If you get a cheap, full sized tripod, you'll end up fighting with it. Think about what it might be like to try to move around a crowded room with a 3 foot piece of 2x4 tucked under your arm.
My favorite tripod is the Vanguard VEO 235CB, a "travel tripod". It's fiberglass, and quite rigid and sturdy. It has a hook on the bottom of the center post where you can hang a weight, such as your backpack, to give more stability. Best of all, when it is fully collapsed it's just over a foot long. Still, it brings a scope or camera up to chest height.
I would bet gr8fuldoug will have something very similar.
You make a good point denton. I'm not quite sure if the OP is looking to have a cheap tripod he can use with each, that works, but is not too concerned about fast smooth transitioning to different targets at different yardages. In my shoots, my spotter uses one with a fluid head, like someone else mentioned. Most of those guys that spot use $3,000+ Swaro spotters as well. If just going with a cheap spotter for 100 yard stationary target spotting, and something to hold the chronograph up, just about anything will work. I use a fairly cheap tripod for my chrono and it works just fine even in high winds. Even though I don't like using it in those conditions. My chrono is made for a single 1/4" stud to go up inside it to attach to a tripod. No way to use 2 tripods, so that is not really the "basics", like someone else said. Not everyone is set up that way and you don't need to be. Use what works and pizz on the rest. For my spotter, I use a Vanguard tripod as well and it works great. I almost offered my tripod to the op, if he is not looking for something super fast, but it is sturdy. I went to the Vanguard because it gets on target quicker. Again, for the shoots I do it is more ideal. So my question to the OP is how "basic" do you need?
