add another 8 ounces if I keep my fluid head). My current system weights just under 48 ounces.

I’m not throwing shade - you guys make bombproof, quality gear, and there is no doubt that my carbon tripod will break before yours gets a dent, but I just can’t justify the price and weight. I’m not an ounce counter by any means, but I don’t want to give up weight where I don’t have to. That extra $600 goes a long way towards buying an ATX or other gear for hunting when my current setup works really well.

I’ve become a “buy once, cry once” kind of guy, and I like buying excellent gear, but
the tripod and head system just doesn’t make the cut when I am upgrading gear.

Also can you guys make a rear rifle support that is compatible with other tripods? Basically adjustable where it clamps to the leg? I would buy that to help my son when shooting off the triclawps.

 

[100percent]

Bino adapter and stud are the best system I've seen.

I love the micro pan head for it's light weight and its very smooth. However, it seems strange that the Swaro 65 spotter is so unbalanced on it. Unless it is set "just right" the spotter likes to fall backwards on the micro pan head. It is so out of balance that I have to tighten and loosen the head every time to adjust the spotter up or down. Maybe it's the fault of the Swaro spotter but I would think there's a way to balance it better. Or, is that what your balance plate is for? If that is what it is for then is the 5" length necessary?

Ditto on the balancing act! My micro pan is either locked or too loose. Middle ground is jerky!