Backpacks: What’s In Your Bag?

What’s In Your Bag, Baby?

If you’re wading or covering any kind of distance in the saltwater, a waterproof backpack or larger sling pack system is essential. Finding a high-quality, comfortable, and fully-waterproof pack large enough to hold your gear and keep your most important items completely protected from the elements is key to success on the water. You need to be able to shield your gear from whatever Mother Nature throws your way – from torrential downpours, to howling sandstorms, to full submersions.

A few key things to consider when choosing a pack system:

•This is both a wading pack and a boat bag, and it needs to be large enough to hold all of your items for a standard day on the water (see our recommended packing list below). • Easy access is important. The heavy-duty waterproof zipper systems can be stiff and hard to open on new packs, so be sure to use the provided zipper lubricant to break your new zippers in. • Find the right design features that work best for you. Some waterproof packs are essentially large, open, one-compartment bags where everything is jammed together. Others have dividers, interior organization pockets, and even external storage. Find the features that work best for your gear-access preferences. • Try a number of different packs before you buy, and find one that feels good when loaded. Look for a pack that has a comfortable molded back panel, padded foam shoulder straps, and maybe even a removable lumbar support strap on the waist. • Mark your pack! If you’re a ribbons-and-trinket person, then so be it. (“Mine is the pack with the Hello Kitty ribbon tied to the handle!”) Or … a simple Sharpie or some colored tape on the straps may be a bit more tasteful. When there are a dozen grey waterproof packs sitting on the dock, it can be easy to grab the wrong one. Make your pack easily identifiable.

Our favorite waterproof packs for fishing in the salt?

Raincoat

Needs to be lightweight and fully waterproof with a hood. Crucial for any day in the salt!

Fly Box

This is a smaller, waterproof “day box” with exactly what you need for one day on the flats. Leave the larger “vault” back at the lodge and reload each evening.

Leaders and Tippet Spools

Backup leaders in a Ziploc bag. Your go-to tippet spools (10, 12, 16, and 20 lb.) can be clipped to the outside of the pack with a multi-spool holder.

Sunscreen and Lip Protection

Also zipped inside a small plastic bag to avoid spills and explosions inside of your pack!

Polarized Sunglasses

You’re wearing your primary lenses, and you should always have a backup pair or low-light lenses in your pack.

Water Bottle

Bring a quality bottle that won’t leak! Yeti, Hydro Flask, and others are great for keeping water cold.

Camera or iPhone

If you’re a DSLR person, a larger pack is key. Pack your camera body and primary lens in a padded – and ideally waterproof – case within your pack.

Snacks

Energy bars such as Clif Bars and others that don’t melt are ideal. Beef jerky and other items are also great for mid-day energy. Bring enough for your guide!

Small First-Aid Pouch

A few band-aids and other medical essentials for on-water cuts and scrapes.

Fly Patch

Great to clip on the outside of the pack for used and salty flies. Wash them in fresh water after your day of fishing and dry completely before putting them back in your fly box.

Hydration Tablets

A small packet of tablets to add to your water throughout the day. Keeps you well-hydrated, feeling good, and in the game.

Small Notebook and Pencil

All of those mind-blowing ideas, funny jokes, and insightful guide knowledge that is shared during a day on the water? Write it down! A thin and lightweight notebook is easy to pack.