Winterize Your : Tripod

First signs of cold winter conditions is the frosty cold breath and frosty fingers. Using a tripod as a stable platform for landscape and wildlife photography is almost a neccessity only to be reinfornced when your feet, arms and fingers are cold.
The materials used in today's tripods are increasingly becoming lighter and stronger but one thing they do not have is a heating element.
Venturing out into the cold winter landscape or out on a multi hour wildlife stakeout is hard enough on your body not to mention the gear.
Here is a quick and affordable modification that you can add to your tripod to make handling and carrying it a bit more comfortable so you can deal with making an image.

Time: less than 10min
Items needed:

1 x tripod
1x 6ft section of 1/2" pipe insulation (note: measure the widest part of your tripod foot to make sure you buy the appropriate diameter insulation)
1x Roll of Gaffers Tape

Most foam pipe insulation comes pre-cut. Cut the foam pipe insulation to the appriate lengths of the first leg section. Repeat for all three legs. Pull apart the insulation and wrap it around the tripod. Use gaffers tape or another form of adhesive tape to secure the insulation to the tripod leg in multiple sections.
The foam insulation will make grabbing the tripod easier with gloves on, keeps your fingers away from the freezing aluminum or carbon, and make it more comfortable to carry over the shoulder.


I have used the Manfrotto 190XB 3 Section Aluminum Tripod since 2010 and am very pleased with it. Here are some other ones I recommend: