Re: tripod?
It all depends on your overall budget.
The PRS Large tripod is an excellent option...plenty of adjustability allowing you to use your spotter from prone to standing, very well-made, and you can use it as a shooting platform with one of Danel's cradles installed. They'll run you around $135-140.
If you want a little bit more "heavy duty" tripod and you don't mind spending a little more, the Bogen/Manfrotto 190XPRO tripods are excellent. They offer a variety of models in the 190 series, with a variety of different tripod heads depending on your needs/preferences. They are running some pretty sizeable mail-in rebates right now, so you can probably get one, complete with a tripod head for <$200 to around $225. I like the 190XPROB which offers a horizontal shifting center column that allows you a little more flexibility, partciularly when shooting prone.
Check out BH Photo or get with Doug at CameralandNY (a site sponsor here) and see what they can do for you.