Tripod Leg Wraps

Tripod leg wraps provide welcome insulation for hands on cold days, padding for over-the-shoulder lugging, and protection for your expensive tripod's finish. You can pay big bucks for a set or you can do it yourself for a fraction of the cost.

Head to your home center and get some ordinary foam pipe insulation for a couple dollars. Get the size for pipes slightly smaller than the diameter of your tripod legs.

Cut to length, open the lengthwise slit, and fit the insulation over the legs, slit-side in. Run a piece of gaffer's tape up the length of the slit opening and you're all set. This works best if the pipe insulation is undersized enough to leave a bit of the leg exposed on the inside to give the gaffer's tape something to adhere to on the leg itself.

You may have to trim a bit of the insulation to get the legs to close completely around the center column. When you're done, the finished job will look neat and professional, and give you and your tripod some welcome relief.