Wiser BT-20 Ridge Warden

[svivian]

You aren't shooting standing off of it with crazy stability but for sitting and prone it would be fine.

Thanks for the info thats good to know. Your last part is exactly what im looking for. Im already sitting down glassing in tall sage or brush etc.. and need to make a stable shot. I have no intentions of standing and shooting off a tripod so i dont need a beast.

Right now I have the Tricer AD which seems decent all around for this purpose but Im hoping the head works out.

 

[Marshfly]

Thanks for the info thats good to know. Your last part is exactly what im looking for. Im already sitting down glassing in tall sage or brush etc.. and need to make a stable shot. I have no intentions of standing and shooting off a tripod so i dont need a beast.

Right now I have the Tricer AD which seems decent all around for this purpose but Im hoping the head works out.

Yeah. I think the Summit Carbon gets lost in the Vortex hate. The head removes easily and it only weighs 30 ounces without it. For a "standing" height tripod it's a decent solution.

 

[guitarpreston]

So its like the aziak frontcountry I put a handle on but smaller/lighter and obviously made in USA?

 

[ChrisAU]

So its like the aziak frontcountry I put a handle on but smaller/lighter and obviously made in USA?

Does the frontcountry with the handle lock into 2 planes of pan and tilt?

 

[guitarpreston]

Does the frontcountry with the handle lock into 2 planes of pan and tilt?

The front country does not come with a handle, that is something I added, but yes it locks into two planes.

 

[6.5x284]

The front country does not come with a handle, that is something I added, but yes it locks into two planes.

Uhhhhh how did you add the handle?!! Teach us!


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[guitarpreston]

Uhhhhh how did you add the handle?!! Teach us!


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G

Post in thread 'Ball head handle???'

Feb 6, 2025

Well gang it worked! Haven’t had time to stick my spotter or binos on but I did swap the plate directly and it’s got a handle now

• guitarpreston

• 

 

[bielenbm]

Anyone here tried both the BT20 and front country? Which would you prefer. I’m in the market for one. Obviously the front country with handle would make it more comparable.

 

[AC300PRC]

I'm wondering about the pan as well. It says everything is controlled through the ball mechanism adjustment, but there is some "micro adjustment" for pan. Sounds like pan isn't adjustable except the micro adjustment.

The pan and tilt both adjust with the single adjustment, the pan micro adjustment is more of a “timing” adjustment for how you want the two movements to work together. I swapped a DZ out for the ridge warden, I like the simplicity of the Wiser head better. I’ll beat it up a bit over the next few months and see how it holds up.

 

[mighteywhitehunter]

Do you mind to explain the panning issue a little more?
Does it lock independently like a pan head, or is everything locked by the ball mechanism?
I like to lock the panning and leave the tilt unlocked, or vice versa, sometimes... I'm curious if that is an option with this head?

I wouldn't nessesarily call the panning an "issue". It is just the function of its design. I will be home tomorrow to get a couple of pics and a better description of how they work. But you get some tension from the panning adjustment screw and full lockup/unlock of the whole head via the lever so they are not fully independent of one another.

It is a unique head that is very cool for what it is which is, an extremely compact and ultralight ball-ish head. So far I like, it but it is different from my other heads that have fully independent pan and tilt.

Maybe the Wiser guys could put out a video showing the details of all the adjustments?

 

[Juan_ID]

I just got one of these and an aziak frontcountry tripod. With a 9 year old who’s going to be hunting this year, I thought it would possibly serve as a good crossover head/tripod combo. 95% glassing while also being used for a handful of shots throughout the season.

I thought about the frontcountry hall head as well but it is considerably heavier and I did not care for all the knobs on it. Could probably get used to it but just wasn’t what I wanted to try. I’m coming from having used Sirui va5’s for years and years and last year used the tricer lp. The pan heads work great for glassing but were less than ideal for the few times they were used to shoot from. This little wiser seems pretty cool, if it holds up I think it’ll be a nice head for my intended uses. Plan to put some heavy use on it this summer scouting for some upcoming hunts and also shooting off it to see how it works for that.

 

[doverpack12]

I just got one of these and an aziak frontcountry tripod. With a 9 year old who’s going to be hunting this year, I thought it would possibly serve as a good crossover head/tripod combo. 95% glassing while also being used for a handful of shots throughout the season.

I thought about the frontcountry hall head as well but it is considerably heavier and I did not care for all the knobs on it. Could probably get used to it but just wasn’t what I wanted to try. I’m coming from having used Sirui va5’s for years and years and last year used the tricer lp. The pan heads work great for glassing but were less than ideal for the few times they were used to shoot from. This little wiser seems pretty cool, if it holds up I think it’ll be a nice head for my intended uses. Plan to put some heavy use on it this summer scouting for some upcoming hunts and also shooting off it to see how it works for that.
View attachment 899872

What is your total weight of those two? Exactly the combo I had in mind when I need standing height or more tripod than the Aziak backcountry

 

[Juan_ID]

What is your total weight of those two? Exactly the combo I had in mind when I need standing height or more tripod than the Aziak backcountry

2lbs 11oz w/long center column
2lbs 7oz w/short center column

 

[sndmn11]

2lbs 11oz

Do you have the short center column as well? I can't remember if mine came with one or not.

 

[Juan_ID]

Do you have the short center column as well? I can't remember if mine came with one or not.

Edited my original post with weights of the long and short center columns. You remove the hook from the bottom of the long center column then use the allen head to remove 2 set screws to convert it to the short column.

 

[passinggas33]

2lbs 11oz w/long center column
2lbs 7oz w/short center column

Do you want to double check those weights for us? I was figuring the combo would be in the mid 20oz range. Doesn’t the backcountry lite weight like 20oz and the head weigh like 4oz? Or are we talking different products here??

 

[Juan_ID]

Do you want to double check those weights for us? I was figuring the combo would be in the mid 20oz range. Doesn’t the backcountry lite weight like 20oz and the head weigh like 4oz? Or are we talking different products here??

That’s a frontcountry tripod not a backcountry lite. But I do have a backcountry lite I can weigh with it too

 

[Juan_ID]

Wiser bt-20 & aziak backcountry lite

24oz with long center column
22.7oz with short center column

 

[passinggas33]

Wiser bt-20 & aziak backcountry lite

24oz with long center column
22.7oz with short center column

Thanks. I was an idiot and realized you had frontcountry in there after I made my comment. Appreciate you doing some weighing afterwards for my benefit.

That makes this combo just slightly lighter than my aziak with the tricer LP on it. Now I’m really intrigued. Especially if it pans well…

 

[AirlockIndustries]

We ran one of these on our spring bear hunt. Worked great, didn't get to shoot off of it but worked great for glassed. Ball does get a little gummy once it gets dirty which can make micro adjustments with a spotter difficult. We will continue to use it but would carry some alcohol wipes to clean the ball itself every once in a while.