Overview:
The bull crested the ridge at just over 1,100 yards in a drainage to the north and moving in our direction, two cows following closely behind. They made their way down the steep slope before we lost them in thick timber near the bottom of the draw. Spreading out, we picked the area apart with our glass, and located them again just as they crested the lower saddle, the bull continuing up and towards the next saddle to the west, and the two cows heading down the drainage east. We quickly made a plan to cut him off and got set up just as he rounded the ridge, with the thermals working in our favor. At 180 yards he momentarily stopped broadside, none-the-wiser, and the 6.5 PRC found its mark.
It sounds easy enough, but to be in this position we had traveled nearly four miles and gained over 2,200 feet of elevation, through snow that sometimes reached over the knees, the day before to set up a spike camp and get into glassing position.
For this pack-in finding ways to cut weight was essential. The gear for our camp including tent, sleeping bag, pad, several days worth of food and water, hunting gear, rifle, med kit, kill kit, binos, rangefinder, and clothing would already be pushing my pack over 65 pounds. My heavy old spotter and aluminum tripod were just too much to add for the miles and elevation gains we had in front of us. But I didn't want to sacrifice my glassing ability either.
Fortunately I had planned for the moment, downsizing to Maven's smaller, 15-45, CS.1 Spotting Scope (approximately two pounds) and giving a serious upgrade to my tripod. After a lot of research and conversations with a number of friends in the know, I made the switch to Tricer's BC Ultralight Tripod with their LP Pan Head (approximately two pounds combined). The whole set up was not only significantly lighter (by over half), it also took up much less space in the pack.
The Tricer-BC is an ultralight, carbon fiber backcountry tripod that offers maximum stability, utilizing an inverted leg design. The inverted BC has three section legs with the largest 1 1/8” leg on the ground, a 1” in the middle, and the thinnest 7/8” leg at the head. It comes standard with a 9" center column as well as a replacement 4" column for even more potential weight savings. The BC offers a 40" max height and is designed for glassing from a sitting position. It folds to a meager 15" with the legs folded inverted (180 degrees), and boasts a 26-pound weight capacity. It retails for $339. The LP pan head retails for $189.
While Tricer also offers a bino adapter, I chose to use the Cinch LR Bino Mount from Really Right Stuff ($45) for quick change outs between the binos and the spotter. Tricer also offers billet-machined shooting rests you can mount to the tripod. The FG is a fixed rest and the RG is a rotating rest that locks. You can also add an Arca plate to the bottom of your rifle to use the BC tripod as your gun's shooting tripod.
What I like:
Weight/packability: The first thing I love about the Tricer BC is the weight. Coming in at just about 2 pounds when combined the the pan head, the BC is an exceptionally lightweight option. Beyond that, folding to a tight 15" package (about the size of a Nalgene) saved space in the already-full pack.
Stability: The inverted leg design (IE larger, thicker legs at the bottom and thinner legs at the top) make this lightweight tripod extremely strong and stable.
Price: For the weight, size, strength, and features the Tricer BC is a very affordable option, even with the addition of the pan head.
Warranty: Tricer offers a 30-day return policy and a one-year warranty against manufacturer defects.
What I don't like:
In general I loved everything about the BC package, but there are a couple small items worth pointing out.
Top heavy: While the tripod, as I previously mentioned, is very stable, I did notice when using it on extreme grades and with the center post extended to it's maximum height (with the legs at a very short height) that even with my lighter spotter it became a little top heavy/tippy. A quick adjustment of the legs and lowering of the center post quickly solved this issue.
Doesn't fold as flat with the pan head on: Again this is getting really picky, but when leaving the pan head attached (my preference) the tripod does not fold quite as compact (due to the pan handle) as it does without it. Still very compact, just slightly less so.
Beyond these two minor issues, the rest comes down to preference.
Some folks prefer a ball head versus a pan head. I personally prefer the ease, stability, and smoothness of a pan head, but if you are looking for a ball head option, I'm sure you could attach it to the BC model.
Center columns. Some folks prefer tripods without center columns. I personally prefer a center column for quick height adjustments, while others prefer to make all of these adjustments with the legs. The Tricer model features a standard 9" center column with a replaceable 4" center column for lighter weight and different situations.
Twist lock versus flip lock legs. The Tricer BC legs feature twist lock/loosen legs, which I prefer for quick, one-hand deployment and adjustment, while others may prefer tripods that feature a flip lock leg. Like I said, I prefer the ease of the twist lock and found the lock-up on the Tricer to be super strong and sturdy.
Perfect for: The Tricer BC, especially when paired with the lightweight and smooth pan head, is the perfect set up for backcountry hunters looking for a strong, stable, lightweight, and affordable tripod that can be used from a seated position.
Stars: 5 out of 5