I am pleasantly surprised at how incredibly light this tripod is. At first, I had a flexible camera tripod and a second more sturdy aluminum tripod (for windy days and short hikes). Now I will be selling both, my aluminum triopod, although sturdy, was a pain to carry on hikes when I was trying to cut down on weight. And the flexible tripod, although lightweight was useless unless there was a branch or something similar to hang it from. Even then, I was nervously taking a photo, while hoping that it could support the weight of my very expensive camera equipment.This, on the other hand, once strapped on my backpack I barely noticed it. Sometimes I found myself doing a double-take to make sure it had not fallen off. But do not let the weight fool you, this is sturdy, I live in Scotland and this could stand Scottish winds without a second thought. If I was in doubt I would just hang a weight from the hook underneath the center column. And boy is this tripod versatile, it gets incredibly low, high, the angles it holds, it is like watching a yoga instructor go from one position to the next effortlessly. The ball head is very smooth and the camera feels very safe and in place. Again what makes this outstanding is the price point for carbon fiber tripod. I have a mirrorless camera, so I generally like carrying less and now I do not have to compromise for utility for weight when going on hikes anymore.