so ive been just throwing my mini 3 in my backpack with some foam padding i cut myself which honestly has been fine but im starting to feel like its kinda asking for trouble especially after a close call where a water bottle leaked near it last week

not really sure if i should get one of those hard shell cases or just a proper padded bag. ive seen the dji ones but they look overpriced for what they are. does anyone use third party cases that actually hold up? also curious if anyone uses landing pads regularly or if thats more of a nice-to-have thing. my usual spots are just grass or gravel

the lekufee case on amazon is what i use and honestly cant complain for the price. fits everything including extra batteries and nd filters with room to spare. the foam is decent, not great, but ive had it in checked luggage a couple times with no issues so thats saying something

as for landing pads yeah i thought it was unnecessary at first but once you start flying in dusty or wet conditions you'll change your mind real quick. the motor intakes on the mini 3 are surprisingly close to the ground and kicking up debris on takeoff is a real thing. i use one of the orange freewell pads, rolls up small enough to throw in the same bag

landing pad was the first accessory i bought after i watched a video about motor contamination and got paranoid lol. probably overkill for mowed grass but whatever it makes me feel better. the one i have was like 12 bucks off amazon and it works fine