Mini Hunting Backpacks

[Swattie87]

So...In the endless attempt to find the "perfect" on the stream pack or vest "system" I've come to the conclusion some time ago that no such thing exists. It's the unicorn of fly fishing. Every "system" is some sort of compromise, does some things better than others, and has its own shortcomings. Not that this stops us, me included, from continuing to purchase and accumulate additional "systems" in search of the holy grail. Vests are out for me as I find them just plain uncomfortable in how they tend to pull on the shoulders and upper back. I've tried basically every other style of pack at some point.

For the last several years I've being using the following setup, and still prefer this in most circumstances (first picture below): A tactical style sling with a couple of add on modular pouches to hold a Nalgene and my camera externally. Total cost was in the $75 range. This is comfy - weight of the pack sits on your hip and is distributed across the back (not shoulders), convenient in that it doesn't need to be removed to access the pack, and holds all of my normal fishing gear with enough room for a sandwich or reasonably sized snack. It's ideal for small to medium sized hike in backcountry stream fishing, but its main shortcoming is how low it sits when fishing a bigger stream...I have the straps set to ride as high as possible. I'm 6'0 for reference. When fishing say Penns or WW fishing, and I want to wade to mid thigh or perhaps close to waist deep in a pool, I'm submerging the bottom of the pack.

I was at ****'s today and had a $50 gift card to burn. I don't shop at ****'s much, and generally I'm not terribly impressed by their fishing or outdoors section. I debated on putting the $50 toward a new Cleveland sand wedge, but ultimately my current one still has some life left in the grooves. I came across the mini hunting pack below for $40, and thought this could be a decent bigger stream alternative given how high it rides. As with any "system", the tradeoff will be the need to be remove and pull it around front to access the pack, but it will give me that extra foot of wading depth I sometimes want on a bigger stream. Its main compartment is bigger than the one on my sling and would hold a jacket, or a stove and freeze dried meal if I was doing a lengthy Winter hike. I was never really impressed with Field & Stream gear, but this feels solid and at $40 with a gift card in hand was the right price to try. Anybody else try this or something similar for a fishing pack?

 

[AFISHN]

I've spent an hour just now looking at various vests/packs and like the looks of the one in your photo.I'll be near the ****s in Downington tomorrow and will stop in and check it out.Thanks for the post Swattie

 

[jeremymcon]

I have a couple of packs and a vest, but I often think that a backpack combined with a chest pack would be really handy for those times when I'd like to be able to take a raincoat jacket or a lunch or something. At the moment I'm using a fairly small sling pack, that isn't designed specifically for fishing. It holds a fair amount of stuff, and the strap is thick and nicely padded. It is small enough that I can wear it pretty high in my back, which is handy. Only issues I have with it is that carrying a net is clumsy and uncomfortable, and the zippers open from the top instead of the side like I think they ought to.

The backpack looks really comfortable to carry, especially with a net. But how do you access your stuff? Can you reach your net ok? I feel like taking an arm out of a backpack strap while on the stream would be clumsy too. Unless maybe you have most things you'd need to access strapped to the front of the straps somehow.

 

[Swattie87]

Yeah, that's the main compromise of a backpack...having to take it off a shoulder to swing it around front when needed. I have nippers, hemo's, and a fly patch attached to the front straps. I've used a larger, lower riding backpack at times before with a similar setup. I try to put a dozen or so likely to be used flies for the day on the patch when I start out...this minimizes the need to be in the main pack to some degree.

I also just ordered a small molle modular pouch online to attach to one of the front straps to store my camera, floatant, shot, and a spool or two of tippet...similar to the one on the front strap of my sling.

The net is attached via a caribineer. It's in easy reach to pull off. I tend not to use it much either as most of the Trout I catch are small.

 

[poopdeck]

A unicorn indeed. I learned to carry less. I just started using a small lumber pack that holds 2 water bottles, a snack and some Fly boxes, tippets and such with ample room for a rain jacket if needed. It's simple to spin it around front if I need something. It can also be hiked up to my chest if in deeper water. I have a lanyard with clippers, forceps, a cork, and altoid tin that I put what I think I'm going to use in. I also wear a shirt with two button pockets. This is my final system. It took 50 years to figure it out but I think I finally nailed it.

Good luck on your quest.

 

[boychick]

I've used a varsity of systems like most guys who've been fly fishing for a while. Everything from the vest to a sling pack. I don't think there is "silver bullet." I combine rear and front storage options and mix and match to meet the specific storage needs for each trip. Like poopdeck, I tend to favor a hip pack in combination with some kind of chest storage for essentials.

I recently got the Umpqua tongess 650 waist pack and its been really good. Its waterproof with a large roll top main compartment and front zippered pocket. The waterproof construction is great for a short guy who's pack is always dipping in the water. Its large enough to carry several fly boxes, all the terminal tackle, and a rain coat (this was key to me). It has two water bottle holders (also critical) and Velcro for a fly patch. There are a lot of other features, but these were the one that mattered most to me. I keep my net at the small of my back by slipping through the belt. The only down side I have found is the roll top pocket, while more waterproof, is also more difficult to close than a zipper. Other than that, the Tongass pack is great. I change out the hip pack for a waterproof backpack, if I need more storage for additional food and water, an extra layer, or other large bulky items (I use the Simms dry creek backpack).

I typically pair the pack with the tippet tender pocket on my waders or a lanyard to hold tippet, floatant, nippers, hemos and a few flies. If I need more gear in the front, I switch to a San Juan chest pack. If I'm going minimal, I'll use the two front pockets on my fishing shirt for the chest storage.

I tend to keep it simple. Most days I carry the hip pack and use the tippet tender pocket and/or shirt pockets. This system gives me great flexibility to carry as much or little as I'll need and puts the essentials in front for quick easy accessibility.

 

[Wulff]

For out wedding anniversary, my wife just bought me the Eddie Bauer Adventurer Lumbar pack. Absolutely awesome. It's got a place for everything, and has enough room for lunch and a small camp stove and pot. Two external straps underneath hold my rain jacket. And the foam fly patch is moveable...I can put it on the inside or outside of the bag. I love this thing.

 

[Aducker]

I have an LLBean fishing back pack that I bought last year. I don't think they offered it this year. I can't find it on their website now or I would post a link.
I used it a lot this year and like it. It's about the size that you show in your 2nd picture.
I keep extra boxes of flies in it, water, food, rain jacket. Some other stuff. It has a holder on the side to keep a rod/tube in if I'm hiking long distance and don't want to carry it. It has a pouch for a water bladder too which is nice. Lots of pockets.

I actually used it one day when I hiked all day into a stream and kept my pocket rocket camp stove and cook pot in it. Ate a nice lunch right by the stream.

I also use a small joesph chest pack while using the backpack for the stuff I use a lot so I don't have to go in the back pack when I'm standing in the stream.

 

[jeremymcon]

That Eddie Bauer pack looks pretty nice. May have to look into that one at some point.

 

[Wulff]

I'm telling you - it's comfortable, has room for everything, and durable as hell.