These light stands fold in such a way that make them super compact down to about 19", but can still be extended to a max height of 7' feet. If you're not a fan of checking in your equipment at the airlines, these stands can actually fit into a Pelican 1510 Roller Airline Carry On sized Roller making it perfect for traveling.
These stands can also operate at a much lower height than traditional light stands when you need to mount some type of kicker or bounce. Manfrotto has a 5001B version that sells for close to $50 dollars/each (found here on Amazon).
Manfrotto 5001B 74-Inch Nano Stand
A slightly cheaper alternative folding light stand can also be found on eBay. I purchased a set of these a while back for $39 US/each (found here on eBay).
Reverse Compact Folding Light 7' Light Stand
Last week I received one from F&V which has better build quality than my previous eBay stands, and there is a 10% discount deal if you add (3) F&V stands to your cart. If you're on the move and want to travel as compact as possible, I highly suggest looking into these type of stands.
