Bags, pouches and hard cases
Pouch, backpack, hard case: what the weight of the aircraft changes, and the rules for carrying it by air.
The need depends on weight, not on taste
An aircraft under 250 g fits in a pouch and slips into a bag you already own. A heavier aircraft is no longer carried by hand, and its bag is part of the budget.
| Type of aircraft | What suits it |
|---|---|
| Under 250 g, folding | Soft pouch, or sleeve inside an existing bag |
| Under 250 g with controller and batteries | Small compartmented pouch |
| Over 250 g | Dedicated backpack, moulded compartments |
| Full kit, several lenses and batteries | Hard case |
Hard case: when it is genuinely called for
A hard case is not there to tidy better, it is there to absorb an impact a bag would pass on. Three situations justify it, and only those:
- Carrying it in a vehicle boot, where kit moves and takes whatever is put on top
- Storage between outings, the cut foam holding the gimbal without anyone thinking about it
- Lending the aircraft, because a case makes correct packing obvious, while a soft bag leaves everyone their own method
⛔ It does not solve air travel. A hard case goes in the hold, and lithium batteries are not allowed there. A case is therefore never a complete answer: the batteries have to come out and travel in the cabin anyway.
⚠️ It costs weight and bulk. For an aircraft under 250 g carried on foot, it cancels exactly the advantage you went looking for by buying light.
What a bag must protect, in order
- The gimbal, the most fragile part of the aircraft. A side impact is enough to throw it off, and a misaligned gimbal skews the whole stabilisation
- The propellers, which warp without breaking, and then fly askew
- The batteries, which must be neither compressed nor allowed to touch contacts
- The controller screen
A moulded compartment does that job. A soft bag with no dividers does not, whatever padding is advertised.
Air travel, to be prepared beforehand
Drone batteries are lithium batteries. The rules that apply to them are air transport rules, not drone rules.
- Cabin baggage only. A lithium battery does not travel in the hold
- Protected contacts: original cap, tape, or each battery in its own bag
- Partial charge recommended, a full battery being more sensitive
- The number of batteries carried is capped, and the cap depends on their capacity and on the airline
⚠️ Check with the airline before leaving. Thresholds differ from one airline to another, and the check happens at the desk, when it is too late to reorganise.
What separates a good bag from an expensive one
- Dividers that move: kit changes, the bag has to follow
- An opening that does not tip the contents out when you set it on the ground
- A back that carries properly if the aircraft travels on foot
- An accessible outside pocket for spare propellers and filters, which you always look for last
What does not help: full waterproofing, except at sea or in the mountains, and multiple straps that lengthen the time it takes to open when it is time to fly.
Where to find these accessories
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