Opinions: Chest Packs

i've owned my fair share of chest packs....

i currently have a william josepsh equinox, it's nice to wear if your gonna be out all day on the stream.  plus it's light as sh*t, and stores a sh*t load of stuff.

what features do i look for in a chest pack?  1.  it looks good.  2.  has enough room and is light, not a burden on my shoulders all day

willy joe also makes a lot of other nice chest packs too.  i know mr. loomis has a pretty nice willy joe one as well.

This is pack I bought three years ago, I like it for certain things, hate it for others.  Like any piece of equipment, It has its up's and downs.

Likes:

-It's roomy.  I can literally fit every gadget that I wont end up using ever in one of the billion compartments, and the backpack makes it nice to shed layers or carry food, or any other big items.  It is completely waterproof, so if u take a digger (which I do all the time) your extra things stay dry, if you carry a camera this is a nice feature.

-It has a pretty ergonomic design to it and is well made.  William Joseph collaborated with a mountain backpack company to design their bags, lots of technical features and very easy on the back area below the neck that begins to burn after having things hang on you, does that make sense?

-It has a nice metal brace with stiff mesh backing that keeps the pack off of your back a little bit, it makes it nice to evenly distribute the weight and keep the drag off of your shoulders, also nice when hiking. 

-Despite how big it looks, its actually pretty slim.  Makes brush travel pretty easy. 

-It's cool looking.  Not that I care about a fashion statement per se, but lets face it, their stuff is pretty gnarly and modern looking.

Dislikes:

-Zippers.  Wow, these things can get me real mad on a stream.  They make them with magnetic clip pockets now, but mine has zippers, 2 of them.  For one, tippet gets zipped in them and frayed, or stuck where the zipper handle is attached to, that little thingy is a real annoyance.  It's hard to reach for them when they are at the lowest point, trying to hold a fly rod, a shot dispenser and digging for that sucker spawn you know you have in that one pocket.  Now you gotta reach across your body and look like the kid you made fun of when you asked him if he could bite his ear on the school bus; Karma is a mother.

-Stuffed Pockets.  How much is too much?  If you have three fly boxes in each of the three compartments they better be pretty slim profiled, good luck stuffing three morells or god forbid 2 scientific angler plastic boxes, they are a real task to get out.  Also, small stuff can get buried underneath in there, and has potential to fall out because you have to open it the entire way and it folds out to a workstation, you gotta be careful.

-Bulk.  I know I said that it was spacious, and roomy, but only in certain situations.  If you are fishing on a cold day, you are gonna need to bundle up.  I'm a big dude, so this thing gets about skin tight when im all eskimoed, and forget the ergonomics.  Sometimes i just lay it on the bank because I can't take the shoulder/back fatigue.

-High sticking.  This thing will get in your way like mad.  The two big compartments on the front kind of rest on your chest, limiting your range of motion.  It gets old pretty darn fast.

-Friends.  I have no problem helping someone out.  But picture this.  Its 30 degrees in the Am and warming up to 50.  Your friend gets hot.  He has a sweatshirt to take off and nowhere to put it.  Then he wants his SLR Camera to not get wet.  Then he breaks his tippet, since your bag is so big, you gotta have an extra spool, your only 50 yards downstream, so you can meet him half way for 20 inches of tippet.....I think you can see where im going with this....


I think all chest packs have the same purpose, but for all intents and purposes, I can't recommend the Willy J escape to anyone....

I have since scrapped the idea of a chest pack and went bare bones with just the wading jacket...the only case is when I am going to be gone alllll day and fishing somewhere that I need to take a lot of terminal tackle with me, Erie is not one of them.  I can't justify parking at Walnut Creek Marina, putting this thing on looking like i'm about to climb everest, then walking 20 feet to the stop sign hole....but they are nice for certain purposes.

the one i have is top right picture on this website.  Clear Creek brand.
 
http://www.redshedflyshop.com/vestchestpacksglovessocks.html
 
its basic, but gets the job done.  It might not be the best color unless fishing during deer season.

HC, that's a really sweet pack.  i am not a fan on hydration packs.  does it say if it's removeable?

There will be at least ONE given away at the "One Fly"  probably loaded with gear.  But I'm just guessing.

 Be careful laying it on the bank.
 
That's how mine got stolen, loaded with all my gear, three flyboxes,  tippets,forceps, etc. Not 10 yards from where I was, on a little East side creek.I still get ****ed when I think about all the flies I lost, not to mention the WJ pack, which was a gift from my son.
 
The WJ brand is quality stuff though. Really liked mine. I had the small one, no back pack. 
 
 
fmp
 
 

i used to use a vest but i got a chest/backpack.. and ill never switch.. only advantage i couple think of over a vest is the amount of stuff you can pack into them without creating to much forward bulk.. plus a chest pack doesnt get in the way of casting.. i fish all day so i love my chest for holding food and drink

agreed... or a fifth!
 
Loomis didn't think I could finish the whole bottle in 6 hrs of erie and he sure was wrong.. the ride home was full of zz's though.

I have one from cabelas i got 4 years ago. A discontinued model got for only $20.00 I can have everything I need in front of me with easy access,and pack a lot of other stuff in the back pack part. I try to make front and back as balanced out as possible. I like it and have no problems fishing with it on all day. If I pack to much weight in the back I can usually get rid of it(drink it,eat it) if I need to. When the water is cold enough you just tie a stinger on to your six pack and good to go. Just dont forget to walk off without it. Someone will be thankfull you did.

ORIGINAL: jimhalupka

agreed... or a fifth!

Loomis didn't think I could finish the whole bottle in 6 hrs of erie and he sure was wrong.. the ride home was full of zz's though.

you definitely bring a new meaning to the word trooper.

Gander mountain has some cheap packs that hold a ton of junk. Think I paid 30 bucks for it. They just redesigned their pack, not quite as roomy but it seems better built. We'll see, haven't used it yet. The old style I've worn out 2 of them already. But that's because I'm mental and carry enough gear to last a "normal" duud 10 years of fishing.

Good thread. Insightful and educational. I was wondering about them too. Thanks peoples!

ORIGINAL: anadromous

Whorvis makes a sling pack that is pretty slick... You don't have the bulk around your chest, it never gets in your way and it is very comfortable.
http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=96Y1

i believe that pack is about 10 dollars cheaper at ligonier outfitters too.  nice pack

i don't see a pocket for your scotch

i have a small orvis pack for small waters and hatch matching!

Anadromous goes old school stylish.