Product Review - Patagonia Stormfront Hip Pack

It seems as though the quest for the best solution for carrying fly gear on the river is never-ending. Like many, I started with the ubiquitous "River Runs Through It" vest. But it wasn't long before I realized this just isn't the best solution, as many others have. Vests are too hot in the Summer, add another pointless layer in the Winter, and are just too tempting to load down with gear up to - and including - the kitchen sink.

OK, so now what? Where do you stash some flies, tippet, flies, bug dope, sunscreen, swivels, beads, and other hardware, and a pair of nippers. I started with a used Orvis backpack. Nice if you're doing a lot of hiking (for example in Steelhead Alley) but really more than I want to carry, plus this one's not waterproof. Wade any deeper than your waist and your gear gets a soaker.

Next up is an Orvis Safe Passage sling pack. Nice bag, well-designed, sits a bit higher up so it's out of the water. Only problem is, small capacity. It's OK for trout or smallies where I don't usually carry a ton of gear, but for a steelhead outing where I need a couple boxes of bugs, several weights of tipper, and a box of hardware its overflowing pretty quickly.

At a Fly Fishing Film Tour event, I won a Patagonia hip pack. This is the first bag that showed promise. Holds a lot of stuff. Very well organized. And, lots of attachment points to keep gear accessible. One problem. Also, not waterproof.  Don't have to get too deep before it gets a soaker.

Enter the Patagonia Stormfront hip pack. PERFECT! Just the right amount of carrying capacity. Simple zippered sections combined with an enormous main compartment. Lots of external lash points. And 100% completely and totally waterproof. Expensive? Yes, but it's Patagucci. I've come to learn that it's expensive because it's better. I'm told that the burly self-lubricating zipper is a large portion of that cost.

Yesterday bouncing around the Pere Marquette swinging for steel this bag was perfect! Held two fly boxes, two spools of tippet, and an assortment of sink tips. Another bonus is that I now have a good attachment point for my Ross Pescador pliers. I waded in well over my waist a couple of times without having to swing the pack out of the way. Nice!

One warning -- the zipper is waterproof ONLY if you zip it all the way to the end. The last inch or so is a "zipper dock" that seals it completely. Not a major issue. Unless you forget it...

Thank you, Patagonia. Once again you deliver a great product that totally meets the needs of its user.

-Sean-