Vest or Pack

M

MidgeManiac

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Joined
Jul 16, 2012
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My old vest is getting beat up pretty bad, I was thinking of going with a new chest pack style. Does anyone have any suggestions? Pack vs. Vest?
 
I wear my Richardson chestbox and a vest. Works great for me. I never liked the soft chestpacks but that's just my opinion. You might like them.
 
If you choose a chest pack, I have a William Joseph Confluence pack, worn exactly one time (I'm a damn impulse buyer when it comes to fly stuff) that you can get pretty cheap from me. They sell for about $130 or so but I'll make you a real good deal on mine. It is last years' model with zippers instead of earth magnets but nice none the less. PM me if you are interested. I'm staying with my vest, not because its better than a pack but because that is what I have worn for 20 years and nothing else seems to feel right.
 
The more pockets and zippers you have are more things to get your line caught in.
 
hmm yeah if you are a big vest guy like myself and you aren't a fan i suppose I probably wouldn't like it either.
 
Probably not. I was having back issues with my vest so I tried a waist pack and then the chest pack, didn't like either one. I got a back support wader belt from Cabelas (on H-A's recommendation), wow what a difference. I highly recommend one. It is cheap at twice the price in my opinion.

I'm truly a vest guy although I used a Richardson when I first started out. Liked it but went away from it. As a matter of fact, a guy on here was looking for one for his son, so I shipped to him for his son free of charge just asking that his son pay it forward some day. I sure hope he does. Although the dad promised to tie me some flies and send them to me. Haven't seen anything and don't expect to now, I think it's been 6 months or so. I sure hope it was for his son and I didn't get totally played. Oh well, lesson learned I guess.

If anyone who likes chest packs wants a Confluence, PM me.
 
Midge,

I use a chest pack. I have back problems and a chest pack seems to distribute the weight more than vest. A vest has two pressure points which are both on your left and right shoulders while a chest pack has four, both shoulders and both hips.

I like my chestpack because you can fold down the 'tray' and if you drop a hook/fly it falls onto the tray and not into the creek. If you need something out of your back, you can unbuckle the straps around your hips and turn the pack around to get what you need. You don't have to take your vest off to get what items you need in your back. Just my 2 cents.
 
foxgap239 was offering you a chestpack, stating that it had zippers instead of magnet closures. One thing I will say about magnetic closures, at least on the Orvis vest I had, they add weight to the vest. Something to consider in zipper vs magnets.

Another thing to consider is your size. Are you a big fella, where there is planty of chest space for a pack? Or a small fella, where a smaller pack, vest, or perhaps a lanyard is better suited?
 
I recommend the filson strap vest. If you can't fit it in the pockets it is not necessary gear. Can't put it any more simple than that. It will last many years if you take care of it. Best piece of gear I own. I recommend the foul weather strap vest because of the backpack.
 
If you want to carry everything including the kitchen sink with you then go here...

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/45399?page=rapid-river-vest-pack


If not, then I don't know how to help you because I typically have everything I own on me when I fish.


I bought this earlier in the year for my small stream fishing and it works great. A few fly boxes, tippet, water and food will fit just fine in here with some room to spare. Nice price too.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Green-Camo-Fanny-Dog-travel-Pack-waist-bag-w-bike-attachment-water-bottle-dish-/350530571716?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item519d400dc4
 
I've used, vests, sling packs, packs with a backpack and none of them really struck my fancy until I went with a waist pack. I just bought the one cabelas always has in their bargain cave. It's by far my favorite method of carry.

Can't cram quite as much into it but I also feel no strain on anything at the end of a 8-10 hour fishing day. Fits 4 nice sized fly boxes, tippet, shot, leader wallet and many other things. The only thing I don't like about it is when I'm wading deep, having to hike it up but that was always an issue with the others as well.

It's hard to know exactly what you like until you put some miles on something. If you have some friends with spare gear I'd borrow as much as you can to see what you like before you commit real $$ to it.
 
I like my waterdance guide pack by fishpond. It is a decent size for day trips if you do not venture to far from the car. Can't fit anything like a rain coat or lunch, but it holds multiple boxes and everything you need for fishing.
 
I roll with many different set-ups depending on the situation.

- Fully Loaded -

means I'll be on the river all day and seeing a little bit of everything. This usually happens only a few times a year on trips. In this mode I wear my simms G3 vest with my patagonia stealth hip pack for extra fly boxes and two "water" bottles.

- Regular/typical -

means I'm fishing for a few hours and might see a variety but know what boxes I need. I just wear my vest

- Quickie _

The quickie is my lanyard and my hip pack

- At the ready -

Is my lanyard I keep in my truck and my zipper fly wallet stocked with all the patterns people consider "dirty". My lanyard has a 6 spool Tippet Boss loaded with all the line I need to make a leader. Also on my lanyard I have nippers, and pliers/hemostats.

That being said, I have tried the chest pack thing and sling pack thing and nothing, Nothing, NOTHING does it better than a good vest. quick and clean and everything where you need!

if you are used to a vest I suggest to save yourself some money and stick with them. I spent a lot of $ trying all these other ways. Of course, trying new thing is fun too, so do what you like! this is just my experience!
 
melvinp wrote:
The more pockets and zippers you have are more things to get your line caught in.
Click to expand...

NO!!!! The confluence is a great pack. You just can't keep your line focused Daisy or you wouldn't be in the zippers. :)

Grab the pack offer him $40 dollars he doesn't like it anyway. I have back issues and it does take pressure off my shoulders.

 
Been wearing a shortie vest for so long, that I'm just very used to it. And never have any back issues or whatever.
I wanna have plenty of room to take all my stuff with me - flashlight, bug spray, raincoat, lunch, etc. Also carry at least 6-8 flyboxes - I'd get really ticked off if I hiked a long ways into some remote stream, and didn't have the right fly that's hatching.


I've never tried a pack. Seems to me though, that they tend to concentrate your gear more upfront - where I'm usually busy casting, changing flies, and landing fish. Still think a vest spreads thing out better
 
I've tried many different solutions. I'm currently experimenting with a military style sling pack that will allow me to carry many fly boxes, a raincoat and water. This pack will normally carry on my back out of the way, but I can loose one buckle and spin it around my body to access the contents mid-stream. The jury is still out on this solution. Every solution is a compromise. You just need to find the one that works for you.
 
By far the best pack I've found. Love the magnetic closures.

http://www.riverbum.com/William-Joseph-Catalyst/
 
I use the orvis sling pack. I like this way more then a Vest. Very convenient and light. Fits everything I need.
 
Sling for me. That's all I ever used. When I started C&R ffing, I just used my old creel. I tried a vest on year and hated it.
 
Do packs have a waterproof pocket for phone, wallet, and license? Or, like with a vest, do you use a plastic bag for items you want to protect?
 
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