Lowe Pro Trekker 450 AW - perfect (nearly)

vertrider01 · Mar 6, 2018

Hi everyone,

flying in the Alps (P4P), hiking, climbing and biking a lot. tested a few Backpacks for the P4P and they all were way too small to take extra gear for staying overnight at e.g. the Dolomites peaks (sleeping bag, very small tent, extra clothing, water, food).

even Lowe Pro‘s official P4 backpack, the Lowe Pro Droneguard BP 450 turned out too small.

so however, by accident I found the Lowe Pro Trekker 450 AW to be great for my needs.

+ great, robust, adjustable harness system
+ lots of strap mounts
+ good rain/dust protection
+ allows for camelback hydration or similar or just 2 water bottles
+ back compartement allows for avalanche shovel etc and/or extra down jacket
+ top compartement can be expanded upwards so clothing can be fixed/stowed below between backpack and top compartment
+ lower straps allow for sleeping bag or bike knee protector etc
+ rugged/pro quality

- top loader, I‘d prefer a back loader (like the Droneguard BP 450), so as with snow/dirt the backside would not get wet/dirty etc
- chest strap closure is a fumbling piece and doesn‘t include a whistle for alpine SOS like other backpacks do have (how in the world would Lowe fail here)
- could be even 5 cm longer for add. DSLR

the Pro Trekker 650 AW has a great, adjustable fit and I can easily ride the enduro bike with it as well. although it‘s big, it sit's secure and doesn‘t wiggle around no matter how bumpy the trail.

best of all, I can take the original P4P enclosure with me, as I like it much. it insulates batteries well in cold temps and keeps everything snug fit in place.

the P4P box can be placed horizontally (a little bit tighter to close the zips) or vertically (very easy to close), see images.

again, I choose this backpack for mountaineering reasons and flexibility. IMHO none other P4P backpack on the market has the expand possibilities for mountain use. even the Lowe Pro Droneguard BP 450 backpack can‘t come close to it. the BP 450 seems to be made for 1 day trips and it lacks expandability. not so the Pro Trekker 650 AW, it comes close to a great mountaineering drone backpack.

I tried Manfrotto's Drone Backpack (way too small), Polar Pro Drone Trekker (kind of a joke, and too small for the P4P), Lowe Pro Droneguard BP 450 (it‘s nice but too small for mountaineering), and a couple other disappointing backpacks where one sees, that none of the product managers has ever been to mountains or even near to it.

hope this helps for your future backpack decisions. if you do expeditions and mountaineering with your P4, then the Pro Trekker 450 AW used with P4P's original box is a great choice. the P4P box can be excellently used for non-handheld takeoff.

If you see other maybe bigger Mountaineering backpacks that could be used like the ProTrekker (e.g. from F-Stop) let me know.

cheers
Chris

John Locke · Mar 6, 2018

Thanks for sharing your findings. I agree with you on the others you tried out. I also went through about 5 backpacks a couple years ago until I found the right one. True, PolarPro Treker is kind of a joke, too small. Your LowePro AW450 seems pretty expensive, but I've found the expense isn't an issue on something as important as a good backpack, IMO. I will easily pay more for extra conveniences of several years. However it appears the AW450 with the standard DJI foam box installed won't comply with airlines guidelines for carry on, 22X14X9". That may not be important to you, but I fly all the time with my Phantom as carry-on. The backpack I find to be the best all around design is the ThinkTank Helipak V2 design. It complies with FAA dimensions for carry one and costs less, at $200. It works great for backpacking, complete with waist belt for the long treks. The only downside is it can carry too much stuff. Yes, too much! It can get heavy when you load up 6 batteries, craft, RC, Air2 iPad, charger and 3 battery cradle, DSLR, MarcoPolo tracker, binoculars, extra props, etc. I actually have to take out stuff to lighten it up a bit, even though the empty backpack is reasonably light at 4.6lbs, or 2.1kg. What I like is the large "wet-suit" sized zipper, which is very rugged, along with the rest of the materials. I've had my V1 version for over 2yrs now and it looks like new, and I fly a lot. Good pack, really good.

You can find V1 versions for $150 in eBay, that's what I bought 2yrs ago for $275, but I think the V2 is worth the extra, @ $200. It relocates the batteries in the bottom of the pack where they belong, providing better balance during the hike.

vertrider01 · Mar 7, 2018

Hi John, yes, of course the Lowe Pro is way too big to fly.
For carry on I'd go for the ThinkTank as well. It looks like a decent backpack, and it was one I considered as well.
As for the Lowe Pro, I found that they have reduced the price here in Germany or Austria recently around 100 to 150 EUR, maybe a replacement is on the way - so they clear stock.
Just another question if I may, as I see you are a frequent P4P flyer.
usually here in the Southern or Eastern Alps I get by with the 500 m height limit of the P4P as I usually ascent far enough on the mountain side, to - with 500 m more - get a good overview.
On rare occasions however, to just check out a new route via a few quickly shot images or to see for avalanche situation on higher peaks affecting ascent routes, I'd need to ascend the P4P more than 500 m, say 700 to 1000 m.
Is there a software on the market that allows it or is the 500 m limit etched in steel?
I am really not into hacking the P4P it's a excellent drone as per factory, but if the situation and air space allows it would sometimes be handy for terrain related visual research to have a few extra vertical meters on top. as well for search and rescue if there is an avalanche situation.

John Locke · Mar 7, 2018

Climbing mountains is very fun, I clearly understand your desire in the Alps. I wish I could fly your area with such incredible scenery. While staying within 400' of land, I've climbed 3800' from launch in the Rockies to heights over 14,000' MSL, and I can tell you it's very addictive. I've PM'd you on this subject.

Here's the highest MSL altitude I've flown.

DOC 1500 · Mar 7, 2018

holy cow that's beautiful, very very nice video.
What was the distance of that flight away from the RC?

WV. Rootman · Mar 7, 2018

vertrider01 said:
Hi John, yes, of course the Lowe Pro is way too big to fly.
For carry on I'd go for the ThinkTank as well. It looks like a decent backpack, and it was one I considered as well.
As for the Lowe Pro, I found that they have reduced the price here in Germany or Austria recently around 100 to 150 EUR, maybe a replacement is on the way - so they clear stock.
Just another question if I may, as I see you are a frequent P4P flyer.
usually here in the Southern or Eastern Alps I get by with the 500 m height limit of the P4P as I usually ascent far enough on the mountain side, to - with 500 m more - get a good overview.
On rare occasions however, to just check out a new route via a few quickly shot images or to see for avalanche situation on higher peaks affecting ascent routes, I'd need to ascend the P4P more than 500 m, say 700 to 1000 m.
Is there a software on the market that allows it or is the 500 m limit etched in steel?
I am really not into hacking the P4P it's a excellent drone as per factory, but if the situation and air space allows it would sometimes be handy for terrain related visual research to have a few extra vertical meters on top. as well for search and rescue if there is an avalanche situation.

Yes.