Fan-er Waist Pack Suggestions

[rkfiske]

For those of you fanny bandits, what pack do you guys use, do you like it, do you wish it had something, etc? The one I'm using just doesn't hold enough for me and I want to find something that can carry a bit more. As background this will most likely be for trout but I'd like it to adapt to whatever I'm doing if possible.

[FlyinFish]

Hey Ryan, want to buy a W&J backpack cheap?

[anacrime]

Get a backpack

[fflutterffly]

I have used three different ones and have found that a chest/backpack might be the way to go. Chest for easy access and backpack for the bigger stuff you seem to need.

As for fanny packs I like the Simms headwaters with the largest capacity. Problem: front flap opens towards body. should open away from body. Hold so much stuff! At the moment I'm using a Sage. Con: it 'falls away' from you making the zippers difficult to open, so I find myself fumbling for pockets.

I look for a few of the following:
Large pocket for fly boxes
water bottle pockets
lots of tie loops
small 'slit pockets' along the exteriour for quick access to floatant, chapstick, weights.

I haven't used a vest for over two years.

[1mocast]

Ask the Doc....Take a CLOSE look at his avatar shot.

[NorcalBob]

UMMMMM, we really don't want to take a close look at the good DR's avatar shot!!!!!!

[garyfly]

I purchased the white river chest pack from BPS. Fits everything and is easy to get at. Only downside is that it blocks line of site to your feet! You have to peer around the side of the bag, not terrible, but if I had to pick something to gripe about that would be it. I think I am going to look in to a laniard pretty soon. I find I end up having too much "stuff" with me.

Gary

[mtnguru]

The only specs I was looking for was a large capacity pack that had side pulls (stabilizers) to bring the weight of the pack "in" towards my lower back after it was fully packed. There's nothing worse than having a full or heavy load hanging loose behind your butt.

Mike is right on with this point, especially when fishing the local waters and all that boulder hopping. Having something bouncing around and throwing off your balance would not be good.

I use a Mountainsmith Lumbar pack and love it. The only issues I've had with it happens in some of the deeper crossings, the bottom of my pack tends to dip in the water. And with your....umm....stature it might be an issue. The pack I use also has a shoulder strap that I use occasionally also. http://www.rei.com/product/745643

With all that said, I have been looking into getting a smaller backpack, small enough from preventing me from bringing too much crap. But I do love my lumbar pack.

Chris

[tyingfool]

Just get yourself a Sherpa and a Lama. Sorry I could'nt help myself. I'm with the Guru there I kneel alot in the river and I forget about the pack and low and behold my darn sandwhich is wet. Just my two cents.

Thanks David

[rkfiske]

Thanks guys for the input, for those of you who have not met me, Chris is referring to my tall extremely muscular stature...

Or perhaps he's referring to my low center of gravity

In any case, i've used one before with the addition of a lanyard and it worked out ok but did not allow me to carry really anything at all with me. I have yet to find a chest pack that doesn't drive me insane but I have definitely thought about the backpack chest pack combo, it's just annoying as * to find my feet, and it also makes me feel like I'm doing a tour in afghanistan or something. Just too much bulk. If I could figure out some way to slimline that, maybe that would work. I think I'm just always going to be one of those guys that won't ever find something that fits me and my style of fishing perfectly.

If I were a woman, I'd have many purses

[FlyinFish]

My method is to put all my important stuff in my shirt pockets (any shirt with bellowed pockets). One pocket has a fly box, the other has 2 or 3 tippet spools, forceps, floatant, and sometimes splitshots and indicators sneak their way into there for some reason.

That's the stuff I need on the spot. The rest of the stuff like additional flies, bigger splitshots, other tippet sizes, leaders, etc all go in a small pocket in the backpack. The net hangs off the pack or my belt. The camera goes in the wader zipper or on the chest strap of the pack. And the nail clipper hangs off the shoulder strap of the pack.

I personally don't like vests and the way they sag. Everything I have in my pockets is relatively light. When I am going to fish a spot for a while, I'll put the pack down. I can go upstream a bit and I still have everything I need (except for the nail clippers which becomes my teeth). I can come back to the pack before I move on or for some water or food. This would work great at the lakes as well.

You're welcome to try the W&J pack next time we go out since I'm back to using my Osprey. If you need to figure something out for the GTW, we can hit a local sometime and give it a try.

[FlyinFish]

...In any case, i've used one before with the addition of a lanyard and it worked out ok but did not allow me to carry really anything at all with me...

Then you were doing something wrong. I'm betting you needed to pack for an overnighter and found out the hard way that lumbar packs can't carry a sleeping bag, bear canister, and self-inflating mattress.

What all do you want/or think you need to carry? I carry these things EVERY TIME... water filter bottle (remind me to tell you about my new-found love - the water filter straw), matches or a lighter, cell phone, wallet and keys - all in plastic ziploc bags. Sandwich, chips and cookies. Fly box and two extra tapered leaders or uni-thread leaders. Camera, tippet, hemo's, nippers are on two seperate lanyards. If the weather is inclement, I'll add a North Face waterproof shell to the mix. I can either stow it internally, or lash it to the undercarriage. Both ways work, and I still have about 400-500ci of room left in it.

Where does the flask go?!

[theophilus]

Ryan- I use two different lumbar packs,a small one by Sage, another larger one by Orvis. They have this feature in common- the belt can tuck into a pocket on the inside back, and with the included shoulder strap, they become much like the creel I used in my formative (bait dunkin") days. The lumbar pack/shoulder bag is the best arrangement I have found yet, out of the way when hiking, accessible when fishing.

Doug

[rkfiske]

...Where does the flask go?!

Against my lips.

That's what she said.

Anyways, thanks again guys. Mike, the issue with the one I have now is that it just isn't large enough to accommodate fly fishing stuff in addition to some food (and the bottle holder kind of sucks also). I just think it doesn't have enough room or is not implemented well. For those who are curious, I have the simms headwaters chest/hip pack. It's not the largest one they sell, so there's always the option to go up to the next size up (which incidentally has a better hipbelt it appears.) I also have been staring at the fishpond waterdance pack but have yet to actually see it in person. Seems alot of reviews of it are glowing, and say it has plenty of space, but looking at the cu. in., it's roughly the same as my simms. Most people seem to not have an issue with space in one, so either I am crazy or something isn't adding up right.

The larger size simms seems wonderful to me except it does not really have water bottle holders. I'd like to have at least one (for my filter bottle) and two would be even better since I often like to bring along a coke or adult beverage for lunch. Maybe Ariel can chime in. I just wish I could check out both these packs side to side but both marriotts and the spot don't seem to have them in right now. What am I to do?

Chris - I literally walked to REI just before I posted this and checked out the mountainsmith tour. It looks like a great lumbar but the issue for me is that it's basically just one really huge zippered compartment and that's about it. I kind of would like to have more organizational pockets inside to get my stuff a little better situated. It definitely is huge though, I could easily fit everything I want into that sucker.

[Rob909]

Ryan.....sounds like you may be in the market for a day pack.

Like many here I started with a vest, but then moved on to a lumbar pack. But the lumbar pack never felt quite right, so I abandoned it.

Now I use a lanyard with my tool essentials attached and I keep a flybox in each of my shirt pockets. Everything else (lunch, drinks, wallet, keys, first aid, etc.) goes in the daypack. It has really worked out well for me.

http://www.backcountry.com/store/review ... g-day-pack


Rob