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The PGYTech FPV backpack has been my daily driver for over a year now. Of all the backpacks I’ve owned in all my time in FPV, it comes the closest to being exactly what I want out of a backpack. At least at this moment in time.
So why is it on the table? Because I’m switching to an even better backpack. Well, better for me at this point in time. And maybe better for you.
Why I’m switching
I had no desire to switch away from the PGYTech FPV backpack. I love it. I love everything about it. I wasn’t even thinking about what my next backpack was going to be. Then people in my livestream comments told me it’s no longer made. You can’t buy it anymore.
I looked, and the only thing I found was a suspiciously inexpensive listing on a sketchy store. It almost got my money. I love the bag so much that I figured if it’s out of production, I’d buy a spare and just keep using it. Then I realized it was a fake listing, and they were about to steal my money and send me nothing.
So I went looking, and the next thing I found was this: the PGYTech tactical camera bag. Set aside the fact that it’s tactical. I got it in brown because everything I have is black, and I thought, let’s be different. You can get it in black, though. I’ve been using it on a full trip for the last three weeks, and I’m even happier with it.
It’s bigger: 35 liters
This is a 35-liter bag, just a little bigger than the PGYTech FPV bag, which I believe was 30 liters. There’s also a 25-liter version for almost the same price, if you want something more compact. It has almost the same layout and almost the same features. There’s one key difference, and I’ll call it out below.
When I was forced to go to a new bag, I wanted something just a little bigger. When you see the loadout I brought on this trip, you’ll see why I wanted the extra room.
Fully adjustable mounting system
Along with the bigger size, and hence weight, comes a more sophisticated mounting system. Yes, there are the standard padded straps. But there’s also a frame with padding and channels for air movement, plus a little padding to push it against your lower back.
The height is fully adjustable for your back — the distance between your hips and your shoulders. There’s Velcro in there. You undo the Velcro, slide it up or down, and it changes the rise to fit you much better. That’s the feature missing from the 25-liter bag. It just has standard straps, sewn on the normal way.
The pack has straps on the top, straps on the bottom and a chest strap. The tape I added to take up the loose ends? That’s a JB special.
Side pouches
On this side of the bag there’s a pretty standard tripod/water bottle pocket. There’s an extra strap if your tripod sticks up high, and some extra webbing. I suppose it’s MOLLE webbing, although this laser-cut webbing is clearly different from the standard MOLLE on the front.
Front MOLLE webbing and large pouch
On the front there’s MOLLE webbing and a zipper pouch. Inside that pouch are two large elastic dividers and a large pocket you can stuff whatever you want in.
Side pouch opens to the inside
The other side has a zipper panel, a slightly smaller exterior pouch, another strap for something like a tripod, and more MOLLE webbing. The zipper panel is what Rotor Riot calls a “rip and dip” pocket. I don’t know if Rotor Riot took it from camera bags or vice versa. It lets you get into the bag from the side. I keep my tools in there, so I can get them out without opening up the whole bag.
There’s also a zipper pouch with dividers for little things. And this is clever: there’s an indicator for whether your drone batteries are charged or discharged. I guess the drone batteries are supposed to fit in that pocket. I don’t know if I’ll ever use it, but it’s clever.
Side and top handles, top zipper pouch
There’s a handle on the side and a handle on the top. There’s a zipper pouch on top that gets you into the very top of the bag, and another zipper pouch with no dividers — just a place to get at something quickly without opening the main body of the bag.
Optional waist strap
There’s an option for a waist strap. I hate waist straps on my backpacks, because 99% of the time I don’t use them. I’m going from one gate in an airport to another, or from the car into a building. I’m seldom hiking long enough for a waist strap to be worth making me look like a total nerd.
But with a bag this big, it is nice to have the option. I love that the strap just slides in, with Velcro to hold it in place. If you need it, put it in. If you don’t, take it out. You don’t have to permanently modify the bag. Love it.
Massive laptop pouch
At the top there’s a laptop pouch, and it’s freaking enormous. On the 35-liter bag, a 17-inch laptop is no problem. It’s way deeper than you would ever need.
One thing I liked better about the PGYTech FPV bag is that it had separate dividers: one for a laptop, one for a tablet or a notebook. This has one big pouch, so multiple devices won’t be separated.
My other complaint is that the flap is held with Velcro. If you flop it open with a laptop inside, it tries to drop the laptop on the floor. The PGYTech FPV bag had a little button that the strap went over. I’m not sure I’d trust this Velcro to hold the full weight of a larger laptop. I’d just be really careful not to drop it all the way open.
I spent extra on organization
With that being said, look at all the stuff I’ve got in here. And there’s room to spare. There’s my chest rig, which I use when I’m flying and training. It’s got a little screen so I don’t have to be in goggles six hours a day when I’m working, a battery pack and some tools. It makes me look like a giant nerd. I like to carry it with me all the time.
There are my soldering tools and my other hand tools, in their own pouches. Those didn’t come with the bag, which is another complaint. The PGYTech FPV bag had some built-in dividers, so I didn’t feel as much need to divide things out.
For example, I added little Velcro holders at the top, because I like to have pens and USB cables right at hand. If I need to plug into a quad real quick, I don’t want to dig through a bag looking. I just want to grab the USB cable. I had to buy those separately, where the PGYTech FPV bag had them built in. So this one takes a little more work to personalize. But once it’s done, I’m freaking so happy with it.
It’s got so much room
There’s my controller, some random stuff, some batteries and goggles. In fact, I can fit two goggles in here. If I turn them sideways and compress them a little, a second set fits. Handy if you’re flying DJI and analog/HDZero. You get a lot of stuff in here.
What dividers does it come with?
You probably noticed that one divider isn’t the same color as the others. The bag comes with two large shelf dividers, a few foldable dividers you can wrap around however you want, and a ton of tiny little dividers. They’re thinking of two big cameras and a bunch of lenses, with little square cubbies for the lenses. That’s just not where I’m at.
Because I have the PGYTech FPV bag, I just stole some of its dividers. You can order dividers aftermarket and spend more money on your already very expensive bag. That’s your call.
Like I said, the PGYTech FPV bag was my favorite. This is my second choice, because they don’t make that one anymore, and I’m making the best of it. I do think it’s pretty freaking good, though. You’re just going to end up spending more money to make it exactly how you want it.
How does it fit a bigger controller?
What if you don’t have a GX12 or another low-profile controller? Some bags, like the Rotor Riot bag, have a separate pouch on top just for the controller. Others have a horizontal flap, where the controller lies flat with stuff underneath. This doesn’t have either.
A RadioMaster TX15 goes in sideways. The gimbals are a little squished, and it hangs out a bit. I’d put it in so the part that hangs out isn’t the switches. It’ll be under a little pressure when you zip it closed, but I bet it would be okay. You might add gimbal or switch protectors to help. I think you’d get away with it.
A TX16S is so much deeper. Sideways, there’s just no way to do it without messing up the switches. You’d have to put the TX16S, or any larger radio, in upright. Then you’ve got a bunch of dead space on top of it, and you have to figure out what to do with that. Well, nothing’s perfect.
Where do you put your drones?
I’ve been saving the best part of this backpack. The one feature that made me actually excited to have it, instead of disappointed that my old one wasn’t for sale anymore.
What about the quad? This isn’t an FPV bag. There are no straps on the outside. So how am I going to transport my quads? Watch this: the whole back is one giant drop compartment. It holds not one but two 5-inch drones with props off. I’ll put them in with props on, too. They snag a little bit, but you can fit two with props on.
I stuff my props in the bottom and the drone goes on top. Now when you’re traveling, you don’t have a giant FPV drone hanging off the back, getting snagged on everything and coming loose. It’s just ready to go.
Sometimes I bring a Starlink with me. Where am I going to put that in a backpack? It’s just a mess. Boom: the Starlink goes in there, and the quad goes on top of it. It’s amazing. If you don’t like that, there are MOLLE cutouts where you could add some straps, even a battery strap, and strap a quad on. But I love that drop compartment. It’s so easy.
Fit and comfort
It fits amazing. It’s comfortable. When the PGYTech FPV bag was fully loaded, I’d put it on and it felt a little uncomfortable, heavy, a little stressful. I kind of wanted to put it down. This thing, even without the waist strap, is so good. The way this back system holds the weight is so good, and I’m so freaking happy with it.
That’s it. This is my new daily driver. It holds a ton of stuff. It’s about $200, which is pretty standard pricing. It’s super good quality. I’m super happy with the way PGYTech builds things. You can buy spare parts. They’re really well thought out. And since it’s a camera bag, who knows — maybe they won’t stop making it a year later.
But it might not be the right bag for you. I’ve reviewed practically every FPV-centric bag on the market, including the Lumenier bag and the Rotor Riot bag, and they’re all in my backpack roundup playlist. The only one I’m leaving out is the PGYTech FPV bag. RIP.
The full review, with every pocket opened, is on my YouTube channel.
