How to keep sand and crud out of your tripod

You love photographing at the beach or desert. But how do you keep sand and crud out of your tripod? Here are several suggestions!

Extend the bottom segment first

Always extend the bottom segment first. You might need to jam your tripod six inches or more into the watery sand on the coast or some sand dunes in the desert. However, in this way, you can reduce the sand going into the locks.

Wipe and rinse your tripod

I’m admittedly guilty of not doing this enough in the desert, although I do this consistently at the beach. However, wiping your tripod with a damp cloth after using it does wonders for keeping the crud out of your locks and the interior of your tripod legs.

If you don’t have a damp cloth or towel available, try to see if you can rinse them off elsewhere or, at the very least, use something dry to wipe it off.

Check the bottom of your tripod

Many tripods come with rubber feet. If these are loose or fall off, this can expose an open screwhole on the bottom of your legs. Unfortunately, this is a surefire way to fill the inside of your tripod legs full of crud. You don’t want that, do you? No, of course not! Seal those up by getting new rubber feet or placing a screw in there to prevent this.

Lube your tripod

Despite our best efforts, sometimes a tripod gets grit or sand or dirt inside it. The legs might not slide smoothly out or in. You might hear some crunching when you slide the legs or if you use the locks. You may need to take it apart, clean it and lube it with marine grease. Put it back together, and it’s as good as new!

Good quality tripod companies often have specific directions for how to do this on their website or owner’s manual. As with any equipment, a bit of care and maintenance is a beautiful thing.