Chest Pack

M

mikeg126

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Joined
Feb 22, 2022
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37
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Northern Virginia
My name is Mike and I can be a gear junkie! But I think most FF's are....

I think I might be interested in a chest pack. Something like the Umpqua Overlook 500 ZS2 or the JMC Competition Chest Pack (https://www.tacticalflyfisher.com/jmc-competition-chestpack/). Currently I am wearing a Simms Guide vest. It is well made but I find that I have a few issues with it. First it gets hot in the summer, the fly box pockets are ok but I am using 2 boxes (a 4-pager style like C&F and a small midge box) I also keep a dry fly box in the back pocket and a C&F chest patch box in a chest pocket. I try not to pack a lot of unnecessary stuff to say light. Also, after a long day on the water the vest seems to grind into my neck. My last issue is that if I store something in the back pocket I have to take the vest off to get to it. Not a huge issue but if I'm wading and need to get something it is a pain.

My concerns with a chest pack are mostly about them blocking your view while wading. But then again I've never really tried one either. I think I would like to have my boxes up front and since I don't carry a lot of accessories having clamps, tippet and floatant etc. stored in a pocket seems to make more sense to me. Less things to dangle the better. I also like being able to store a rain jacket and lunch on some of the longer hikes into the streams which in the vest can be challenging.

So for those that have converted from a vest to chest pack how do you like them? Are my concerns about too big of a front pouch valid? Are they more or less comfortable than a good vest? How about being cool enough in the summer?
 
I have the Umpqua and I think it's great, especially when I'm going to walk a long way from my vehicle. It allows me to carry a raincoat, drinks and maybe a sandwich. I've never considered the chest pack a liability when moving. You get used to bending forward a little and eventually it becomes automatic. The only con is that you may carry too much, but you'll do what suits you.
 
Tried them all, vest, chest, waist and sling pack. Waist pack is by far the best! Get one that is waterproof though.. Pricey, but well worth the extra cost.
 
goose54cdd said:
I have the Umpqua and I think it's great, especially when I'm going to walk a long way from my vehicle. It allows me to carry a raincoat, drinks and maybe a sandwich. I've never considered the chest pack a liability when moving. You get used to bending forward a little and eventually it becomes automatic. The only con is that you may carry too much, but you'll do what suits you.
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One review I saw on YT was the straps seemed a little light weight. The straps do look to be adjustable enough to raise or lower the pack to your preference or when wearing more layers etc. Granted, I am not carrying 40 lbs of gear, but how do you like them? Also, I assume you can use any type of zinger on the zinger ports? Does the front collapse down as long as you don't over load it with boxes? Thanks
 
I'm a gear junkie too. I have a fishpond cross current chest pack, Simms sling, old Orvis vest from the 80s and a fishpond vest/backpack combo. I'm a pack mule no matter what time of year or weather conditions. I like to pack drinks, food, clothing, camera, etc. I gave the chest pack a try. I didn't like the bulkiness up front and partial view obstruction. Also if you have some heavier items in the back part of the pack, the front rode up a bit. Also the plastic attachment points to clip the pack together would squeak when I walked. Even tried to lubricate but that didn't work out.
 
I've done the vest, the hip pack, and now the Umpqua zs2 chest pack. I had all the same concerns and hated it at first. Now I wonder why I waited so long. I really like the Umpqua and added the c&f fly patch box to replace the fly patch. It's a worthy addition. The best part is unlike my hip pack which always ended up in the water or under water, the chest pack is dry so no need to open all my boxes when I get home to dump the water out and let them dry.

Get one give it a try. It's the only way you'll know if it works for you.
 
nomad_archer said:
I've done the vest, the hip pack, and now the Umpqua zs2 chest pack. I had all the same concerns and hated it at first. Now I wonder why I waited so long. I really like the Umpqua and added the c&f fly patch box to replace the fly patch. It's a worthy addition. The best part is unlike my hip pack which always ended up in the water or under water, the chest pack is dry so no need to open all my boxes when I get home to dump the water out and let them dry.

Get one give it a try. It's the only way you'll know if it works for you.
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I ended up getting the ZS2 chest pack. I am heading out tomorrow to use it on the water for the first time probably putting it to the real test at some freestone streams in the Shenandoah NP with lots of rock hopping. I think I will like having the 2 big pockets up front with the internal pockets to organize things. It will force me to keep things uncluttered and not over pack. I also added the C&F chest patch/box. The larger rear bag is nice to store a couple of extra boxes, first aid, extra spool and leaders.

When I fish the SNP streams, I am out for the entire day without easy access to my SUV. So I have to carry lunch and store layers of clothing. To do that I added a molle pack to my hip belt (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092QW4P64?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1). It was one of the few packs that mounts horizontally. While its not waterproof I can always stuff extra clothing or food in a lightweight dry bag. It easily stores my regular weight wading jacket.
 
Awesome. I suggest adding a little velcro on the bottom of the c&f box it helps keep it in place in addition to the pin.
 
On Friday I took the day off and heading down to the Shenandoah NP to do a little brook trout fishing. This was my first outing with the Umpqua pack and my waist pouch. On these streams I am out for the entire day and don't return to my SUV so I need to bring what I need. It rained off and on throughout the day with a few downpours so the rain jacket stayed on most of the time. However, in between showers I stored in the waist pouch along with my lunch and it worked out great. It was nice to not have it adding weight to my chest pack. The only downside is that it is not waterproof and a few times when crouching low in the water it got wet. Luckily it is water resistant enough to keep things dry inside. Next time I'll make sure clothing is stuffed in my dry bag inside the waist bag.

The Umpqua Overlook ZS2 was really nice. I like the weight distribution much better than my Simms vest and it was nice and cool all day long. Even though the total number of storage pockets is less than the vest, I felt like all my items was more accessible given it was immediately in front where I could see what I was looking for. I also was afraid that being a chest pack it would block my view of my feet too much. After 8 hours rock hopping, crawling, and wading very rocky sections I never once felt that I could not see where I was stepping. I'm sold!
 
I use the FIshpond chest pack and have now for... 3/4 seasons? It's pretty nice, lots of room, enough to store necessities and other junk. The only complaint I have about it is that it's not completely waterproof. I've waxed the entire thing though and it keeps the water out but... it required a lot of otterwax to get it to that point.

I'd buy it again though.
 
Facemelted said:
I use the FIshpond chest pack and have now for... 3/4 seasons? It's pretty nice, lots of room, enough to store necessities and other junk. The only complaint I have about it is that it's not completely waterproof. I've waxed the entire thing though and it keeps the water out but... it required a lot of otterwax to get it to that point.

I'd buy it again though.
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The Fishpond Thunderhead chest pack solves the waterproof issue. It’s too small to carry the kitchen sink, but nobody ever caught a trout on the kitchen sink either.
 
I love chest or waist packs and if you can find one out there (company went out of business awhile back) on eBay I would HIGHLY recommend any of the William Joseph Mag Series packs. They used rare earth rope magnets for pocket closures instead of zippers and if you've watched alot of fly fishing videos on YouTube it's amazing how many folks are STILL using these packs despite the fact that the company went out of business years ago and I can attest to the fact that they're the best packs I've ever owned and I'll never get rid of mine. If you do happen to find one don't be surprised at the prices they go for because they are still in high demand. Good luck and Tight Lines 😃
 
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