Pakpod – The Packable, Waterproof, Adventure Tripod

What happens if an avid outdoorsman, filmmaker and an engineer is missing a vital piece of equipment when he goes exploring with his camera? He invents it!
That`s the story of Pakpod in a nutshell. Steve Underwood, the inventor of Pakpod has filmed in over 100 lakes and different water bodies and when he couldn`t find a perfect lightweight and waterproof tripod on the market he decided to create one. And the results look pretty gnarly.

But Pakpod is definitely not the average tripod and when I first saw it online it kind of reminded me of a ninja weapon that is disguised as camera equipment. It actually packs down to a tiny size of 12.75″ (32 cm)  and weighs only 15.5 oz (440g) so it`s a fantastic accessory if you can’t afford to drag a massive heavy tripod with you.

The most notable feature of the Pakpod are the spikes at the end of the tripod arms. There are three different types of those bad boys to choose from:
Black ABS plastic stakes for soft materials like sand and snow.

• 3-pack Ninja Black set interchangable with standard stakes on the Pakpod Adventure Tripod
• Constructed from high-impact ABS plastic
• Stake the Pakpod Adventure Tripod securely into turf, sand and snow
• Rig your Pakpod Adventure Tripod in dozens of configurations
• Remove/replace stakes with hex-head wrench (included with the Pakpod Tripod)
• Dimensions: 1 x 1 x 3 inches
• Item Weight: 0.05 pounds

Safe stakes is a 3-pack of Green ABS plastic stakes for soft surfaces.

• Rounded stake tip is perfect for family use and kid-friendly
• Perfect for rafting, kayaking and water sports. TSA friendly
• Made from the same rugged material as ski and bike helmets – ABS plastic
• Interchangeable with standard stakes on the Pakpod Adventure Tripod. Remove/replace stakes with hex-head wrench (included with the Pakpod Tripod)
• Use Safe Stakes when mounting Pakpod on the body or when pointed stakes could be dangerous The three holes in the stake can be used to secure your
• The three holes in the stake can be used to secure your Pakpod with bungees, ropes or tie wraps
• Item Dimensions: 1 x 1 x 3 inches
• Item Weight: 0.05 pounds

Quarter-20 Stakes is A 3-pack of aluminum Quarter-20 Stakes with threaded holes to attach to the Pakpod Adventure Tripod. Each stake has two “1/4-20” threaded holes allowing for the attachment of cameras and accessories that use a 1/4-20 thread (the universal standard thread for lightweight camera accessories).

• Attach mini LED lights, mini-monitors and mics to the stakes ¼-20 threaded holes.
• Stakes securely into firmer materials including gravel, turf, sand and snow
• An additional slot and ⅜” hole are provided for anchoring Pakpod with bungees, ropes & tie wraps.
• Patent-pending technology – first mountable tripod stakes on the market
• Rig your Pakpod Adventure Tripod in hundreds of configurations
• Product Dimensions: 3 x 1 x 1 inches
• Item Weight: 1.6 ounces

The stakes are a brilliant feature that really make the tripod appealing and to tell you the truth- even when you don`t have the need to secure the tripod on the ground or grip a fence with them they look freaking awesome and you really need to get that tripod just because it looks so damn cool 🙂
But in all seriousness, the stakes look actually really handy. You can fix the tripod on the ground or basically any terrain or surfaces where you have some edges or creases or unevenness (is that a word?).

Another cool thing about the Pakpod tripod is the fact that the arms go full out so that you can set your camera really low or you can leverage that to make the tripod super stable. Each arm can be fixed at a different angle to give you full control. This is a HUUUUUGE advantage, especially if you are in extreme terrain or want to fi your camera to places where is would be impossible with a regular tripod. Each tripod arm can be extended individually and locked in place.

Pakpod can also be used under water, which makes perfect sense since the designer of Pakpod has been chillin`under water with and without a camera probably more than most of the creatures that live in the various lakes and rivers where he has dived in. So you can feel at ease when you want to use it in watery conditions because we have all felt that moment of hesitation when we are about to put our fancy tripods in water and are afraid to ruin it.

Load capacity of Pakpod

So can you put your heavyass DSLR on it? Yes you can! With the tripod legs retracted Pakpod can withstand 11 pounds (5 kg) and with legs fully extended it is rated for 5.5 pounds (2.4 kg) That`s more than enough to carry a Nikon D5 for example with a heavy AF-S NIKKOR 300mm F2.8G ED VR II telephoto lens. So obviously it`s more than enough to support a GoPro or a mobile phone.

The tripod also has two mounting options, so you can have two devices on it simultaneously –  rig your GoPro and your camera or your GoPro and an external mic or an extra light source on it.

 

Features of pakpod tripod

• Lightweight: 15.5 ounces
• Length when folded: 12.75″
• Waterproof and freeze-proof
• Patented, one-twist locking system
• Easily stashable in a small bag, pack or suitcase
• Legs rapidly extend and retract with the push of a button
• Legs move independently through a 180 degree range of motion
• Constructed from high-impact ABS plastic and stainless steel
• Rotating feet stake into grass, dirt, sand and snow
• Unparalleled level of versatility
• 36 tie-down points

 

The Pakpod is mainly made from ABS plastic. Some of the hardware such as screws are from stainless steel. This makes it waterproof, freeze-proof and rust-resistant. Each leg has slots.

 

Learn more about the awesome Pakpod tripod from Pakpod.com

See it in action

 

I haven`t had a chance to do a full hands-on test yet to see how it hold up to the hype, but by the looks of it and by looking how much positive feedback it has gotten in the interwebz i will bet it performs just as promised. So head on to Pakpod.com and get yours!