The Pilot 88 Is a Limited Edition Wotancraft Messenger Designed by Chris Niccolls

Wotancraft, Chris Niccolls, and PetaPixel have announced a limited, special edition of the Pilot messenger camera bag. After almost a year of development, the Chris Niccolls x Wotancraft Special Edition Pilot 88 features a unique size and tailored adjustments that are ideal for a traveling photographer.

Niccolls, host of the PetaPixel YouTube Channel and lead reviewer for the publication, has been a fan of the Wotancraft Pilot bag since he first used it in 2021.

“Maybe the best compliment that I can give this bag is that, while I’m using it, I never really think about it at all. It just works,” he said. “It’s protective, functional, and looks great. It’s the kind of camera bag that photographers instinctively reach for without a second thought. That’s the Pilot.”

Over many years with it in its various size configurations in the field, he and the team at Wotancraft also had the privilege of becoming friends, leading to deeper conversations and refinements around the design.

“Last year, we officially started to work together on designing the limited special edition ‘Pilot 88,’ a camera bag designed specifically around Chris Niccolls’ requirements,” Wotancraft says. “Bringing together over 20 years of real-world photography experience, every detail of the Pilot 88 reflects what a professional photographer truly looks for in a camera bag.”

At first glance, other than the unique “vintage gray” colorway, the Pilot 88 looks very much like existing Pilot messengers. But look closer, and the differences start to show themselves.

Firstly, the interior depth is larger, making it easier to carry larger lenses and also up to a 13-inch laptop or — in Chris’s case — an iPad Pro.

The tripod mounting system has also been overhauled, allowing photographers to carry a tripod in the front of the bag instead of underneath it (although the original mounting option still remains for those who prefer it). At the same time, the front panel still supports Armor module expansion. This setup reflects how Chris works in the field, especially in outdoor environments.

On one side of the bag, the standard side pocket has been replaced with modular webbing and comes standard with a side-mounted drawstring pouch. This allows for quick lens swaps on the go and works just as well for carrying a water bottle in everyday use.

The tunnel pocket, which has been enhanced with thicker padding for greater durability, also contains a hidden zippered pocket, ideal for stashing a windbreaker, umbrella, or even a machete for heavy jungle environments.

Wotancraft and Niccolls also chose to boost the thickness of the shoulder strap, increasing its padding to 32.5 cm and reinforced with an additional 5 mm of high-density foam for improved comfort and support.

“I wanted a bag that was big enough to store everything I needed while traveling across the world, but still compact enough to enjoy a stroll on the streets of a new city when I had arrived,” Niccolls says.

“The gray color is rugged and understated, and the included side pouch adds a ton of utility to the overall design. This is a bag that you can customize to work the way that you want it to. I also consider a travel tripod essential, but I needed a better way to carry it. The Pilot 88 has a unique design that places the tripod along the front of the bag in a reliably secure manner while also allowing the bag to be set down on a surface without tipping over. Add some extra pouches to the front, and you can have even more customizable storage. This is a bag that I designed specifically for what I felt was most important as a travelling photographer, and I feel like it will be exactly what many other creative artists have been looking for in a very long time.”

The Wotancraft Pilot 88 Chris Niccolls Special Edition is available in extremely limited quantities (just 300 total units worldwide) and is available now for $288 while supplies last.

Image credits: Wotancraft, PetaPixel