Like most anglers, we’re constantly looking around for the best way to carry around our gear. In search of a solution for our gear addiction, we recently picked up the Patagonia Stormfront Sling Pack. We think its pretty slick and today we thought we’d tell you why.
What’s a Sling Pack?
Aptly named, sling packs are packs designed to be ‘slung’ over one shoulder while still riding on the back like a conventional back pack. Aside from freeing up one shoulder for better comfort while fishing, a single shoulder strap allows for the pack to be slid around from your back to your front, without ever having to take it off, making for easy access of your gear.
Sling packs are a great option for anglers looking for a way to carry more gear than can fit in a typical hip pack, but allows for a better range of motion than a traditional back pack would allow. If you like to carry a decent amount of gear on the water and have yet to try fishing out of sling, we suggest you give it a try!
Why We Like the Stormfront Sling
Over the last few years, sling packs have become extremely popular among fly anglers, and there are many great options available today. We really like the Patagonia Stormfront Sling, and here are a few reasons why.
- It’s Waterproof. Yes, waterproof.. Not just water ‘resistant.’ That means that regardless of what you want to carry with you on the water (cameras, lunch, extra clothes, etc), you don’t have to worry about it getting wet should you take a spill in the drink. The Stormfront features a waterproof TIZIP zipper (the same style of zipper used in dry suits) to open up into the main compartment, which actually creates an air tight seal when closed. We’ve used TIZIP style zippers on several other bags in the past, all with great success. The Stormfront is about as waterproof as it gets, making for a great boat bag in nasty weather as well.
- It Has a Simple Design. The design of the Stormfront is relatively simple. Aside from a few lash points on the outside of the pack (see video below), the outside of the pack, as well as the sling strap, is fairly clean resulting in less potential line catchers, which we really like. As far as we’re concerned, the less to snag on, the better!
- It Slides From Back to Front With Ease. When its time to get into the pack, the Stormfront slides around easily from the back to the front. Simply remove the belt/waist clip and swing the pack around to the front. Once in front, the main compartment zipper is conveniently located at the top of the bag for easy access.
- It’s Comfy. We found the Stormfront to be very comfortable to fish out of. There’s just enough padding against the back and on the sling strap to keep the pack comfy and light weight, but not so much that it hindered our range of motion when casting. In fact, we loaded it up pretty good for a day of bonefishing, and in no way felt bogged down when it was time to make a shot.
- It’s Big, But Not Too Big. At 20 liters, the Stormfront Sling is larger than most hip/waist packs. It can fit a lot of stuff, probably more than most anglers really need on their person while fishing. However, when it was not full of stuff, we didn’t feel like it was oversized in the least. We think it’s a really versatile size for a sling pack, one that could be used for a whole bunch of applications.
For a full rundown of all the features of the Stormfront Sling, check out Patagonia’s video below, or visit their website, here.
Getting one of these for West Java, Indonesia, motorcycling!
Check out Vedavoo packs. Less money and made in America.
Sorry, I know it’s not good for sales but my advice, go light and leave the pack in the boat. All you need is tippet, a dozen flies and clippers, which can be carried in you pocket. It’s much more fun to walk that way.
– It’s waterproof so if you like photography this is a very important feature, the Vedavoo is not waterproof and is not exactly using modern tech like the Stormfront.
– Leaving it in the boat is only an option if you have a boat to begin with!
– The downsides to this sling are that it is very expensive, anything with a waterproof zipper tends to be that way. Also if loaded with a full Nalgene bottle and a DSLR it becomes less comfortable and does not stay in place like it should. If you have heavy gear to put it inside then I recommend the Stormfront backpacks, there are two different models.