Chest Pack recommendations

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pmelle

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Mar 29, 2015
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Looking at getting a chest pack for this season. I've had my eye on the Umpqua 500 series or William Joseph confluence pack. The orbits sling pack I have is great but after a full day on the water, I get a little tight upper back. Any recommendations or experience with these chest packs? Thanks
 
I have the Umpqua pack. I really like it and have no complaints. It's very comfortable and I often fish from morning until dark with no pains.
 
If you are not dead set on a chest pack, you should consider a lumbar or hip pack. Placement of the pack on your hip or lumbar after a long day of hiking and casting will be appreciated, trust me! Maneuverability is greatly increased and i think you will notice that the location of a chest pack can really be quite cumbersome when it comes to fishing, especially on longer drifts, and/or high sticking. I really like my Simms Headwaters Guide. Access to the contents is in my opinion superior with a hip pack, and with the headwaters guide specifically, the open front of the pack doubles as a work surface on the water. it is much easier to work at waste height than chest height (think about where your arms are going to be more comfortable)!

I have owned both chest and hip packs, as well as vests, technical and traditional. This hip pack is by far my favorite.
 
Thanks for the input trey. I hadn't considered a hip pax style yet. My only reservation would be; will a lumbar or hip pack ride so low that wading through deeper water would make this difficult? Is your Simms pax waterproof or dry quickly when wet?
 
A second on the Simms hip pack. It is not really waterproof. By that I mean if you wade deep you will want to slide it up your torso.
 
Not waterproof, but drys quickly. It did however keep all contents dry fishing in a rainstorm for several hours, but if you take it swimming water is getting in. I never go in deep enough to have that be a concern. I just can not think of too many instances where it is necessary at all.
 
Gave up on the chest pack two years ago. Now it's the Fishpond Waterdance hip pack. Tons of room and comfortable all day. It too is not waterproof, but I rarely find it necessary to get into that deep of water.
 
+1 on the Fishpond Waterdance. You can adjust it to the height you want to wear it. I have a model a few years old and like it except for the water bottle holder. It is an open strap type and bottles tend to fall out. the newer models appear to have an improved holder. Overall, it holds a lot of stuff and is pretty comfortable to wear lower on the waist. I also concur with not being waterproof, but I too have no real reason to wade over waist deep anyway.
 
I went from the water dance to the headwaters guide and like it much better.

Both are fine packs, I think it comes down to personal preference.
 
You guys may have swayed me to the headwaters hip pack.
 
Summit Sling Pack by Fishpond
 
The Confluence is the best of the best. Sure go with something that hangs on your hip if you fish gemmie streams or moderately small streams. If you like big water no way do those things work.
 
buy a vest
 
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