vest or packs

[hunter1]

I have both, I lean towrds a vest, carrys a of equipment, probably i carry way to much stuff. I'v used a pack but seems to get in the way. What do other fly fishers use and why.

[Halliday]

I have been using a sling pack this year and for certain situations its the ticket. It allows me to pare down to the essentials with enough room for the right stuff. Also, having the right vest is nice as well....... I think having both is nice.

[Kevin]

I have vests, full packs and a sling pack and use the sling pack 95% of the time. With the addition of a lanyard for hemos, clippers and stuff you use all the time, a sling pack carries enough for the vast majority of trips. Its easier to get around not lugging too much stuff.

[littlej81]

I love my pack. Carries more than enough and rides high and dry!

[littlej81]

How did a protractor get in my trunk?

[Caleb]

I love my pack. Carries more than enough and rides high and dry!

I use that same exact pack. A few places had them on closeout a month or so ago for $59. That's when I got mine. Got tired of getting my waist pack soaked.

[Johnny Utah]

i rock a fishpond wasatch vest in the late fall to early spring. Its adds an extra layer, and the back pack on it is great for stashing food, drink, extra socks, hand and feet warmers. It has way to many pockets for me though, as i am always packed light. For the late spring, to early fall, i rock a fishpond blue river pack. Its a lombard pack, but i wear like a messenger bag and it rest on my right rear flank. I really like the pack as i can carry all need, and its light, and the way i wear it, it stays out of the way. Plus its easy to get on and off and i can easily hold it up out of water for deep crossings.

[wingnut]

I have a Simms pack that I bought last year. I holds a tone of stuff and is easy on my back. It does tend to get in way. Before the pack I always wore a vest. A loaded vest would give me lower back pain after a long day of fishing but I do miss how fast you could find things in the vest.

[BrownChickenBrownTrout]

I have a William Joseph chest pack with magnetic closure. Love it. I can wear it really high to keep it dry, the front opens and becomes a shelf for working, and if you want you can extend the neck strap and it becomes a sling bag.

Only downside, if you overfill it it doesn't close well. Somewhere on the SBR there's a brand new wp fly box that I watched float away from me by time I realized it had fallen. If you found it, your welcome!

[KPitt]

I use a regular backpack. Regular in that I spent a lot of time going through backpacks to find one the right size with the correct layout of pouches and pockets. I do not like vests unless I am drifting in which case I have a Stearns inflatable. The chest packs were just cumbersome and restrictive in my opinion so I went with a regualar pack. I clipped zingers onto the straps for leader etc. and it has room for a 3 litre hydration bladder.