Help choosing fishpond pack for montana trip

[drews]

Ok guys Im going on a trip to Montana in July and I am looking for a backpack / chest pack combo. I love fishpond stuff but cant make up my mind between the double haul and the shooting star. I have diabetes so Ill need to take food (sand, snacks...) of course H2O and I would like to be able to take a wading rain jacket. I have a fishpond waterdance guide pack (for sale by the way) and love it for the steelhead trips to erie, but cant take lunch in it. Any suggestions? thanks

 

[jayL]

Will you be fishing from a drift boat? What time of year are you going? What rivers?

If you will be in a boat for the majority of the trip, don't bother with it. Same goes for wading big rivers in the summer. It gets too hot.

After two days out there, I adapted to fish like the regulars that I was fishing with. Lightweight pocketed fishing shirt and a sling pack.

That's my limited experience with gearing up for montana.

I am sure they are both nice packs, and you'll get a good comparison. Good luck.

 

[drews]

Well Im going in July and Im not sure all the rivers but the Madison will be 1 of them. I also would be interested in using this on the Erie steelhead trips...I just hate to spend all this money not knowing which one to go with. Basically wondering if the Double Haul is too small for the needs I listed above. Oh yeah no boats.

Thanks

 

[SeanC]

I agree with JayL. It depends on your trip and how much you want to carry. I have the double haul now and like it but when i stuff too much in the back in gets uncomfortable. If your looking too carry a bunch of stuff you can beat the shooting star. Both are well made. Just remember walking and casting all day with a loaded pack on your back can be a chore

 

[jdaddy]

Shooting Star. Do it.

Next question.

 

[wsender]

I'm supporting what Jay said. I just got a sling pack, Fishpond San Juan (I know it's not a sling pack, but it can be worn as one), and had been using a tech pack, Fishpond Open Range Tech Pack, and it's amazing how easily you can consolidate.

So maybe consider bringing something like that. It'll be a much welcome addition to your experience.

 

[jdaddy]

He wants to buy a pack. No matter how much logic you throw out there, dude wants to buy a cool pack. There is nothing wrong with this.

He wants to carry a decent amount of water, a meal and a wading jacket. The pack I recommended hold 2x the amount of crap as the other one. Winner, winner chicken dinner.

HE WANTS TO PACK AN AWESOME LUNCH AND FISH THE BREECHES!!!!!

 

[wsender]

Shooting Star. Do it.

Next question.

 

[SBecker]

Know you talked about FishPond, But I have one of these and if you are interested I might be willing to sell it.

http://www.wyomingflyfishing.com/William-Joseph-Escape-Pack-P1854.aspx

 

[fly_flinger]

What about one of the Allen packs? They are less expensive, seem pretty nice and they are a sponser of the site if I'm not mistaken. I'd check them out and save a bunch of money to use on other fishing stuff.

 

[ryguyfi]

LLBean has a sweet vest/pack out now. I forget what it's called but going for $100.

 

[drews]

I was looking at the Allen packs before I even knew they were a spons on the site here... my only reservation is you cannot see the entire thing. I guess they said they have a new one coming out in Feb (late) or March so maybe Ill wait...

 

[bam]

$70 TYD. I've fit a soft cooler with a little ice, 10 beers and a hoagie in this bad boy. Used a handful of times, plus it has a nice waist belt which offers good back support. No water bladder, but it accepts one.

http://www.paflyfish.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=16940&forum=14

Good luck with whatever you choose and have a great trip.

 

[jdaddy]

HE WANTS A FISHPOND! NEXT!!!

Seriously though that Allen is IDENTICAL to the Fishpond Open Range Tech Pack. It HAS to come off the same assembly line. Wsender has the Fishpond brand and Miller has the Allen brand. They were both at the Salmon River this Winter. They are identical. Cargo volume on the rear seems acceptable. The Allen would be my choice if I were in the market for that type of vest.

 

[shortrod]

I have been using a fishpond pack for 7 or 8 years now. I bought the first one on a trip to California where I needed to hike in fairly arid conditions. I need something to carry water, food, extra socks ...

Fishpond no longer makes that pack, it has good day pack with pods on the pack straps. I have rarely used my old vest after using the fishpond pack.

A couple of years ago I got a good deal on a Shooting Star pack. I bought the Shooting Star for my son. The pack on the Shooting Star is huge. You could easily use it for overnight trips. My son is only 11 and has not grown into the pack but has used the chest pack for the last 2 seasons. The chest pack with the Shooting Star is big enough for him to carry everything he needs.

Last year the buckle on the waist strap of my original pack broke. I stopped on the way home and bought a Double Haul pack. I used the Double Haul for a half of the season last year.

So to compare the two:
The chest pack on the Double Haul is not large enough to carry every thing I like to have available upfront. This means I need to take the pack off and get into the pack more often. Not a big deal but you will have to decide if you can live with it.

As stated above the chest pack with the Shooting Star is much larger.

With the Double Haul I use a water bladder. With my old pack a used Nalgene water bottles.

The pack on the Double Haul is pretty small, barely room for the rest of my fishing gear, some food and a rain jacket.

So you have to decide what you want. The two pack you are comparing are very different from a volume stand point. I like them all.

One other consideration is that you can mix and match chest packs.
I am thinking of getting a different chest pack to go with the Double Haul.

Hope this helps
Lee

 

[gfen]

Someone's got a shooting star in the swap forums right now.

 

[pete41]

If you expect to do much wade fishing a shorty vest is the ticket-many times I was within a couple of inches of reaching wader tops.You won't need to carry that many flies unless you are hitting the spring creeks.
Safety hint -don't angle downstream on bars as it can get very deep on downstream side and scary going back upstream.Sidle upstream.

 

[wsender]

jdaddy wrote:
HE WANTS A FISHPOND! NEXT!!!

Seriously though that Allen is IDENTICAL to the Fishpond Open Range Tech Pack. It HAS to come off the same assembly line. Wsender has the Fishpond brand and Miller has the Allen brand. They were both at the Salmon River this Winter. They are identical. Cargo volume on the rear seems acceptable. The Allen would be my choice if I were in the market for that type of vest.

True story. I thought Miller actually had the same pack as me, but he had the Allen. I would have bought the Allen if I didn't get a smoking deal on fishpond.

 

[albatross]

I have the Allen pack vest. Its a dead ringer for a Fishpond Wasatch. Great Pack! Can't beat it for the money.

 

[drews]

So Allens is good quality stuff?? Looks interesting on their website, but not too many views or info on how large it is...