Orvis Guide Sling Pack

[briansII]

This is just like Orvis' sling pack. Which one is better do you think?

I tried on the Orvis, and didn't care for it. That was in the store, with nothing in it. It might be fine loaded up with stuff. I did not care for the camo color though.

briansII

So what did I do? Bought the camo colored one.

I like the Patagonia Atom Stealth Sling, but it was clear, it's small size would not pack much. Perfect for a day on the river, but when I went to the river to try different spey heads, AND fish, I was running out of room for everything. The Orvis Guide(larger version of the sling pack) pack is bigger, and will hold just about everything I need for a day on the river. I have not come close to filling it yet, but plenty of fly boxes, spools, spey heads, water bottle, samich, camera, GoPro, etc....etc..... The hemostat holder is a nice touch. Two separate zip pockets in the main compartment will come in handy. Two other separate compartments will help keep the smaller items from ending up in the bottom of the main compartment. There's a magnet to keep the nippers from dangling/swinging around. All nice touches.

However, IMHO, it's not a perfect pack. The shoulder strap is not as comfortable as the Patagonia. I find the Orvis does not fit quite as well either. To keep it feeling secure to my shoulder, I need to tighten the shoulder strap so it's snug. When I do that, the pack does not rotate to the front easily, and then it sits high on my chest. A bit hard to get stuff out with it that high. If I loosen the strap before I rotate it to the front, things work much easier. Also, the pack doesn't sit perfectly level on my chest, like the Patagonia pack. I would like to see a sleeve/separator in the main compartment, like the Patagonia pack has. There is no inside, waterproof pouch. Wish the magnet for the nippers was on the shoulder strap, and not behind me on the pack. All these and a few more are minor nuisances. The ability to carry a bunch of stuff I really don't need, makes up to that. Once I treat it with a water repellent, I'll be ready for the upcoming winter season.




briansII

[briansII]

Update:

After several outings with this pack, I have some good and bad stuff to say about the pack.

Good. Once it's adjusted correctly, it's comfortable to wear for long-ish periods. The multiple compartments come in handy seperating my stuff. It's big enough that I can carry a lot of stuff. Water bottle holder is excellent. It can do double duty by holding a small item like floatant, or lighter. You can reach it without swinging the pack to the front. The hemostat pocket, with magnetic holder is a nice touch.

Bad. It holds a lot of stuff. I tend to over pack it because of that. Packed full, it is hard to access the main compartment. With the pack on your chest, the main compartment will collapse, not allowing easy access to all the stuff. I end up digging around, and "feeling" for that one item I want. Not fun when you are attempting a fly change while standing in the river. The center pocket does not collapse as bad, but trying to find something in the bottom is not easy. I don't like the location for nippers. It's a blind reach with my left hand, and I'm a righty. No little pocket on the shoulder strap for quick access to a small item.

Because of the compartment access issues, I will sometimes wade back to the bank and change flies there. Trying to do that in the river can be tricky. At times, I literally have to up end the whole compartment to reach what I'm looking for. Solving that issue is simple. Quit packing so much crap. That's one of the hardest things to do in fly fishing. I'm not, and can't, go back to a vest, so I'll be using the Orvis sling pack until I decide to replace it. The smaller, Patagonia sling packs I have will see more use in the future.

briansII

[stanbery]

Brian

Since you are a gear * just how many sling packs do you have? or have used over the years?

Jon

[briansII]

Brian

Since you are a gear * just how many sling packs do you have? or have used over the years?

Jon

3. 2 Patagonias, and a Orvis. I've tried on another 2-3. From using or trying those on, Patagonia has the ergonomics figured out. The new Simms was nice too.

briansII

[briansII]

Update #2

I used the pack this weekend, and loaded it with two bottles of bottled water, along with with the essentials. Not long after putting the pack on I noticed I was uncomfortable. The top of my right shoulder was starting to ache. After 20 minutes, it hurt to the point I was trying to adjust the pack so it would not put so much pressure in that area. Cinching it up tight helped a little, but it was still painful. I finally unbuckled the side strap and swung the pack to my front. That helped even more, but it was still hurting. Finally, I unloaded the water bottles and stuffed them in my pockets. That completely solved the problem.

This is the first time I loaded the pack this heavy. I've carried it from day one with one bottle of water and the essentials without any pain all day. When I need to carry extra water, I'm going with my backpack.....or shopping for a new sling.

briansII

[k9mark]

Go try on that new Simms Sling Pack. I tried it on and it felt very comfortable. There are two sizes. Im leaning more towards the smaller one. however I need to try them both again to see how my pistola fits in the one pocket on both.

[briansII]

Go try on that new Simms Sling Pack. I tried it on and it felt very comfortable. There are two sizes. Im leaning more towards the smaller one. however I need to try them both again to see how my pistola fits in the one pocket on both.

I've tried both on. I think the larger pack would suit my needs best. The backpack-like belly strap _might_ help distribute the weight better than the Orvis. I would need to try it with weight in the pack. The Patagonia Stormfront pack was very comfortable when I tried it on at the store, but I'll need to add weight to that one too. It's also 100% waterproof. Since I fish in the rain every season, it's high on the list. I didn't like the waterproof zippers though. They are a hard pull to get open.

briansII

[fshflys]

I just bought the Umpqua Ledges 650, waist pack, fits a ton of stuff, 3 compartments. I have 2 large fly boxes in 1 compartment, 3 medium boxes & 1 small box in the middle compartment & leaders & stuff in the 3rd. It has a shoulder strap that I attached my new Sierra-Nets net to. When you pull the pack around to the front, the net stays on your back. It has a beefy padded hip belt with aluminum stays & vent so your back doesn't get all clammy. I did find the should strap to be a bit constricting & seems to carry more of the weight than the hip belt, maybe I need to tighten the hip belt more. Another option would be to take my Simms shirt to a local tailor & have them sew on a strip on the back for a net holder, my cheaper Ex-Officio has one, why doesn't Simms. Then I could not use the shoulder strap.

https://umpqua.com/products/packs-and-b ... ist-pack-0

[k9mark]

I have the ledges 500 and I like it but the shoulder strap feels awkward. That and I cant seem to keep the belt strap tight. It just wants to keep loosening.

[Pete]

I just received my Vedavoo sling pack ( http://vedavoo.com/shopping/tightlines-sling-pack/ ) and it is the real deal. I did upgrade with the deluxe pouch but this thing was made for fly fishing. Only draw back I can see is there isn't a built in holder for a water bottle. But, with this pack being so comfortable I am sure I will work something out. Yes they are pretty expensive especially with the clips and deluxe pouch I added, but boy is it comfortable. Plus they are 100% US home grown so I'll pay a bit more.

I will probably get another pouch to switch out when I go from fresh to salt water. It would save swapping out stuff and forgetting that vital piece of gear.

[ashtree1]

I appreciate the review. After reading a while back honed in on it. I haven't loaded with water bottles yet. But so far so good. I did the same and packed extra baclavas, rain jacket, etc.. which made it also tough to rummage thru for flies and accessories. I like it alot, granted its only been a couple trips. Appreciate your post, and your info back in the day about millcreek, chocolate milk, and our royalty. It was cool out there today.Have a cool one.

[briansII]

Appreciate your post, and your info back in the day about millcreek, chocolate milk, and our royalty. It was cool out there today.Have a cool one.

That feeder creek spiked the other day and was dumping 1,800+ cfs of mud. The release from the dam was only 50 cfs, so I can just imagine what the river looked like. Several miles downstream where I live, the river finally had water all across the riverbed. For many months it was dry, or just a trickle through the sandy bottom. I'm sure it has receded today, but happy to get what we get this year.

Back on topic. I'm still using the Orvis sling, and like it. As long as I don't put a lot of weight in it, it works very well at holding stuff, and ok at organizing it. It's worked well enough that I have not bought anything to replace it.

briansII

[Baughb]

briansII,

I quit sling packs cuz of the net issue. Never figured out carrying a net at the same time. How do you do it? I have a belt net holder by Smith creek and I use that a lot but the pack kept knocking it around.

Bob

[briansII]

briansII,

I quit sling packs cuz of the net issue. Never figured out carrying a net at the same time. How do you do it? I have a belt net holder by Smith creek and I use that a lot but the pack kept knocking it around.

Bob

First off, Happy Birthday!

I thought about how to add a net while using a sling pack. I didn't see any clean, and easy way of do it. Hanging off the pack, it's going to tangle on something. Hanging off a tab on the back of your shirt will interfere with the sling pack sliding to the front. Some guys will strap it to the sling, but that limits access to the front pockets. Nets sitting on a shelf in the garage don't pose any of those problems.

I solved the net issue several years ago, by not carrying one anymore. I decided to simplify, and not take so much gear with me. Adding a must have wading staff meant something had to go. The net was an easy choice for me.

briansII