What is your...ALL TIME favorite Chest, Hip, Sling, Vest ?

[BruceC2C]

I am very happy with my new Umpqua Chest Pack...however I know there will be days when I want to fish " ultra light".

I went digging thru my collection of 1,957 packs to find my beloved William Joseph Amp ChestPack with the Magnetic Closure.

Originally, I was very hesitant about the "gimmicky" magnet, fearing it might b weak & insecure.

Turns out, I was wrong.

VERY secure.
VERY practical. Simply F'ing GREAT!!

Without question...
My ALL TIME FAVORITE.❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Let's hear your candidates, pls.

 

[Terry Murphy]

Steamboat ZS is my favorite. Hardly know it is even on and lots of storage.

 

[wildtrout2]

I'm partial to my basic Simms vest. It holds all my stuff nicely, with enough pockets to make for convenient access. I clip my rod tube to the back ring, and the zippered back storage holds lunch and a light jacket, if needed.

 

[Mike]

I prefer something in the general style of a over the shoulder pocketbook that hangs down by the top of my hip opposite the shoulder where the strap is resting…in essence a thick, military grade, canvas shoulder bag with a cover, sometimes water resistant, that flips over the entire top of the bag and secures with a single strap or military clasp. The main compartment has to be zipper-less, as I want easy access and no binding of a plastic zipper and no cross-threading or eventual wearing out of said zipper. Such bags last through about 30 yrs of hard use. The only disadvantage is that it sometimes gets wet on the bottom if I wade a little too deeply. I have usually seen these at Army Navy surplus stores.

 

[rancid waders]

An early model of a small Simms hip pack, it was orange on inside with 2 external pockets. Would love to have another. Small and light.

 

[joebamboo]

Fishpond Thunderhead hip pack.

 

[Bamboozle]

I haven't worn a vest since the late 1980's/early 1990's so I have a lot of different set-ups depending on what I am fishing for and how I am fishing.

Excluding all of the different bags & pouches I use for conventional fishing, Tenkara, microfishing and my super cool fancy Meiho tackle box that I use when bait fishing; when I fly fishing for trout I use two things:

1. A classic English 13" canvas & leather Chapman Troutbeck fishing bag that I use when fishing small wild trout streams. This bag contains ONE 4" fly box.

2. A regular LE style duty belt with a MOLLE/PALS webbing to which is attached several small MOLLE pouches to hold and organize my gear. This belt is used with my Richardson Chest Box.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

I still have a Thunderhead hip pack that looks new! I don't use it except in the summer when I am wet wading or when fishing small creeks.

I am fine with the small Orvis Sling, but I want the old version that went over the other shoulder. I think I am in the minority, at least by Orvis marketing team's standard?

I tried to trade jifigz this summer for his older model, and he wouldn't do it!

 

[Boulders]

Richardson Chest Fly Box, 4 tray with the harness I can easily attached my net.

 

[Swattie87]

LLBean Kennebec (original one), not the waterproof one. Wish I had bought two. Good sized backpack for all day outings away from the vehicle and just enough up front storage that you don’t have to get into the backpack for changing flies/tippet/etc. Very heavy duty suspension, zero weight on your shoulders.

Mine is about 10 years old now, starting to show a little wear. If anyone has one in good condition they want to unload, I’ll pay a more than fair price for it.

 

[bringthepain]

I still have a Thunderhead hip pack that looks new! I don't use it except in the summer when I am wet wading or when fishing small creeks.

I am fine with the small Orvis Sling, but I want the old version that went over the other shoulder. I think I am in the minority, at least by Orvis marketing team's standard?

I tried to trade jifigz this summer for his older model, and he wouldn't do it!

I have the newer version of the orvis that goes over MY left shoulder, i sold a fishpond and a patagonia sling because they both went over MY right shoulder which is a problem casting right handed. I assume you must be left handed? I think there are just more right handed people than left overall hence the switch by orvis

 

[Nymph-wristed]

I have the newer version of the orvis that goes over MY left shoulder, i sold a fishpond and a patagonia sling because they both went over MY right shoulder which is a problem casting right handed. I assume you must be left handed? I think there are just more right handed people than left overall hence the switch by orvis

I think I am a left-hander who went to Catholic elementary school... I cast right but there are many things that feel more comfortable going left. I owned the last pack for a decade, so I think it was muscle memory and hard to retrain. I have had the left shoulder bag at least two years too, I bet!

 

[fcarp]

Am I allowed 2? If not, pick one from these 2: the Patagonia work station - fits a few boxes and a few other things. Great for wade sessions where I don’t need to carry much. If not, Patagonia made this vest pack/backpack deal that’s no longer available but it carries as much as my simms vest but is way more comfortable.

 

[lars]

this vest has been fishing with me since the late 70's. i haven't found a better way to carry as much as it does. it was custom made by the wife of the Angler's Pro Shop owner, Christy VanDyke. she made about a dozen of them and created the pocket sizes to fit the Cortland ultra light fly boxes of that era. It's getting pretty shaggy and has lots of repairs to keep it going. I'd love to find someone to make me a replacement.

 

[Boulders]

this vest has been fishing with me since the late 70's. i haven't found a better way to carry as much as it does. it was custom made by the wife of the Angler's Pro Shop owner, Christy VanDyke. she made about a dozen of them and created the pocket sizes to fit the Cortland ultra light fly boxes of that era. It's getting pretty shaggy and has lots of repairs to keep it going. I'd love to find someone to make me a replacement.View attachment 1641234091

Awesome, that is a classic with so many stories. Don't wash it, it's perfect!

 

[lars]

Awesome, that is a classic with so many stories. Don't wash it, it's perfect!

Actually, that is washed! 🙂

 

[sandflyx]

A few of mine

 

[salmo]

Last year I ditched my vest. Purchased the Orvis chest pack. So far I really like it. No more two handed self pat down and looking in 12 different pockets. The pack actually made me reduce and organize the stuff I bring with me. I like to cover lots of ground when I fish and I find it slightly more comfortable.

 

[bugs4]

I've been through more different vests and packs that I can count and am still searching for the perfect setup. This is getting a pretty hard look for this season.

Cross-Current Chest Pack | Fly Fishing

The Cross-Current Chest pack is designed to keep all your essentials and boxes organized, keeping them high on your body at the ready. When the fishing is hot there is a lot going on and you have to be able to multitask to keep up with all the activity. The Cross-Current Chest pack is designed...

fishpondusa.com

 

[ROVERT]

I most recently switched to an Umpqua wader chest pack and really like it. I can attach it to whatever size backpack is appropriate. That is just a small Camelback hydration pack most of the time. It is designed to go on wader straps so no pack at all is needed if you're wearing chest waders.

Before this I was using a molle chest rig with a hydration pack and different pouches attached to the molle webbing. It was super comfortable but the Umpqua gives me more versatility in terms of how much I want to carry.

Everything thing before that (vests/sling packs) caused much more neck and shoulder fatigue than something with real backpack shoulder straps.