The fall is a great time for hiking and taking photos.  If you don’t have a good and light tripod, you should definitely get one. With a good tripod, you can take really sharp photos.

For traveling, the light and sturdy carbon fiber tripods are the best. Top choices are Gitzo carbon fiber tripods. There are many different models depending on the weight of camera and lenses: one of the best:

• Gitzo GT-1541T Traveler 6X Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs – Supports 17.6 lbs (8kg) ($575 from B&H) with a good ball head: such as Kirk BH-1($355 from B&H).

If this combination is too expensive for you, a more affordable one:

• Manfrotto 055MF3 3-Section MagFiber Tripod without Head ($319 from amazon).  You can buy a cheaper ball head such as Manfrotto 486RC2 Compact Ball Head with RC2 Rapid Connect System or the better one Kirk BH-1.
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Tripods last for lifetime, it is better to get a really good one so that you will not regret later.