DIY: Tripod Snow/Sand Shoes
September 21, 2012 | By Nick Carver
I shoot at the beach quite often, so my tripod sees a lot of sand. The sand and salt water ain't no big deal because I always clean my tripod after a trip to the coast, but one thing that drives me nuts is when my tripod sinks in the sand as the tide washes in and out around it. Whenever the waves swirl around those legs, the thing just starts sinking like Indiana Jones in quicksand. And since I use long shutter speeds quite often when shooting seascapes, this phenomenon has forced me to stick to rocky areas or timing my shots to finish before the water reaches me.
So I had the brilliant idea (after years of putting up with this problem) to steal the brilliant idea of other photographers and utilize some "snow shoes" to prevent the sinkage. I haven't had a chance to try them out yet, but the concept is solid - give the tripod legs a wider foot, and hopefully the water will be able to swirl around them all sunset long without the quicksand effect. To be honest, I'm skeptical and my hopes aren't high, but we'll see.
Being the DIY kind of guy I am, I thought I'd make my own. With $30 or so worth of materials, you can make your own, too. But if you're smart, you'll just buy these ready-made ones by Manfrotto. And wouldn't you know it, they're about $30. My home made ones may not be cheaper, but at least they're uglier. Wait...aw, man. But mine do secure higher up on the legs, so maybe they're more secure. But probably not...
Anyway, here's what you'll need
- 3x adjustable flag pole brackets - like these
- 1x package of furniture sliders - like these
- 1x washing machine & dishwasher hose 1.75"x7/8"x2' (not like what you think, see the pictures below)
- 12x machine screws 3/4" long with nuts
- Sharpie
- Awl
Step 1: Remove the foam padding from the furniture sliders
Step 2: Set the flag pole bracket on the upside-down furniture slider and mark the screw hole openings with a Sharpie
Step 3: Poke holes through each Sharpie marking with an awl
Step 4: Attach the flag pole bracket to the furniture slider with screws and nuts
Step 5: Cut a piece of the rubber hose to slide into the flag pole bracket - make it just long enough to stick out about 1/2"
This little length of rubber hose protects your tripod legs, fills the gap in the flag bracket for a tight fit, and gives something for the tightening screw to brace against. Make sure the rubber hose can fit over your tripod legs before buying it. If your tripod legs are thicker than mine, you may not need it at all.
Step 6: Repeat 2 more times
So there you go. Now you have 3 adjustable tripod all-terrain shoes. Use the screw on the side of the flag pole bracket to tighten the shoe to the tripod. And don't worry about scuffing up your tripod because the rubber tube inside provides more than enough protection.
Enjoy your ugly, DIY, may-or-may-not-be-as-good-as-the-real-thing tripod shoes!
