Need advice on a tripod and head

[TheAri]

Slik 634 and tricer lp, but I don’t shoot off it. Protip: for backpack hunts I remove the lower two leg sections and the aluminum center column (which I replaced with a CF center column to save weight) and it makes the entire thing 640g with the tricer lp, at 44” tall

 

[Justabirdwatcher]

Dang tripods are expensive…I have been glassing off of a $20 Amazon basics camera tripod for the past 3-4 years. Terrible to try to move smoothly and just generally garbage. No way could you shoot off of it. I have the Spartan connections on my guns that I use with a Spartan bipod which I love.
Primos makes a line of tripods with the spartan connector on the top. The tripod felt solid but the ball head was plastic and kind of felt like garbage that I would be disappointed in (but only like $239) Set up a Tricer at Scheels and it felt smooth but was over $500 for the set. I’m leaning toward a normal tripod with arca and getting an arca adapter for the spartan attachments for shooting. Open to thoughts. Can’t justify soending $1k on a tripod at this point.

If you haven't looked at B&H Photo yet, give them a try. I've used them for photo gear for over 20 years and they are a great store with outstanding CS. I would never buy a tripod or head from a hunting shop. The markup is insane.

For glassing, I still use a cheap, short Amazon special that weighs less than 2 lbs. with the head (that I also got on Amazon). I sit when I'm glassing, so I don't need a very tall tripod. The one I have has three leg sections and the legs tilt out so I can essentially sit "under" the tripod and not have to move my head too much. No, I couldn't shoot off it, but that's what my pack is for.