Introduction: Make a Shoulder Strap for Your Tripod

This idea was inspired by my Mother; I was lugging my tripod around Southend, and she asked why I didn't have some kind of handle for it. She thought I might somehow be able to attach a strap from a bag to it. So I came up with this. Thanks Mum :)

Step 1: What You Will Need

This is a very easy project. You will need:

  • A tripod
  • A shoulder strap from a bag, with sprung carabiner-type clips on the ends (I used the one from my laptop case)
  • A couple of cable ties
  • A couple of split rings (the kind you attach keys to). You can get these from key-cutting places and the like

Step 2: Attach the First Split Ring

Somewhere near the top of your collapsed tripod there should be some plastic nut-type things (I used the one that locks the rotation of the pan head). Thread a cable tie through the first split ring, then wrap it around the nut and pull it tight.

Step 3: Attach the Second Split Ring

At the bottom end of my tripod, there are flanges cut out on either side of the central post. If your tripod has these, thread a cable tie through the second split ring, then thread it through one of the slits formed by the flanges and pull it tight.

If your tripod doesn't have any such holes on the central post, then you can do what I tried first and attach the cable tie and split ring tightly around one of the rubber feet of the tripod. This will work, but you will find that when you sling the whole thing over your shoulder, the tripod will tend to open up, which is probably not what you want. (It would be very easy to drill a little hole in the base of the central post with a Dremel or similar, of course).

Step 4: Attach the Strap

Then simply clip the strap onto the top and bottom split rings and hoist your newly strap-equipped tripod over your shoulder.

You should find that the tripod is quite usable with the strap still attached (presuming the strap is secured to the central post, not the foot of the tripod).

Hope somebody finds this useful :)