Which is the Best: Hip Pack, Vest, Sling, or Backpack?
Often times, many fly anglers tend to pack a lot more than the essentials for a fly fishing outing. Whether it's a backcountry day trip or an all-day slab fest in the middle of an urban fishery, all of us are overpacking...
We all know we do it, and we know why we do it.
There’s a confidence that comes with carrying four fly boxes- three of them filled with bugs that we know we’re not going to use. There’s also a comfort in knowing that you’ll be able to carry a slick rain coat when the sky opens up, or have a place to store that mid-layer when the temps start rise. Not to mention something to drink and eat, or whatever else you may need for your adventure.
What works best to fulfill the needs of a versatile fly angler? Hip pack, sling, or chest pack? Vest?
Are there advantages to one over another?
My answer for all of the above is yes.
Hip packs, sling packs, chest packs, vests and backpacks are all the best. WTF? How can this be?
It’s entirely dependent on the person, the gear, the fishing trip, and what you need for that trip. I was constantly reminded by my father, “better safe than sorry”, and I take that with me when I'm packing for a trip. I’d rather have more stuff than not enough when a situation arises. Are you going into the backcountry? Do you carry a medkit? It’s not a bad idea when you're leaving cell service. Sometimes fly fishing will take you to amazing places where you may encounter things and creatures that can cause you bodily harm, so having some first aid doesn't hurt. And what about things essential to catching fish? Tippet, leaders, floatant, indicators, flies? How about a net? We need a place to stow all that gear comfortably and enable us to be one with the universe- or at least comfortable enough to cast a line and reel in a fish.
Sling packs
Sling packs are an incredibly easy way to stow fly fishing gear. Many manufacturers have been producing these bags for nearly a decade with features that make an outing easy. With a basic sling pack there’s usually a large main pocket that can stow everything you need, but sling pack iterations from all of the main fly fishing gear companies have specific storage options for specific items - tippet, water bottles, attachment points for anything that goes on a zinger, and net storage. With all that innovation, this style of bag is probably one of the most popular options out there, and for good reason. There’s a lot of real estate and convenience to having everything in a relatively small and light bag.
But, as with most gear, there are some negatives:
- Strain on the shoulder and neck
- Lack of separate pockets for specifics
- Too many straps/poor strap management
Strain on the shoulder is my biggest complaint with these bags. If you’re hiking and spending a lot of time on the water with a lot of gear, the shoulder area where your pack is slinged starts to ache, and you’ll feel how tense your neck and shoulder are get when you get home.
Lack of pockets for specific gear is just one of those things that doomsday packers like me will always suffer from. This really isn’t that big of deal, but I always end up wishing there was another pocket for something.
Too many straps, or poor strap managment, is an incredible irritant for me. When companies started to try and work out the first issue (shoulder and neck strain) they introduced another strap that goes across your body. This is supposed to help secure the pack and prevent movement while your waking, hiking, or bushwaking. Does it work? Sure. Is it convenient? Not for me. I hate constantly clipping and unclippng crossbody straps, and all the extra straps that dangles tends to get in the way. It seems like fly line always finds a way into those strap tag ends and causes short casts and tangles that takes time away from fishing.
Does this rule the sling pack out as an option entirely? Of course not. On days where the gear thats needed is minimal, and the trekking is easy, I've found that the sling pack can be a great choice.
Hip Packs
These are probably one of my favorite pieces of kit for fishing. They might be a little smaller in size when compared to the sling, but I feel like they have a greater sense of organization (that’s not to say that they're all smaller than a sling pack- there’s a few out there that are actually pretty sizable).
The greatest part of the hip pack is that you’re carrying the weight of your gear on your hips instead of your shoulders and neck. This inflicts a lot less stress on your body and gives you some extra comfort. As with most sling packs, hip packs are going to give you enough space to keep everything you need for a day of fishing, easily packed. Some of these options have great ergonomics and multiple, well-placed pockets for stowing different gear. With my Orvis hip pack, I have enough space to carry multiple fly boxes, leaders, floatant, and it comes with a tippet bar. Another big plus with the Orvis pack is the ability to carry a net within the belt of the pack, which is incredibly handy if you like using mid-length nets.
With most of the advantages being spoken for, let's point out the negatives.
With my Orvis hip pack the belt doesn’t always stay cinched, so you’ll eventually be wearing it down around your knees if you don’t police the belt regularly. I've primarily used the Orvis hip pack, so I can't say if this issue persists with other brands, but you can imagine the frustration. Another issue you might run into is space. While there’s a myriad of styles and sizes of hip packs, you can really only carry but so much. My Orvis can pack a good amount, but with other brands you might need to supplement your kit with a backpack, especially if you’re needing to hike in additional gear. You’ll really need to inspect these bags to make sure you’re getting everything you need out of a hip pack.
Vest
The classic fly fishing vest. They come and they go, and then they show up again. This is a classic piece of fly fishing gear that a lot of people picture when you say 'fly fisherman'. My personal experience with fly fishing vests has been mixed. I’ve owned a Fishpond Ranger that I used on and off for a few years, a Umpqua ZS2 Overlook, and I just recently purchased the Patagonia Stealth Pack Vest that I just love.
In my experience with vests, I’ve found that there can be way too much, or truly not enough. With the Fishpond Ranger I found that it was too much, meaning there were too many features, and too many pockets that really didn’t have any purpose for me and my angling needs. The Umpqua had a small footprint, great aesthetics, and some functionality, but it felt like it was always in the way and their net holder wasn’t the easiest to use. The Patagonia has really made the fishing vest worth my while. It’s well thought out, the pockets are placed in convenient places, the storage is more than ample and it’s size is perfect for the wading angler. In my goldilocks scenario, its the porridge that's just right. To put it simply, it just works, and I will probably use this for many years to come. By the way- I’ve sold off the Fishpond and will have the Umpqua up for sale soon.
Backpacks
Have a big backcountry fly fishing adventure on the books? Are you going to be lugging in camping gear? Any time you're bringing a lot more than fishing gear, you should probably be looking for a solid backpack. The right backpack can store your camping gear (tents, food, etc.), angling gear, and whatever else you may need. How far you're going and how much you're bringing with you will determine the size and style of backpack to best suit your trip.
When it comes to storing a lot, backpacks are great, but I tend not to utilize them on day trips or instances where less gear is needed. In my experience, they can get in the way and aren't always as easily accessible as some of the other options out there.
All in all, there are advantages and disadvantages to every pack style. The best option is dependant upon your needs, and the size of your adventure.