RE: Question..who's done it?
I think you should be OK doing that. What are the chances of a thief having bolt cutters that far back and wanting to carry a stand out? If they get it, they will have earned it.
On another note, we use pack frames for carrying our gear on on 1 mile plus hikes in. It better balances the load and makes the walk in a lot easier. Something to consider for future reference.