How much gear do you carry? 10 pounds of stuffing in a 5 pound bag!

[vindibona1]

I know I've covered much of this in a previous thread. But I keep acquiring accessories. Screen shade. Lens hood. Separate leg extensions (because the Mini 3 has no legs!). And then there is the usual stuff. And DJI made the DJI RC larger than the RCN1 and created the need for a creative solution for using a lanyard on the DJI RC. And so I've had to do a minor reconfiguration to my Apache 2800, including leaving the charging pack behind. But I've made it work. 10 pounds of stuffing in a 5 pound back, as it were.

Of course there are days when I just want to travel light with just the basics; A drone a controller and some batteries. But I often live by "Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it". That probably comes from photographing 400 weddings and parties in a past life where failure is not an option.

When I bought the Apache 2800 this time I had misgivings. I have a Skyreat case too and the FMC bag, plus a Mavic 2 FMC bag. But I keep acquiring stuff. THAT'S the problem. The Skyreat case is actually pretty good, somwhat smaller than the 2800, mostly in depth. Both fit in my backback. But I like having leg extensions, a screen shade, a lens hood, extra strobes, extra cables (in 2800 below controller), extra cards, props, filters (when I buy them), extra strobes and even room for a 4th battery if I leave the wall charger behind. Sometimes I'll travel light with just a drone, controller and batteries and pack in a smaller case.

So how much gear do you typically care with you and how to you tranport it?

 

[Dale D]

I know I've covered much of this in a previous thread. But I keep acquiring accessories. Screen shade. Lens hood. Separate leg extensions (because the Mini 3 has no legs!). And then there is the usual stuff. And DJI made the DJI RC larger than the RCN1 and created the need for a creative solution for using a lanyard on the DJI RC. And so I've had to do a minor reconfiguration to my Apache 2800, including leaving the charging pack behind. But I've made it work. 10 pounds of stuffing in a 5 pound back, as it were.

Of course there are days when I just want to travel light with just the basics; A drone a controller and some batteries. But I often live by "Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it". That probably comes from photographing 400 weddings and parties in a past life where failure is not an option.

When I bought the Apache 2800 this time I had misgivings. I have a Skyreat case too and the FMC bag, plus a Mavic 2 FMC bag. But I keep acquiring stuff. THAT'S the problem. The Skyreat case is actually pretty good, somwhat smaller than the 2800, mostly in depth. Both fit in my backback. But I like having leg extensions, a screen shade, a lens hood, extra strobes, extra cables (in 2800 below controller), extra cards, props, filters (when I buy them), extra strobes and even room for a 4th battery if I leave the wall charger behind. Sometimes I'll travel light with just a drone, controller and batteries and pack in a smaller case.

So how much gear do you typically care with you and how to you tranport it?

View attachment 153317
View attachment 153319View attachment 153320

For my M3-I carry just basic necessities in a regular backpack with foam added compartment from my local camera store . I adjust the compartments to fit the M3, RCProController, two more batteries, and a small ziplock bag for exam thumb screws, props, lens cleaner, etc. Very light.

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

If I'm just flying the drone, then only this...otherwise there's a bunch of other stuff...

 

[djwak59]

View attachment 153334
If I'm just flying the drone, then only this...otherwise there's a bunch of other stuff...

What kind of case is that ?

 

[vindibona1]

View attachment 153334
If I'm just flying the drone, then only this...otherwise there's a bunch of other stuff...

The beauty of that design is that it has the controller standing on edge, which saves a lot of real estate. If you custom cut the foam yourself, congratulations. If it was pre-configured, I think there is a lot more space that could be reserved while still preserving the shock proof-ness of the foam. A Nanuk case (just guessing)?

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

It's an Apache 2800 from Harbor Freight with a Case Builder insert. You can design the cutouts yourself for your specific case and they cut it out for you.

 

[djwak59]

It's an Apache 2800 from Harbor Freight with a Case Builder insert. You can design the cutouts yourself for your specific case and they cut it out for you.

I thought it was the Harbor Freight case. They’re nice cases but I don’t like the pick apart foam, never did. What is Case Builder ??

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

I thought it was the Harbor Freight case. They’re nice cases but I don’t like the pick apart foam, never did. What is Case Builder ??

Sorry..

MyCaseBuilder Custom Foam - Pelican, SKB, Storm and others

If you need custom foam, you need MyCaseBuilder. Design your own custom foam case with our easy-to-use web application.

mycasebuilder.com

I didn't care for the pick apart foam either, that's why I got an insert from these guys. They have templates for any case and if they don't have it as standard, you just give them the dimensions of your case and they will make a custom insert for you. They have templates for most of the drones and accessories as well as cameras that you can add to your case.

 

[GrayHornet]

I just travel light. Just a glimmer....gone.

 

[vindibona1]

It's an Apache 2800 from Harbor Freight with a Case Builder insert. You can design the cutouts yourself for your specific case and they cut it out for you. ...I didn't care for the pick apart foam either, that's why I got an insert from these guys. They have templates for any case and if they don't have it as standard, you just give them the dimensions of your case and they will make a custom insert for you. They have templates for most of the drones and accessories as well as cameras that you can add to your case.

I think I checked out case builder for custom cut foam. Pretty expensive as I recally, but probably worth it for some. I think that custom cut foam ala carte starts around $50. I got this last 2800 at HFT for $29, not on sale, and just had some scrap foam that I collected with the idea that I'd find some use for it. Not pretty, but super functional. I can leave my strobes attached, have a small compartment for other strobes and small accssories and now even have room for the super-sized gimbal hood, though at the expense of leaving the charging pack behind. I'm ok with that and can still add one more battery if I lose the wall charger. That little "pocket" behind the drone has two more strobes plus two extra SD cards (as well as the on the bottom layer). I didn't catch them in the photo below, but I've got two replacement control sticks inserted into the foam like "pierced ears". I now have done that in all my cases. I KNOW at some point my fiddly fingers will drop one or more sticks in the grass at some point, never to be found.

I failed to show the "lower compartment" below the controller where I can store extra props, cable(s), SD cards and other "necessities" to be named later. So rather than have a beautifully custom cut insert I have an ugly 3 layer configuration in a $29 box. I imagine you (MavicAir2Marc) can find storage behind the foam lid too. I guessmy personality is combination of being uber-frugal and highly motivated to be creative.

When I think I'm going to go a'wandering I can easily bring along one of the FMC bags and just load up what I need for the moment from the 2800 and leave the extraneous stuff behind. I did that at last year's vacation with my Mavic 2 pro and never thought anything about having that FMC bag, with minimal stuff on my shoulder all day.

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

I think I checked out case builder for custom cut foam. Pretty expensive as I recally, but probably worth it for some. I think that custom cut foam ala carte starts around $50. I got this last 2800 at HFT for $29, not on sale, and just had some scrap foam that I collected with the idea that I'd find some use for it. Not pretty, but super functional. I can leave my strobes attached, have a small compartment for other strobes and small accssories and now even have room for the super-sized gimbal hood, though at the expense of leaving the charging pack behind. I'm ok with that and can still add one more battery if I lose the wall charger. That little "pocket" behind the drone has two more strobes plus two extra SD cards (as well as the on the bottom layer). I didn't catch them in the photo below, but I've got two replacement control sticks inserted into the foam like "pierced ears". I now have done that in all my cases. I KNOW at some point my fiddly fingers will drop one or more sticks in the grass at some point, never to be found.

I failed to show the "lower compartment" below the controller where I can store extra props, cable(s), SD cards and other "necessities" to be named later. So rather than have a beautifully custom cut insert I have an ugly 3 layer configuration in a $29 box. I imagine you (MavicAir2Marc) can find storage behind the foam lid too. I guessmy personality is combination of being uber-frugal and highly motivated to be creative.

When I think I'm going to go a'wandering I can easily bring along one of the FMC bags and just load up what I need for the moment from the 2800 and leave the extraneous stuff behind. I did that at last year's vacation with my Mavic 2 pro and never thought anything about having that FMC bag, with minimal stuff on my shoulder all day.

View attachment 153367

I just didn't care for the pluck and pick foam even after a few coats of PlastiDip. It was still coming apart in areas I didn't want it to. Yeah, case builder inserts aren't cheap but they are customizable and are rugged for my big clumsy hands, I still came out under $100 since I got the case on sale for like $22.

 

[vindibona1]

I just didn't care for the pluck and pick foam even after a few coats of PlastiDip. It was still coming apart in areas I didn't want it to. Yeah, case builder inserts aren't cheap but they are customizable and are rugged for my big clumsy hands, I still came out under $100 since I got the case on sale for like $22.

So you tried plastidip? Ok. I considered that idea, but thought it too messy. My thought of "modularization" came after getting my Mini 1 and suddenly needed a bigger case for to accomodate the Mini 2 controller. The pre-cut insert from my Mini 1 case was removed and put into an Apache 2800 with additional foam. The whole left insert of the black case was an insert cannibalized from the Mini 1 case. All of my Mini 1 gear could fit into that little footprint! I didn't have any scrap foam on hand so I had to use cushion foam and didn't think about plastidip. But it worked out anyway. I wish I had better foam like I do for the Mini 3. But the beauty of the 2800 is that it deep enough that I can stand the controller on the side or lay it flat. The extra space standing upright gives me a bit more room to carry a bracked for my iPad. I'm not sure how long I'll keep my Mini 2, but should I sell it I'll reconfigure the case. The one thing about the Mini 2 is that it requires me to carry more cables than the Mini 3 as I also like to use VR/FPV goggles from time to time, one reason I'm not so anxious to sell the Mini 2.

 

[djwak59]

Sorry..

MyCaseBuilder Custom Foam - Pelican, SKB, Storm and others

If you need custom foam, you need MyCaseBuilder. Design your own custom foam case with our easy-to-use web application.

mycasebuilder.com

I didn't care for the pick apart foam either, that's why I got an insert from these guys. They have templates for any case and if they don't have it as standard, you just give them the dimensions of your case and they will make a custom insert for you. They have templates for most of the drones and accessories as well as cameras that you can add to your case.

Thanks for that info, I never heard of case builder. I bought a Judnmsk ( I have NO idea how to pronounce it ! )case off Amazon for like $75 that fits all my stuff for my A2. What sold me on the case was storage under the top layer ! Nice for my landing pad and tablet.

 

[vindibona1]

Thanks for that info, I never heard of case builder. I bought a Judnmsk ( I have NO idea how to pronounce it ! )case off Amazon for like $75 that fits all my stuff for my A2. What sold me on the case was storage under the top layer ! Nice for my landing pad and tablet.

Good catch! ... Finally a design that with a little extra dept offers another layer of storage. They have a similar design, I just learned, for the Mini 3. $50. The depth is 5.5", pretty much the size of the Apache 2800. For $29 and free scrap foam I'll stick with my setup, but I think you've found the gem for those that carry a lot of stuff.

I got curious and looked at a bunch of hard cases just to understand what kept them from offering a layered storage setup. Most that have only single layers, are roughly 5" deep (4.7-5.1"), yet the Judumsk and the 2800 are 5.5" deep and use the space for a whole 'nother layer of storage. The Judumsk Mini 3 case is only $50. Looks pretty intelligently designed and accomplishes the same thing or more than spending $50+ on case builder foam.

The photo below shows space for more batteries underneath, but you could put anything you need there. I'll bet you could tuck a screen shade behind the lid's padding. Judumsk is a pretty funny name, but I've come across some products under that name that seem to do the job. Obviously a Chinese company.



Judunmsk Mini 3 hard case

 

[mooncusser]

Interesting discussion, it's cool to see what other folks are using. I like the bag that my Mini 2 Fly More kit includes, it holds quite a bit and keeps things organized. I did want something a bit stronger as things can bump around in the car sometimes. Thought about an Apache case but I'm not a fan of the pick & pluck foam - and it's useful to hear that PlastiDip may not fix that.

I recently picked up this case from Amazon. The plastic and foam seem sturdy enough (for now). Overall I like the cutouts, although I wish there was a spot for the power adapter. For me, a big plus is having a spot big enough to put my Pgytech tablet holder. (Amazon lists another case that looks identical except for a different brand name and $10 higher price.)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09C8233QL

I previously tried this case. It was nice and I liked the idea of the 2-level storage (and it cost less). Unfortunately, it wouldn't fit my tablet holder or even my sun shade. If it was just a bit larger in all 3 directions I would have kept it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FNVNJ1K

 

[vindibona1]

Interesting discussion, it's cool to see what other folks are using. I like the bag that my Mini 2 Fly More kit includes, it holds quite a bit and keeps things organized. I did want something a bit stronger as things can bump around in the car sometimes. Thought about an Apache case but I'm not a fan of the pick & pluck foam - and it's useful to hear that PlastiDip may not fix that.

I recently picked up this case from Amazon. The plastic and foam seem sturdy enough (for now). Overall I like the cutouts, although I wish there was a spot for the power adapter. For me, a big plus is having a spot big enough to put my Pgytech tablet holder. (Amazon lists another case that looks identical except for a different brand name and $10 higher price.)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09C8233QL

I previously tried this case. It was nice and I liked the idea of the 2-level storage (and it cost less). Unfortunately, it wouldn't fit my tablet holder or even my sun shade. If it was just a bit larger in all 3 directions I would have kept it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FNVNJ1K

Nice cases too.

5.5" deep cases are the ticket if you carry a lot of stuff. Had you tried putting your screen shade behind the lid padding? That's what I've been doing and it works. I just put some velcro at the top to hold the padding to the lid until it needs to come open.

I like cases that can stand the RCN1 controllers on their bottoms rather than face-up. But again, we need a 5.5" case to do that. I just pulled out my Mavic 2 controller an an RCN1 to compare sized. I have no idea why DJI thought it was a good idea to increase the size of their standanda controller when they adopted the RCN1, being larger in width by 25% over the previous controllers? What advantage does the RCN1 provide in its oversized and overweight package? If they had continued to make the smaller sized controller our cases could be much smaller as they were when the Mini 1 was a thing.

Something else that I noted as I compared both controllers side by side- the Mavic 2's controller sticks had a MUCH smoother action, more progressive when combining actions like fore+slide or up+yaw. The RCN1 seems to have very hard distinct "corners" in comparison to the Mavic 2 controller and the command/response of the Mavic 2 system seems more nuances as well as responsive, something that I'm also experiencing with my Mini 3 and DJI RC controller. It's too bad that the RC Pro isn't both backwards and forwards compatible. Its $1200 price tag wouldn't be so hard to swallow if you knew it would be backwards and forwards compatible with MOST DJI models. DJI did buy out Victor Hasseblad, no :0 ?

 

[mooncusser]

Nice cases too.

5.5" deep cases are the ticket if you carry a lot of stuff. Had you tried putting your screen shade behind the lid padding? That's what I've been doing and it works. I just put some velcro at the top to hold the padding to the lid until it needs to come open.

That's something I looked at doing. For now the lid padding is stuck on pretty well. If that changes, adding Velcro would definitely do the trick to store the shade.

 

[Droniac]

I know I've covered much of this in a previous thread. But I keep acquiring accessories. Screen shade. Lens hood. Separate leg extensions (because the Mini 3 has no legs!). And then there is the usual stuff. And DJI made the DJI RC larger than the RCN1 and created the need for a creative solution for using a lanyard on the DJI RC. And so I've had to do a minor reconfiguration to my Apache 2800, including leaving the charging pack behind. But I've made it work. 10 pounds of stuffing in a 5 pound back, as it were.

Of course there are days when I just want to travel light with just the basics; A drone a controller and some batteries. But I often live by "Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it". That probably comes from photographing 400 weddings and parties in a past life where failure is not an option.

When I bought the Apache 2800 this time I had misgivings. I have a Skyreat case too and the FMC bag, plus a Mavic 2 FMC bag. But I keep acquiring stuff. THAT'S the problem. The Skyreat case is actually pretty good, somwhat smaller than the 2800, mostly in depth. Both fit in my backback. But I like having leg extensions, a screen shade, a lens hood, extra strobes, extra cables (in 2800 below controller), extra cards, props, filters (when I buy them), extra strobes and even room for a 4th battery if I leave the wall charger behind. Sometimes I'll travel light with just a drone, controller and batteries and pack in a smaller case.

So how much gear do you typically care with you and how to you tranport it?

View attachment 153317
View attachment 153319View attachment 153320

Not necessarily regarding your set up, especially as a professional. Best to have than to not (wedding shoots). I personally had to restrain my self on my first drone purchase. I had a bad case of GAS (gear acquisition syndrome). I had it with guitars. 3 electric 4 acoustic,pedals and more pedals. It’s truly a fun part although looking back I realize I havnt used much of “the one thing I really could have used” collection I have. I’m a fairly practical guy. My ex just didn’t understand I needed that gear!!! (Plus I sold a guitar or two).

 

[Crash Pro]

For my M3-I carry just basic necessities in a regular backpack with foam added compartment from my local camera store . I adjust the compartments to fit the M3, RCProController, two more batteries, and a small ziplock bag for exam thumb screws, props, lens cleaner, etc. Very light.

I was given a DJI backpack so that I could haul both the Air 2S and FPV drones plus their batteries up to the top of a mountain. In addition, I carried a bear banger and flare, one bottle of water, a couple of rice cakes, and some basic emergency items. The total weight was around 55lbs (definitely not light).

I also have a regular back pack that enables me to carry a tent, sleeping bag, mattress and some food in addition to the items mentioned above.

For daily use, I have smaller packs that carry just the drone, batteries and miscellaneous drone related items.

 

[Ryant35]

Smaller case along with my giant DSLR backback.