Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Dennis833 Loc: Australia

That's a great idea. Thanks.

carl hervol Loc: jacksonville florida

It not going to work in soft dirt or sand putting tension on the rope will just pull out stack just a dump idea if you have a good tripod you don't have to worry about it !

juan_uy Loc: Uruguay

Thanks everybody for your comments.
I am amazed by the amount and variety of inputs :)

carl hervol Loc: jacksonville florida

Muddyvalley Loc: McMinnville, Oregon

I like the idea of three dumbbells to stabilize the tripod. They could also help carry your equipment!

gtemple1 Loc: E. Olympia, WA

If you're looking for something light that's easy to carry, try a reusable bag with handles. Fill it with dirt, rocks, or whatever. Attach it to the tripod with a bungee cord so it's resting on the ground. Empty when you're done.

Timmers Loc: San Antonio Texas.

To me this is just amazing, no, really. Five pages of posting and no one seems to know their craft. This is just scary!

First, there is a chemistry reference that is lost on another profession of knowledgeable idiots. The symbol for lead in the periotic chart is Pb, this refers to the Latin name of plumbum. The original plum lines used lead as their material to find the earths gravity point in leveling. Why? Because lead is not effected by a magnetic field. (water below included, but then you would need to believe in dosing). So plumbum has evolved into our modern word plum bob.

First, lets do away with this idiocy of bungee cords. Go stop by Home Depot or Lowell or visit any building installer and check out a line plumb, no bungee cords in use, NONE! They use a simple length of cord. It is RIDIGID enough for their work. Rigidity is what is called for when we use plumb lines. In building sky scarper buildings the plumb line is high grade steel cable. Again, rigidity is the need.

In the field, or for that matter in studio we are not interested in plumb, rather it is in reduction of movement/vibration. A decent modern tripod will have a hook on the center column. This is where you need to hang a weight. Now the hook is there for ease of use. Often in the field it is best to have a nylon bag like is used for laundry for delicate items. Into this bag you put loose rocks that are available plentifully in most landscapes. You hang this from the hook. Stop any movement then watch the bag to see that it is not swaying. If moving then it is clear that there maybe vibration involved. So your bag of rocks tells you when the camera has settled. When your finished at that location you empty the rocks and keep your bag.

To deal with wind, wear a wind breaker piece of clothing. Open this and hold it during the exposure using yourself and the 'wind breaker' clothing to block the wind.

More information. If you are doing photographs in an industrial building seek the person in charge and see if the equipment is vibrating at a constant vibration. This is vary often the case with heavy machinery. To shoot in this environment let the machines run at their steady rate. Under each tripod leg place a piece of heavy/thick rubber. This will help join your tripod to the vibration of the foundation that the machinery is bolted to. Now your tripod/camera are in sync with the vibration and so the images will come out sharp as long as the machines are vibrating at the same level.

One last item, Bogen offers a set of three tripod foot spikes to keep a tripod from 'drifting' on the ground. These push into the ground some six inches with the tripod leg fitting into the steel pipe openings. Also, Bogen makes a set of three tripod 'snow shoes' for tripods. These are great on wet, sandy and slimy surfaces to keep the tripod on a 'solid' foundation.

Hope that helps with the question being put out here.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

A weight bag would work better on a rocky coast (location).
I can't see me staking down a tripod, anywhere.
(People would probably think I'm getting ready for a hurricane.)

Retina Loc: Near Charleston,SC

Yes, it helps me, anyway. I didn't think an elastic cord was a good idea, either but your response made me consider this again. I was curious why others think it works for them.

When you use some of using your own weight add more inertia to the camera, the inevitable rapid low amplitude tremors (ignoring the risk of resonances for the moment) are dampened by elastic property of the connecting cord. Some tests would be in order, of course, but it seems possible. It reminds me of shock mounts for microphones. Obviously an inanimate plumb bob-like weight would introduce no tremors. Practically speaking, a cord is light to carry, and we are already carrying our own weight to the shoot. Sometimes any improvement is good when the ideal is impractical.

Muddyvalley Loc: McMinnville, Oregon

Mark Forsyth I presume? I am driven to rizzle by this thread.

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

Carrying a bag is easy and finding rocks for weight is not so hard.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Not terribly practical. The ground may be too soft or too hard and rocky. You also may not get the absolutely even tension you would want or need. And I don't know about you, but I often decide to shift my tripod a bit after I'm set up for a shot. Seems like a waste of effort, assuming it would even make you tripod more rigid in ideal conditions, about which I have my doubts.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Love it!

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

I agree and like some of your suggestions. For starters one needs a good quality tripod with a center hook. Some of the better ones, like my Vanguard Alta Pro carbon fiber, come with a small bag intended to suspend weighted objects from the hook for stabilization. I think people here are way over thinking this.