[papenfus]

Anybody using this product?
I currently use a standard lumbar pack to carry boxes, tips, etc. Too often however, I find that it gets drenched during rain or when wading deep. Looking for a waterproof alternative. Thanks for any feedback.

 

[Gillie]

I bought one of these last fall. My buddy saw it a week later and bought mine off me and I bought a new one the next day when I got back from fishing with him.

It is a great pack. I have been in downpours and not a drop of water gets in. I've even had water going over the top of it while wading and it still remained dry (even though simms says it's not submersible).

The roll top is also very easy to close with one hand. Much easier than a zipper.

The only thing I didn't like about it is that it comes with an organizer inside with lots of little pockets that is very thick and bulky. It eats up way too much volume. Luckily it comes out. I never use that peice. Without that in it, I can fit 4 or 5 fly boxes and a spare hat and gloves.

Gillie

 

[Ringlee]

roll top bag

I really like the bag. I used it all summer in alaska. I know some other guides who had the zipper version and it is not as waterproof as the roll top version. Good bag to carry leaders, Flies, an extra reel, and other stuff. Dosen't get in the way of casting, which I really like. I am glad I bought the orange one because it stands out on the bank when you are about to leave it behind!
Chris

 

[sazan]

Is the bag attached to the belt in the front?

Dosen't get in the way of casting, which I really like

Even when performing snake-roll where two hands are in front of angler?

Martin

 

[Ringlee]

I have the bag portion on my back on my hips. It has a clip in the front. The bag portion is behind me and I have no issues with any casts wearing it.
Chris

 

[papenfus]

What are the two clips on the top/rear portion of the bag for? Looks like it would be for a shoulder strap, but the one I was looking at didn't come with one.

 

[Ringlee]

With the smaller clips, you can turn it into a chest pack if you want or if you are wearing a backpack. It's a very well designed little bag with lots of options.
Chris

 

[harley]

With the smaller clips, you can turn it into a chest pack if you want or if you are wearing a backpack. It's a very well designed little bag with lots of options.
Chris

Does it come with a strap or straps that clip into the smaller clips-Just a thought-
harley

 

[Ringlee]

Does it come with a strap or straps that clip into the smaller clips

MIne came with the straps.
Chris

 

[Rick J]

curious if it can be converted to a chest pack, could it also be converted to wear on your back - I often wade deeper than hip depth but do not really like chest packs getting in the way of the casting stroke. I suppose if it is waterproof you can submerge it when wading deeper but am not sure how water proof it really is?

I see SIMMS has a water proof back pack that is larger but maybe too big for typical use?

 

[sixrivers]

Rick,
The Lumbar pack is just as it sounds, a new version of the old fanny pack. I'm confident the dry bag like closure, if folded properly will remain watertight even when submerged for short periods of time. I would not trust my digi camera in there however! I suppose you could wear it in front but agree it would be in the way.
As for Simms' back pack...a little spendy given that competitors offer models half again that size for half the price! That said, they definitely are on the right track!

 

[Grampa Spey]

I have their water proof duffle bag.

Anybody using this product?
I currently use a standard lumbar pack to carry boxes, tips, etc. Too often however, I find that it gets drenched during rain or when wading deep. Looking for a waterproof alternative. Thanks for any feedback.

Along the same concept, they have a water proof duffle bag. My wife bought me one last fall for my birthday.

I use it on my boat or to haul gear in to fish during a damp day or potentially damp. It holds a ton of gear, and the shoulder strap makes it easy to carry.

It is waterproof, however in a frog drowner in late November on my boat I got stuff wet when I had to open up the bag to get something. The bag opens from the top. So to get something you have to open up this large opening. If it is raining, things will get wet inside.

My son has a water proof zipper boat bag, and he is able to do a partial opening of the lid and reach into his bag with the top basically covering his bag and pull out what he needs. The only moisture that gets in is from his hands or jacket.

I had planned to buy one of these lumbar packs to wear on the shore and while wading, after the frog drowning day, I have postponed buying one.

The Simms bags are very well made. For a Simms product, they are competively priced. After the frog drowning experience, I would have preferred a waterproof zipper. If they come out with a lumbar/chest pack with a waterproof zipper, I will probably buy one.

 

[sixrivers]

Simms does have a chest pack with zipper closure called the Dry Creek. simmsproducts.com
I can't recall what I did not like about that. I believe I was concerned about the zipper functioning in sandy conditions. I've had a cordura chest pack for several years and find when spey fishing, it gets in the way.

 

[Grampa Spey]

All Chest packs get in the way with me with Spey casting

Simms does have a chest pack with zipper closure called the Dry Creek. simmsproducts.com
I can't recall what I did not like about that. I believe I was concerned about the zipper functioning in sandy conditions. I've had a cordura chest pack for several years and find when spey fishing, it gets in the way.

The one that causes the least problems is the old Sage Very Light Weight Mini Vest with two good size front pockets and a small back pocket. If I don't fill the front pockets up too much, I can cast while wearing it with minimal problems.

The other one which works the next best is the Joseph Williams swing bandoleer pack until I need something out it on the water.

I have an old Eddie Bauer lumbar pack that holds my water filter bottle, has a pocket for my Rio Tips or Sinking Leader packs, tippet holders a fair sized back pack. It isn't water proof and has two small of a back strap to hold it up correctly and for any back support. I use it for trout waters where I have to walk and wade a lot and have good idea of what flies might be needed.

Like a lot of Speyfishers, I have a lot of money invested in vests which aren't that great on the water, by the water or getting to and from the water. My wife jokes that fishing vests/packs are my son's and my equivalent of shoes for the ladies.

Before I got into Speyfishing, my favorite pack was a JW outfitters chest pack with the fold down work area. I would strap on a camel back hydration unit and that chest pack and fish all day with a single handed rod. It was not water proof. Shortly after I got my first Spey Rod that pack went into the closet.

Now, if I walk in to fish, I will load up the Sage Duffel and throw the empty Mini Vest or JW bandolier on the top of the inside stuff. When I get to the site, I will load the Mini or JW with what I need.

So I'm looking for a water proof lumbar pack with zippers that are water proof and work.

My next pair of waders with have one of the big outside pockets as well as a good size inside pocket.

 

[Grampa Spey]

Simms does have a chest pack with zipper closure called the Dry Creek. simmsproducts.com
I can't recall what I did not like about that. I believe I was concerned about the zipper functioning in sandy conditions. I've had a cordura chest pack for several years and find when spey fishing, it gets in the way.

Thanks for posting this yesterday. A younger friend has one of these and uses it as a chest pack for his over head casting with a 2 handed rod while ocean shore casting, and as a lumbar pack when he is Spey Casting. He has been splashed with surf water with sand, salt and ?, and the zipper still worked, and everything was still dry.

When he Spey Casts, he uses it as a Lumbar pack and has no problem with it on his back. He doesn't use the foam insert.

Simms Dry Creek Chest/Lumbar pack:

Versatile pack that provides quick and easy access to fly boxes, tippets, etc.
Zipper closure at top - 10,000 mm rated
Stacked outer pockets
Removable foam liner
Accessories include 2 built-in retractors
Cuban-strap system allows for easy conversion from hip to chest pocket
Accommodates any Simms belt
Attaches to Simms packs
12" x 7" x 5"
Imported
Coal, Orange

I will probably try one. I don't want to be fishing if the water hits me :Eyecrazy: at a rate higher than 10,000 mm.

$69.95

 

[Bill Malin]

Alternate use for Simms Dry Creek Chest Pack

I agree that most chest packs are too bulky for double-handed casting.

I have the Dry Creek chest pack, but frequently thread my wader belt through the belt loops on back and wear it on my left hip, kinda like a holster for my gear. Casual dunkings are OK, but the zippered openings do not close completely and will leak if constantly submerged.

The problem I have found with all these waterproof packs is that the water-resistent zippers are more difficult to open and close with one hand, and they yank on the belt/harness as well. Not to mention the two handed process of rolling closed the lumbar pack. Which can make it a PITA having to dig your essentials out of the pack every 5 minutes. To solve this problem, I have a neck lanyard that holds my basic tools, tippet, and a small foam flybox / or SA System-X Nymph/Dry flybox, so I only need to get in the pack for "major overhauls". (I like the the SA box a lot. It is cheap, light, waterproof, and has two compartments for shot & indicators(heresy) or whatever) I usually stuff the flybox/free hanging end of the lanyard down the front of my waders to keep it out of the way while fishing. In the winter or when raining, I clip the lanyard to the D-ring on the front of my jacket to keep it from swingin' around.

I also have the roll top pack (which I use more for wet wading/swim-fishing in the summer with my 3-5wt single hand rods). It is completely waterproof in the main compartment, but the zippered pocket still leaks a little. The lumbar pack will muck with your bouyancy if you go swimming, making your ass float and trying to push your face in the water so I wear it in the front and float downstream on my back from spot to spot when neccessary.

As for access to the stuff in the packs. The roll top lumbar pack usually has to be unbuckled to swing it around front, so it can be a pain holding your rod AND using both hands to fasten the buckle. There are two small zippered pockets on the "wings" of the belt/pack that are not waterproof, but very usefull and easy to get into with one hand.

The chest pack is narrower and slides easily from a position over my left rear jeans pocket, around to the front, and back again, for unhindered casting and stripping. You can also position the double zippers on the side of the pack as opposed to the top, allowing you to reach into the side during a downpoor and get minimal water inside.

Since getting these packs, I haven't fished a single day in a vest!

 

[papenfus]

so I wear it in the front and float downstream on my back from spot to spot when neccessary.

Now that is cool. Boats/pontoons are for wimps.:devil:

Based on the good reviews I went ahead and got the lumbar pack. I've only been able to use it once so far, but it worked just great. I had no problem sliding it from back to front by just slipping it up a bit from its resting position on the hips. I am taking it to a pool next week to see how it performs.

 

[sixrivers]

Hey Pap,
I look forward to hearing about your swimming experiences!

Bill,
Great to hear first hand about the waist packs. As a guide on multi day float trips in Alaska I wear a dry bag pack that's a little larger than the Simms model. Never thought about swimming with it!!

Gramps,
You're a true gear junkie! I really like the feel of that lumbar pack over the kidneys. I too wondered about the zippers. In either case, both are available at the local fly shop in Santa Rosa.

 

[Grampa Spey]

To sixrivers

Gramps,
You're a true gear junkie! I really like the feel of that lumbar pack over the kidneys. I too wondered about the zippers. In either case, both are available at the local fly shop in Santa Rosa.

Guilty as charged.

Once I find something that really works with minimal hassle, up keep and worry on my part, I tend to get into a rut with that product, gear, rod or what ever.

I must have inherited traits from my Grandfather, who was a master carpenter. His philosophy was before you start a job be sure to have the right hammers and other tools. My Dad was the opposite, he believed in making one tool, fly rod or whatever to be the tool to use across the board.

I will drop into Sweeney's our local fly store, which supports our Fly Club and fly fishers and check out the two Simms Packs.

 

[harley]

Does it come with a strap or straps that clip into the smaller clips-Just a thought-
harley

As it happens the pack that I bought did not come with the straps-So I sent a email to Simms to ask them if the pack was supposed to include the straps-A lady by the name of Julie Belschwender sent me back a reply saying that the Lumbar Pack does not come with with a strap and that the little clips are designed to clip to a full lumbar pack-But-She said that she would be happy to send me the straps free of charge-Julie had them in the mail the next day-Now to me that is service.

harley