DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

I found the perfect drone bag for my Mavic

Oct 5, 2019 by Adam Frimer 2 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Backpacks are a tough sell for me. I think that over the course of ten years in the game, I’ve accumulated more bags than a shopaholic. Everything from travel bags, to slings, to mini bags, TSA Approved bags, the whole nine yards… But there is one bag I have been waiting a while to switch, my drone bag. I just have not found the perfect drone bag yet.

Even with how small drones are getting, they, along with all their accessories need space and security, two things that regular backpacks, are hard to come by. Especially when you consider bags that are made either for photography or drones. In comes the Torvol Drone Explorer Backpack. The drone bag which is here to solve the problem of carrying both photography and drone equipment in one bag!

First Impressions


When I first got my hands on the bag and started opening up all its compartments I quickly noticed that the bag is divided in such a smart way to maximize equipment. Starting off with the highlight for me, is a dedicated “space” for the drone. We opted to add the Drone Compact Case to the bag as it sits the drone comfortably inside the bag with a semi-hard shell that will protect the drone. In addition, it has all the nooks and crannies to stuff things like propellors, SD cards, extra batteries, charger, and remote. In most bags you would have to find the right space, taking up 2-3 lens compartments for the drone alone. Then you would have to randomly assort all the paraphernalia around it, and then go looking for it every time you wanted to deal with the drone. One case; all your drone needs.

Size and capacity


Aside from the drone you could also fit:

  • A mirrorless body
  • 70-200 f4
  • 3 lenses (including taller lenses like the 100mm L from canon

The rest of the less sensitive gear can be confidently stored in the top roll-up compartment which is quite sizeable. That being said, assuming you can get away with fewer lenses, you can even store all your equipment in the extra divided space in the main compartment, and store clothes and toiletries in the top part to make this the ultimate travelers backpack. If you want to maximize compartmentalization, the bag comes with a foldable tote bag, which can help you with organizing the top compartment as it has no dividers in it.

Laptop compartment

Torvol says that the bag is approved as a carry-on. It even has space for a laptop up to 15 inches! It’s worth noting that I’m hesitant of backpack makers who put the laptop compartment against your back, its normally a recipe for disaster since the padding is not always as thick as it should be and you end up feeling the laptop through it. This bag does not have that problem, and after lugging a laptop on my back for a while, I completely forgot it was in there. Another one of my favorite features of this bag is the handle they added to the latch of the main compartment. This makes setting the bag down or picking it up a breeze and I find myself always using it.

Extra features


In addition, the bag also features:

  • Two water bottle holsters
  • A side compartment for skinny things like passports or cash
  • Breathable comfortable padding (Ironically my complaint with most backpacks is that they overlook how important padding is)
  • Weatherproof bottom pad
  • Weatherproof cover
  • A tension string to attach things on the outside
  • Ergonomic clips for fastening the bag

If only

It’s been a while since I’ve been this impressed with a bag, but it’s worth mentioning a few knit picky things about the bag as well.

The most upsetting thing about the bag is the weight. Before you’ve filled it up, the bag has a decent weight to it, but it seems like it weighs a lot for “just the bag”. Filling it up becomes noticeable on the back after a while. To Torvol’s credit, it is super comfortable, and that greatly reduces the stress you feel despite the weight.

I understand the top compartment is not meant to hold the sensitive equipment, but I kind of which they had a custom fit cushion for the top compartment to at least be able to separate one layer from another. The tote bag is nice, but it’s not a solution for this issue, as it only “fixes” the inside the bag since it has no shell or shape. When I took the bag to a trip I found myself digging through my chargers, extra batteries, power banks, cables, etc, and causing quite a mess inside the top compartment. Although if you ask me, a small price to pay for all the other perks of the bag.

Conclusion


All in all, I loved using the bag, and it definitely has earned itself a space in my work-bag closet. For €139.00 it’s quite a bargain, and even if you add the €49.90 drone case, it’s still a worth-awhile purchase

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

How To Transform Any Bag Into A Stylish Camera Bag How to safely turn any bag into a camera bag with only three accessories How to DIY a $15 tactical bag into a custom audio kit bag This clever cube turns any bag into a camera bag

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: DJI Mavic Air, drone, drone bag, Mavic Pro, Torvol, Torvol Drone Explorer Backpack

Adam Frimer: from diyphotography.net

About Adam Frimer

Adam Frimer is a Guinness World Record holder, producer, and DOP based in Tel-Aviv, Israel. Adam owns a production company that specializes in corporate marketing and brand strategy. His videos have collectively hit over a quarter billion views

« How to properly dodge and burn your way to stunning landscape photos
Zacuto Kameleon Overview »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Comica CVM-VM30 is the world’s first wireless shotgun mic
  • Everything you need to know about science/technology photography
  • How Fujifilm survived while Kodak didn’t
  • Use these two simple methods to remove skin shine from portraits
  • Improved Sun Moon Expert app gets you perfectly timed sun and moon photos

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy