I wouldn't consider it inexpensive, but the Feisol Elite and Tournament tripod lines are excellent and of very high quality. I have the carbon fiber 37mm leg diameter 4 leg section CT3472. I believe that the maximum height would be sufficient for people 6 feet tall. It has a wide diameter "spider", does not come with a center column, similar to the Gitzo Systematic line, and is bulky. There is a relatively inexpensive 75mm diameter leveling bowl and various spikes as optional accessories. It is very stable and vibration free, handles minutes-long moonlight shots. I bought the biggest tripod they had, because I currently use it with a 400mm f/5.6 lens and plan to use it with one of the 500mm or 600mm f/4 Big Whites once I get around to renting one for a special birding vacation. My ball head is the Arca-Swiss Z1sp and my half-gimbal is the Custom Brackets Basic Gimbal (fits into ball head clamp, similar to the Wimberley Sidekick). The Feisol Tournament line is smaller (28mm leg diameter) but is similar in design.
I also have the Manfrotto 055XProB aluminum legs, with a Manfrotto 410 geared head. The sucker weighs 8 pounds or so, it gets used close to the car, but I don't hike with it. The aluminum legs tend to vibrate in the wind, and damping is slow. Otherwise, this is a good studio and short-distance tripod for most non-Big White uses. This was my first, budget, tripod, and I consider it a good choice if you are strapped and need a tripod NOW.