15 things I always have with me in my drone gear bag for 2025

Ready to freshen up what’s in your drone gear bag for 2025? Here’s what I, Sally (the Drone Girl) am carrying with me in my ready-to-grab drone kit when I go out and fly.

I wanted to show you the stuff I use (it’s usually nothing too fancy). And I wanted to show you the stuff I like (I love Disney, in case you didn’t know!).

A lot of “what’s in my bag” pieces talk about the gear people use, but overlook the other extras you need in your bag that aren’t on the standard packing list — and you don’t realize you need them until you’re already on the scene and it’s too late.

Thus, here’s a rundown of the drones I’m primarily using — and the other stuff I like to have along with me, that you might find useful, too!

You can check out all these items over at my Amazon shop page, right here! What’s in your drone bag? Leave a comment below!

1. DJI Mavic Air 3S

The Mavic Air 3S is pretty much my go-to drone right now. It’s small and portable. Equipped with a 3-axis gimbal and dual-camera, this drone delivers the best balance of convenience, ease-of-use, high quality and price. It’s got so many stellar features like obstacle avoidance and 45 minutes of flight time. It’s not quite as big as its big sibling drone, the Mavic Pro, but it doesn’t give up on power with its smaller size.

Check out my full DJI Air 3S review.

• Order the DJI Air 3S drone from Amazon, starting at $1,099.
• Order the DJI Air 3S drone from B&H Photo, starting at $1,099.
• Order the DJI Air 3S drone from Drone Nerds, starting at $1,099.

2. Pink propellers

I wish drones were…well…cuter. I love these pink propellers to make my drone a little more “me.” The makers claim these propellers have up to 3.5 dB lower noise, which is a 50% reduction in noise power. I’m not certain I can tell a difference, to be honest. But, I like the aesthetic!

3. DJI Mini 4K

I first got hooked on the original DJI Mini during a trip to Hawaii, and I LOVED it! DJI has since improved upon it with new models, and the DJI Mini 4K is my favorite of them once you factor in specs versus price. It’s got the ability to shoot 4K video and a sub-250 gram weight. It’s easy to fly, and the price point is unbelievably good.

Buy the DJI Mini 4K now from Amazon for just $299.

4. DJI Osmo Pocket

Everyone it seems has an Osmo Pocket these days. People at my gym have the Osmo Pocket! The Osmo Pocket is a device consisting of a camera mounted on a gimbal, which brings that silky smooth, “flying” aesthetic to the ground. Say you’re vlogging the aforementioned trip to Hawaii. There are many places you can’t fly drones in Hawaii, such as the amazing Volcanoes National Park. Instead, augment or replace your aerial footage with something shot on the ground.

5. Canon Shoulder Bag

Get yourself a cute drone bag! You want something padded and protective, but you also want to be stylin’ (well, at least I do). I love that the new wave of Mavic drones fold up essentially to the size of water bottle, so you don’t need a traditional, bulky case like you needed with the DJI Phantom line (and most other drones, at that).

I’d love to see cute bags designed especially for Mavic drones, but the market likely just isn’t large enough to warrant it. Instead, most DSLR or mirrorless camera bags are perfectly sized to also fit DJI Mavic drones and are a perfect substitute.

6. Lume Cube Strobe Light

These are a fun way to get creative with your drone photography. The lights can do everything from illuminating a dark object at night, to being used for “light painting,” an artistic technique where you use lights (typically flashlights or sparklers) to “paint” a scene while the shutter of a camera is left open during a long exposure photograph.  See examples of what Lume Cube strobe lights can do here!

This particular version of the Lume Cube is stick on, so it can easily mount to any drone (or anything that’s not a drone, too!).

7. Spare Batteries

Always keep a spare battery. Whether you forgot to charge it, or you’re just flying too long, I rarely don’t use my extras. Need I say anything more?

8. My Passport Wireless SSD External Portable Drive

WD’s My Passport Wireless SSD is a portable solid state drive that has a built-in SD card slot. Once you’ve finished your flight, simply pop your memory card into the portable drive, upload your footage, and pop it back into your drone to resume flying.

It’s a good safety net, in the event your footage gets lost between your flight and making its way to your computer. Now, you have a backup on the go!

9. Portable USB Power Bank

My phone always seems to die. Have a backup charge in your drone gear bag! Need I say anything more?

10. Spare MicroSD Memory Card

And along those lines, I always think it’s important to have an extra MicroSD Memory Card on hand. You never know when a card might accidentally get corrupted — or just be full! This one from Samsung is cheap and reliable.

11. Official FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement

The Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement was designed by the Federal Aviation Administration’s Flight Standards Service, so you can ensure the information is accurate. This book is designed as a Part 107 study guide (as well as to help you study for a number of other FAA tests), so you can earn your Remote Pilot Certificate.

Even if you’re already passed your Part 107 Aeronautical Knowledge Test, I always recommend keeping this book with you in case you ever need to reference something.

12. Quest Bars

I’m sorry this isn’t super drone related, but this is important! Never fly hungry, never fly hangry! I love Quest Bars. They’re high in protein! Pro-tip: they taste better microwaved.

13. Hard cover notebook

While you are not required to maintain log flight data as a drone pilot, the Federal Aviation Administration does recommend it.

“Maintenance and inspection record-keeping provides retrievable empirical evidence of vital safety assessment data defining the condition of safety-critical systems and components supporting the decision to launch,” according to the FAA’s Advisory Circular 107-2.

You might need to show flight logs in order to get a Part 107 waiver, to qualify for lower insurance rates and to show to clients.

Some companies sell drone-specific logbooks with columns and dates written in, but I prefer a simple, blank notebook, because it allows me to customize my notes in a way that works for me.

Drone flight logs can include information like date and time of flight, length of flight, weather conditions, maintenance notes, location, and mission details.

14. Sunglasses

Even if you typically don’t wear sunglasses, a spare pair is simply good to have on hand in case you ever find yourself having to fly into the sun.

15. Pens

Since smartphones, I had stopped carrying pens. I’ve learned my lesson after being stuck on too many airplanes where I’ve had to fill out a customs form, or I’ve met someone while out flying with whom I wanted to exchange contact info. Oh, and you’ll want one in your drone gear bag anyway to fill out your drone logbook.

Those are the 15 top things in my drone gear bag for 2025! What are yours? Share your own bag contents in the comments below!