Someone has finally made a travel tripod that doesn’t suck

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If you love to travel and hate camera shake, you need a tripod that’s easy to carry but still stable enough to get the goods. The thing is, most so-called travel tripods are terrible. Bulky, flimsy, unstable, or just downright junk. Peak Design knows this and has spent the last four years designing their take on what a travel tripod should be.

Their Travel Tripod is currently in the home stretch on Kickstarter, with another 6 days (including today) left on the campaign. That means you’ve got less than 6 days to get what is looking like the hottest travel accessory of the year for 20-percent off retail. There’s an aluminum version for $289, or if you want carbon-fiber for the ultimate in low weight, that’ll cost you just shy of $480.

Never leave home without Peak Design’s Travel Tripod

Okay, so why is Peak Design’s take on the Travel Tripod so good? For me, it’s the nifty redesign of the legs and center column that shrinks the whole shebang down to the diameter of a bottle of water when folded. That means it’s easier to sling wherever you have a gap in your gear bag, perfect for those rambling adventures off the beaten path.

Other clever additions from the photography-obsessed team at Peak Design include:

• A new take on the ball head, where a single adjustment ring keeps your camera locked down, instead of relying on fiddly knobs or levers
• Rapid deployment of the new legs to a locked position, because timing is everything and you wouldn’t want your gear to make you miss the shot
• Compatibility with all PD plates and most Arca-type plates
• A crazy 20lb weight limit, so you can use it with pro DSLRs with telephoto lens
• Low and inverted modes so you can get your camera to where you want it, without compromise

If this all sounds good to you, head on over to the Kickstarter campaign in the next few days before the end.

What do you think? Interested in this tripod from Peak Design? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.