It's been ages since I've posted something. Family priorities and the weather have been keeping me off the water. If you've been following my blog for the last year or so you know I've been trying to find the perfect fishing pack. I tried several different fishing packs. Some were hip packs, chest packs and finally sling packs. All had their pros and cons but one stood above the rest. What's funny is the pack was suggested to me long ago by Mike from Mike's Gone Fishing. We were discussing fishing gear and I was pondering the Vedavoo. While we talked more he asked if I checked out Patagonia's Stealth Atom Pack. I looked into it more and the pack looked to be the same as the Orvis Guide Sling pack. The difference was it was about $50 less. I liked that it was the sling style and had plenty of storage and a place for a water bottle. I didn't want to give this pack a review until I tested it thoroughly. I can honestly say after almost a year that this pack is the best I've ever owned. It does pretty much everything I want. The storage is amazing. The large pocket can hold two large Cliff Bugger Barns as well as another small fly box. The smaller pocket can hold another fly box and there's inner compartments for tippet, dry shake and other things. There's also a inside waterproof pocket for your cell phone and keys. I first thought I'd never use this but it's already come in handy a few times when I had unexpected swims. There's one inside pocket that's lined with felt I'm guessing for sunglasses or a GPS. Anything that has a screen you don't want scratched. The strap that goes across your chest has a pocket that can hold a small knife or fishing license. Here's a video that goes over the pack a little more.
For me this pack is perfect. I can hold a bass box with large flies as well as small trout boxes. The pack is comfortable to wear but I do find the second strap is almost useless. It's supposed to provide extra support and keep the pack from sliding around. The pack fits fine without it and I leave the second strap unclipped 99% of the time. The water bottle section can be adjusted and perfectly holds a 32oz Gatorade or Powerade bottle. I've used this pack at the beach and in the mountains. It performed perfectly. I can't find anything wrong with it. If you're looking for a great sling pack and don't want to break the bank check the Patagonia Stealth Atom Pack out.
