Monday
Feb072011
New 2011 Patagonia Fishing Packs
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 12:01AM Jon Covich, Northwest fly fishing sales representative for Patagonia, details the new 2011 chest and waist packs from Patagonia.
Via: The Caddis Fly Shop
Reader Comments (9)
Call me crazy...and believe me I'm not trying to start anything. I'm quite sure that those nice folks at Pat have done all there marketing and demographics and such, but.
A 420 cubic inch Lumbar Pack does nothing for me. There are at least a few of us here who, when embarking on a fishing excursion of any kind, move up or downstream more than a stones throw from the car, returning at or after dark. My own experience will often put me miles into a drainage, and with that said, I need a system that I can rely on to carry EVERYTHING. I use a Lumbar Pack (waterproof !) coupled with a light weight fishing vest exclusively for all day trips (5 to 7 hours average)... difference is, mine is a more robust 1100+ c.i., not including exterior storage/securing capabilities.
With this said, I always get the "II would never carry/why do you want to carry/your crazy to carry that size of a pack" comments.
But, just ask the folks who have been grateful for the extra poncho/dry shirt/energy bar/sandwich/water/bandaid/matches etc, etc, that I have supplied, that they could not hope to fit in that fine...all be it, small, pack offered at Pat.
Where, you ask, did I find a Lumbar Pack to fit my needs, needs that have yet to be addressed by the Fly Fishing Industry? Why the Hunting industry of course!
Folks who Hunt seem to know what it's like to spend time doing the Sport they love, in all types of weather mind you, for extended periods, and not be bothered by finding your system was in-capable of covering your needs at any given time.
...and then there's the question of price.
Someone needs to tell these guys were not ALL making 6 figures and driving FJ's...
Yvon??...anyone? you listening??
I love Patagonia's stuff (clothing mostly) but these bags are pretty disappointing. They're bags with generic pockets in them. Are they bags for anglers or just bags that can be used by anglers? Nothing about the bags tells me that they were designed specifically for anglers. Unfortunately, this seems to be a common theme with too many companies out there. Man, I wish I could design products for people. Ok, I'll jump from my soap box now.
I used the sling pack down in Belize in November and thought it was great. It was easy to swing in front of me while re-rigging and get out of the way when I was done. It had enough space for flats fishing, although I certainly understand that it wouldn't work for an 8 hour day on a stream where you had layers and hiking to do, but that didn't feel like what it was designed for.
Looks like William Joseph's line, circa 2005. LOL!
@Bjorn, No disrespect but I think you're missing the point. It's not about the amount of gear that's carried but more about the design in general. Sure, I can get a fanny pack that carries enough for a day adventure and easily swivels for easy access. I think many people (myself included) would appreciate more companies thinking through the details on what would make for a convenient and efficient bag. Fisherman (whether they be salt, spey, etc.) usually only have a certain array of gear/items that they carry with them. Let's make fishing gear that has features discernible from any generic hip/shoulder/back pack. It seems like companies all too often get only the obvious. Fisherman carry fly boxes and all sorts of other stuff. We should probably have pockets on the bag to carry stuff like that. "Splashproof" zippers. Is there a fisherman on the planet that wouldn't mind keeping the contents of their bag dry? Let's pull out the thinking caps. If you make sick gear, people will want to use it!
Yeah - where's the cutting edge here? Such hype. 'Gonia rocks and I do love their stuff, but before you charge $200+ for a modern douchey wallet hip pack, maybe talk a bit more to your buyers. There is nothing new here. Waterproof is great, but c'mon with the pricing already. I guess it's to decrease their margins since they contribute to 1%.
@Nate - For me, the sling pack WAS efficient and convenient.
The sling pack that I got to play with was specific to fishing... when you opened the front pocket it had a little shelf for you to work on, which isn't "new" but is something I count as a must have in a pack. There was a really good spot for my pliers. Where to put the fly boxes and where to put the tippet was all pretty clear.
Patagonia, it seems, goes for clean and simple without bells and whistles. I recently got a chest pack from another company and it had zingers on the outside... well... thanks for trying, but I didn't need two zingers on the outside of the pack. I put my hemo's on one of them and it took about 2 trips for the zinger to break.
Jees - I totally forgot that the Chum is run by a 'Gonia sales rep - please disregard my previous rant. These bags look incredible and Patagonia is the true leader in fly fishing products. Their clean designs and forward thinking are a blessing to any hardcore angler.
Is Jon dying his hair? He looks like he lost weight.