DIY Weather Balloon Kit Materials
On this page, you’ll find links to Amazon for all the products that we use or recommend to help get you to space on your next launch.
Products on this page are grouped in the following categories:
Weather Balloons
Parachutes
Cameras
Trackers
Payload
Miscellaneous
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Weather Balloons
Not sure what size you need? Check out our free weather balloon user guide for tips on sizing your balloon. Other balloon sizes are available from Kaymont Industries and eBay.
300g Weather Balloon
Good for ~82,000 burst altitude
Helium Tank Regulator CGA-580
$19.99 - available with or without the black tilt nozzle
Quick-Fill Inflation Kit
Includes: helium tank regulator, balloon inflation adapter, payload attachment adapter
Parachutes
Not sure what size parachute you need? Check out our parachute size calculator post.
58” Parachute
For payloads weighing ~4-6 lbs
36” Parachute
For payloads weighing ~1.5-3.5 lbs
Cameras
The selection of a camera is a personal choice, as we discussed in our camera post here. We prefer the GoPro Session running these settings and then a selection of various Canon PowerShots (running CHDK for time-lapse photos).
GoPro HERO 6 Black -Renewed
Our #1 choice for value, and still giving you 4k/60 footage
GoPro Hero8 Black
If price isn’t a barrier and you want the latest and greatest for 4k HD video, this is it
128GB SDCard
To get 3+ hours shooting 4k/60, get at least a 128GB card, U3/V30 speed
Backup Battery
5000 mAh to charge your electronics in-flight
USB Y-Splitter
Turn your backup battery into a charger for 2 USB devices
Trackers
We always flew with two trackers - one, a satellite tracker like the one below, and the second, an Android cell phone running our in-flight tracking code. We discuss all about the pros and cons of different trackers in our blog post here.
SPOT Trace GPS Tracker
This saved us several times when our balloon landed outside of cell phone service or when our tracking phone unexpectedly died. Requires a monthly or annual subscription.
Payload
How you choose to package your flight components is one of the parts you can be most creative with. We chose the simple, small, styrofoam cooler below, and cut out notches for our photography equipment. Styrofoam is ultra lightweight, keeps the electronics warm (sometimes too warm if it’s hot out), and gives a nice cushion upon impact when it lands.
Polar Tech 205c Cooler
We found the 6” x 5” x 6.5” size to be perfect for our many flights. It even gave us enough room to send up other items such as brewing hops and astronaut ice cream!
Miscellaneous
This list of items is not exhaustive. It is always good to be prepared and bring more than you think you’ll need to the launch! Items such as duct tape, string, scissors, and more.
40-lb Test Fishing Line
FAA laws state any string must be under a 50-lb break-strength. We recommend braided vs. monofilament.
36” Zip Ties
We use these to secure the payload cover and create attachment points to the parachute line
8” Zip Ties
Useful for securing other items inside the payload (camera, electronics) and creating loops to attach the parachute to the balloon
Nitrile Gloves
Used to protect the weather balloon during filling and handling from oils on your hands
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