I have never even seen a outdoorsman tripod but have read that they are the best many times. There is just enough talk about people being underwhelmed with them that it keeps me from ordering one.

Are the outdoorsman tripods the best? Or are there just as good tripods for less money? Outdoorsman head the best? Or is something better?

Dink

I have used an Outdoorsmans tripod and all their heads for almost ten years now. I used a Manfrotto before with a pistol grip and IMO I like the Outdoorsman way better. Just like the features it has and the different compatible attachments not to mention I have had OUTSTANDING customer service both over the phone and in person from the Outdoorsman. And their bino stud and adapter take glassing with binos to a whole new level!!

Outdoorsman's all the way for me. Hard to find a more compact tripod that's built like a tank as it is. I can easily put it in my pack and not feel like it's in the way.

I really like the pan head of there's. There are smoother ones out there but they aren't compact like this one. For me that's really important. I've only had limited experience playing with their pistol head at a show, but it by far felt better than any ball head I've used. I keep thinking I'll pick one up.

And like Joel stated, great customer service. I realized I needed a part just days before a hunt. They went well beyond what they needed to do to take care of me.

I much preferred the Swarovski Traveler in carbon fiber. The Outdoorsmans was very nice, but the tripod legs themselves are quite a bit shorter than the Swarovski, with the rest of the height I need for glassing standing up coming from an extended center post. Not the most stable setup.

The Swarovski is super light, very stiff, recovers from the wind faster than the aluminum, and is more stable, partially due to the carbon fiber, but partially due to the fact that the tripod legs themselves are much taller and massive, while remaining ultralight. This keeps center post extension to a minimum in reaching the height I need to glass standing when I have to.

Also,I don't know if I got a faulty head from Outdoorsmans, but mine was very herky jerky. Not smooth at all. The Swarovski head was better for me too.

I know lots of people love their Outdoorsmans, and I have no beef with that. Heck, I bought one full pop and thought I was done.

Alas, at least for me, the Swarovski bettered it, and it wasn't that close.

For shiggles, i just weighed my Swarovski:

4 pounds, 4 ounces on my scale.

I have tried most stuff and the Outdoorsman is good but not as nice as the Gitzo Mountaineer stuff. I really prefer the manfrotto fluid heads to the Outdoorman too. Some guys really like the Jim White heads but I think the longer plate Manfrottos are much better.

For a relatively light sitting set up I like my Outdoorsman medium and Jim White head. Very stable and nice. But if you plan to also use it standing I would go a different route

What about a Ravelli APGL4 , with pistol grip head ?

Thanks for the info guys.

Anyone else like them or hate them?

Dink

The price alone is a deterrent.

Sirui compact and the Vanguard compact are lightweight favorites of mine and both are sub $150