Vest vs Pack

[marcq]

simple enough what do you use. I've have a pack and its finally time to get something new. personally I have never used a vest. I like the pack and the amount of storage you have. what do you guys think?

 

[JackM]

I have a vestpack now.

 

[CathyG]

I prefer a vest to a chest pack, its just more comfortable to me. That said I prefer minimalist whenever possible. I use a lanyard with a small homemade fly box (a Sucrets box with a business card magnet glued to the lid for nymphs) and usually a waist pack with it. I sometimes wear the waist pack as a sling pack.

The Sucrets box also holds an extra leader, indicators, and some split shot. In addition to the box, the lanyard holds tippet, nippers, forceps, frogs fanny, and has foam for dry flies.

I don't like a lot of stuff weighing me down and the more room for stuff you have the more you'll carry.

When brookie fishing a small stream I usually just use the lanyard.

 

[troutpoop]

I'm a pack guy but the guys I fish with all use vests. You are gonna have to solve that one for yourself.

 

[dryflyguy]

I still use a shorty vest, because I like to fish large streams and wade deep.

When I first started fly fishing 30+ years ago, many of the guys I fished with used chest boxes. And I tried their's on quite a few times.
And I just didn't like having those boxes sitting in one area on my chest - right where I'm constantly looking down, and constantly changing flies - and, hopefully, unhooking fish.

Most fishermen now use chest packs, but I doubt that I would like fishing with one of those for the same reason.
It seems to me that a vest spreads things out more - which is what I like

 

[poopdeck]

Vest. I don't carry much so storage is never an issue.

 

[crs2006]

So I have an odd take on this. I hunted for the perfect solution as I wade in places that arent too friendly and carry gear for multiple species and usually more than one person

I use a military style MOLLE sling pack with some added pouches and whatnot.

I took a year fine tuning this thing. It will hold

Fly boxes up to two boat boxes
extra reels
an extra rod
terminal tackle
Sink tips leader kit and tippet
Tools
knife
Net
Food/ 3 L water/ layering if needed
A full field medical kit (first aid and trauma)
TP
Camera
Net

I can access all tools and terminal tackle without moving the pack, while having access to every pocket when I swing it around front. I could switch rods completely if I wanted while standing in the middle of a river without ever taking the pack off. The weight is situated that I hardly notice it, and since its modular, I can remove components, reconfigure them, and create a minimalist pack for quick trips where only the bare essentials are needed.

 

[Pghtrouthunter]

Pack! Vests are dead....

Once you go pack you'll never go back!

 

[streamerguy]

Pack all the way. Never going back to a vest

My current pack is a Fishpond Waterdance Guide Pack, and the one I had before that was a Fishpond Arroyo Chest pack(which I used as a waist pack). Overall I just like the packs better because they are out of the way. When I used to use a vest I was pretty much a walking fly shop and then some. With the pack I can stuff it to the max, and even use both water bottle holders and it'll sill be comfortable.

The only downside, as dryflyguy addressed, is you are not able to wade very deep without getting it wet. If you are wading deep you can simply shorten it or wear it as a chest pack, but I don't go in deep water very much, and if I do it's mainly just to cross the stream.

 

[tomitrout]

I'm back to a vest now, got a new one for Christmas! The old vest was a shorty from the 90's, nice but the new vests seem to wear nicer on the shoulders/neck. Also have a Fishpond lumbar pack that my girlfriend uses nowadays, it's good until you get into deeper water and works well for brookie fishin'. Was also using an old school canvas fishing bag for a couple seasons. It worked well, but got a bit heavy when I started lugging the DSLR out to the stream. Made for more than a few uncomfortable walks back into town from Bonnybrook, all that weight on one shoulder...so I dug the old vest out of the closet and am really looking forward to breaking in the new one. The chestpacks look decent, but I'm not sure I'd like the way they wear with the bulk right there out in front, same reason chestboxes never did much for me either.

 

[mattofcarlisle]

I spent 20 years in an old Columbia vest. I found it hot from May onward. Now I have three different packs, from a small Orvis that fits one box, all the way up to a chest/backpack thing that can hold all my boxes, a reel or two, and my raincoat. It all depends where I'm heading. If going to the LeTort or the Run in Boiling Springs, I just use my lanyard w/ a small Morell box in my pocket. If I'm heading out for a day on the Little J, I go loaded for bear...

 

[marcq]

I was actually looking at tge fishpond lumbar guide pack. I like the fack that its water proof and just one big pocket with a bunch of tabs for tippet. I am really looking for something that I can use for fresh and salt and I think thats it. I am trying to minimize what I bring out with me when I hit the surf.

 

[scotto]

Patagonia Atom Sling Pack!

 

[RCFetter]

Lanyard and waist pac, a very small waist pac.

 

[allan_s]

I have a fishpond waist pack. I completely submerge it all the time, as long as you have waterproof fly boxes you should be good. They dry very quick.

The guide packs are obnoxiously large, for real. You would be better off getting a waterproof backpack.

I can fit two large c&f fly boxes, a bottle of water and a sandwich in mine. Tippett, clippers and floatant I just clip them to the outside of my pack for easy access.


BLUE RIVER CHEST/LUMBAR PACK is the name of the one I went with.

 

[just_jon]

It depends. For several hours on small mountain, I use a Filson waist pack. For longer day trips where deep wading is not required, I will carry my Umpqua 500 lumbar pack along with my Richardson box. When wading deep water is required, I will pair my Richardson with a Filson strap vest.

 

[MrMustard]

My normal set up is a WJ current check pack with a small hydration backpack. 1.5 L water bladder, a sandwich, flask, knife and headlamp go in the hyrdation pack. I can also stuff a packable rain jacket in there if I want.

I purchased a hip pack to use steelheading this fall, mainly becuase I dont like having a chest pack in the area I'd prefer to put a fighting butt. Not sure if I really like it though.

 

[BFazz]

Pack.

I had the fishpond waterdance guide pack and piney creek tech pack. I used the guide pack for normal fishing and the tech pack when I was hiking/fishing all day. Now, I have sold both of those packs and use a sling pack. I can carry enough gear for a day trip or very little for just a few hours of fishing. Regardless, it distributes the weight well and I like how everything is kept behind me and out of the way.

 

[DGC]

crs2006 wrote:

I use a military style MOLLE sling pack with some added pouches and whatnot.

what brand and model is this? thanks.

 

[kbobb]

For me the only danger with a veset is it has so much room I tend to overload it and it weighs down on my neck and shoulders after a long day. The chest pack is nice cause it makes you limit your stuff and is avaialble right on the front. Tried a butt pack and hated it - always trying to swing the thing around to get stuff - ended up wearing it on the front anyhow.