I totally feel your pain with the Joshua Tree thing. Been there. I once lost a killer sunset shot in the Columbia River Gorge because my old tripod just... gave up when the wind picked up. If you're heading to Iceland, you definitely need something that wont act like a sail. I would suggest looking at Leofoto. Some people call them clones, but honestly, for our budget, they are absolute tanks and way better than the Manfrotto stuff. I switched to the Leofoto LS-324C Ranger Series Carbon Fiber Tripod and its been a game changer for my R5. I honestly thought I needed to spend a grand to get this kind of stability but I was wrong. Couple things you gotta watch out for:

• Center columns are the enemy. The LS-324C doesnt have one built-in, which means its way more rigid in the wind. My old one used to vibrate like crazy.
• Make sure to get a beefy head. I use the Leofoto LH-40 Ball Head and it holds my heavy glass without that annoying creep after you tighten it.
• Be careful in Iceland. Even with carbon fiber, that salt spray is brutal. I learned the hard way that you have to rinse the leg locks in the shower every single night or they will start grinding and eventually seize up. You might want to consider the weight too... the 324C is light enough for hiking but heavy enough to stay planted. For under $600 you can get the whole kit and still have money left for some extra batteries for the R5.

I have been super satisfied with the Sirui R-3213X Carbon Fiber Tripod paired with the Sirui K-40X 54mm Ball Head. Its basically a beast for a fraction of the Gitzo price. No complaints about stability even in high winds. Quick tip tho: make sure you use the spiked feet on those Icelandic rock surfaces... it helps a ton with vibration when things get gusty.

Regarding what #1 said about losing shots to wind... yeah, its the worst. I had a similar disaster in the Faroe Islands where my gear kept vibrating. I eventually grabbed the Benro TMA37C Mach3 Carbon Fiber Tripod and it's a tank. The 9-layer carbon fiber is way stiffer than the Befree series. I use the Sirui K-30X 44mm Ball Head which handles the RF 70-200mm easily without any creep during long exposures.

I have been using a specific combination that works well for my R5 and heavy RF glass, and its stayed rock solid in some pretty nasty conditions. Tbh, if you want something that rivals Gitzo or RRS without the $1k price tag, FLM is the way to go. I switched a year ago and havent had a single blurry long exposure since.

• Stability: The FLM CP30-L4 II 10-Layer Carbon Fiber Tripod uses thick 10-layer carbon tubing that dampens vibrations significantly better than the Manfrotto series.
• Precision: The FLM CB-48 FTR Professional Ball Head has incredible locking force and a friction memory ring, so it wont creep when youre tilted down for macro work.
• Durability: The leg locks are sealed against sand and salt spray, which is basically essential for an Iceland trip. Honestly, its a very methodical upgrade that hits your budget perfectly. It handles the weight of the RF 70-200mm f/2.8 with zero issues even when the wind kicks up. Definitely worth looking into before your trip... glad I made the switch myself.

> ...and the whole thing just felt so flimsy in the wind and I ended up with blurry shots after hiking 4 miles in the dark Honestly, reading about your experience at Joshua Tree brought back some very frustrating memories for me. I had a similar disaster with a setup I thought was solid, but it unfortunately failed me during a coastal shoot. The vibration was so persistent that even my heavy-duty head couldnt keep the frame still, and the salt air eventually caused the leg locks to seize up entirely. It was a very disappointing realization that my gear just wasnt as good as expected for those harsh environments. I have been considering the challenges you will face in Iceland compared to what I learned from my own gear failures. Before I can provide a methodical comparison of what actually worked for me, I have a clarifying question regarding your specific needs. Are you intending to use a center column for extra height, or are you looking for a setup that mounts the head directly to the top plate? In my experience, the center column is usually the first point of failure for stability in high winds, and knowing your height requirements would help me give better advice.

Building on the earlier suggestion about vibration being a total gear killer, I honestly feel your frustration so deeply. It makes me so mad when you spend a fortune on carbon fiber and it still doesnt perform in the field. I have been through so many setups over the years and it is just exhausting trying to find something that doesnt feel like a total compromise. I have even resorted to DIY modifications like replacing leg grease with cold-weather marine lubricants just to keep things moving in the cold, but the basic stability issues are just... ugh. I have compared a few of my past failures and they all let me down for different reasons:

• Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 Carbon Fiber 4-Section Tripod: Technically it is light, but the torsional rigidity is just laughable once you put an R5 on it. The leg locks are a nightmare because they catch every bit of sand and salt.
• Gitzo GT1545T Series 1 Traveler: Everyone hypes these up but the thin leg sections are basically tuning forks. I tried one for a coastal shoot and the wind just made the whole frame dance. It is just so draining when you do everything right and the hardware is what lets you down.