In the run-up to any destination angling trip, lots of attention gets paid to which fishing gear to bring along. Rods, reels, lines, waders, raincoats, pliers…all that stuff is really important of course, but bringing along a few key non-fishing items can make your trip just a little more enjoyable.
Here’s our top 5.
- Disposable pre-moistened lens cloths. They’re the easiest way to keep your glasses and your camera lenses clean. We like these by Zeiss
. Bonus: they cost 10 cents a piece. Make sure the wipes and the wrapper wind up in the trash!
- Lip balm. Everybody remembers sunscreen, but your lower lip can take quite a beating from the sun. Here’s one option from Neutrogena
. A split bottom lip is not a badge of honor.
- Wet wipes. Equally useful for washing your hands before meals, and on those occasions when nature calls in the middle of your fishing day. Here’s a travel pack
.
- Boat towel. Tidy up your boat, clean off your cork, get gunk off your fly line, and more. The Wonder Cloth Boat Towel is machine washable too.
- Waterproof First Aid Tape. It’s the perfect solution for covering up line cuts. We like the 1/2″ wide version
– 1″ is a little too bulky.
What other handy items do you bring along on your trips? Leave us a comment and let us know.
3.5; addendum to the Alaskan AMK: http://www.drillspot.com/products/465098/Off_Deep_Woods_OFF!_Wipes_Insect_Repellent
Don’t forget the peanut butter and bacon sandwiches! Good packable protein and water necessities!
What, no flask?
Little green tin of Bag Balm.
Visene.
Extra can(s) of Skoal.
Caribiner(s). Clip your daypack or water bottle or anything else to the boat / raft.
Ziplock bags. A couple each in gallon and quart sizes.
Leatherman tool
Lip balm
Beer koozie
I always bring a pair of slippers (TOMS) with me for around camp/lodge/airplane. I used to just wear flip flops, but slippers keep your feet away from bugs and sun better. Better around dirt too. Ok, you can start making fun of me now, but I will be laughing at your cold, dirty, bug bitten, sunburned, ugly feet later.
one good idea on the boat towel is to use it to line the bottom of your duffle bag. That way if your bag get set down in water or, worse, on something sharp, you protect the contents of the bag.
Everyone should have these KytoStat Bandages intheir first aid kits.
A new high-performance bandage made from the same blood-stopping technology the U.S. Army uses to save lives on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq is now available to the public.
When in direct contact with blood and pressure is applied, the KytoStat Bandage does what traditional bandages do not — stops stubborn bleeding while sealing and protecting the wound.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1320362/bloodclotting_bandage_a_good_addition_to_first_aid_kit/index.html
best friends, log of chew, handle of bourbon, some testosterone and possibly an ipod?
1.cigars, because, nobody will mind your smoke.
2.windproof lighter, plenty of fuel.
3.Black Jack Whiskey.
A clear topped dry box from Pelican for (license, matches, wallet, extra boat plug). Second I can’t tell you how many times I was glad to have a headlamp with me. Last I use an old coffee gunney sack. It is great for garbage and it can be used season after season.
I never travel without dermaplast it’s first aid in a can, 20% Benzocaine. For Bug bites, burns, cuts and scrapes the spray quickly puts out the pain and it covers the wound with a protective covering, available in any Pharmacy for about $8.00 priceless when it saves your vacation.
Great idea, Robert – thanks for the comment!
extra bulb and batteries for head lamp, extra pair of polarized glasses, reading glasses for ease when tying flies and knots in low light for the over 50 crowd, UV Knot Glue and lamp, super glue, plumbing and electrical tape.
Good whiskey, good cigar and warm clothes just in case…I do most of my fly fishing in the colder months…less traffic.
When I caught my first 10+ pound (est.) largemouth bass on a flyrod I had no recording/measuring device. Now I carry a waterproof camera, long handled net, small tape measure and a scale. I continue to carry a rag, long nose plyers, nail clippers and extra lures and leaders.
I’m a shore fisherman. My car is near by with all the other items.
Great items to bring—all of them. I also include a small crocheting needle for fly leader tangles and casting line backlashes/snarls, great tool to reach in and pull out that deep critical piece of line. A small stash of duct tape is quite handy and most of all, I carry half a bar of fels-naptha (yellow) laundry soap in a baggy,to get rid of any poison ivy contact immediately. It seems the lye in the soap cuts the oil of the plant before it can penetrate the skin and cause blisters to erupt.
In the grocery store you will find plastic “pads” that are designed to provide a firm grip on bottle tops, for opening stuck lids. They are perfect for getting a grip on rods with sticky ferules. Never leave home without them.
Also don’t forget extra lycra stripping guards for your fingers. In my case, they tend to end up in the pocket of the shirt I wore yesterday, which is back at camp. So I carry extras.
I never forget to have a few spare key rings. From attaching you Knic knacks to your retractable lanyards to tying your fly boxes together and then to yourself. Also if you don’t have the patience for the key ring a carabiner will usually do the same thing but a little easier to handle… They can also be used to fix broken belts bag straps net attachments or pretty much anything that is broken!!!
Small tube(s) of 5 minute epoxy. Something will need fix’n.