Rated 4 out of 5 by DryflyPhil Great, just 1 drawback
I have been using this vest to fly fish freestone streams and rivers in New England and couldn't be happier with the vest/pack. The waist belt seals my chest waders and takes the load off my shoulders, there is plenty of room to bring water and snacks, extra reels, 4-5 flyboxes, etc. The only draw back is that there is no lapel loop to hold my rod when tying on new flys or tippets. It has the butt loop for resting the reel end of the rod in but no loop or velcro strip to hold the upper part? I thought maybe mine was defective, but it seems that this feature was overlooked.
May 8, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5 by TroutFlyFisheran Rapid River Vest Review
I frequently hike 5+ miles to remote waters so this is a great vest pack for carrying gear. Functionally, it is more a vest than a pack.
There is ample room and zippered pockes tfor tippets, leader, fly boxes, first aid kit, lunch and other necessities. A great product.
A couple of drawbacks. There wasn't enough room for waders/wading boots and wading jacket in the limited pack area, this could be an area for improvement, enlarging the pack to at least double the size might help. The other improvement that might be made is to accomodate 2 rod case holders on either side of the rear pack.
Overall a great product but could be even better with slight improvements.
May 6, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Mainefisherman The right choice
I finally replaced my worn out original vest with the Rapid River Vest Pack. I was not disappointed. The unique design with many many pockets and a backpack style belt and straps holds an incredible amount of gear but rides comfortably on your hips. I am pretty short but I don't feel swallowed up by the vest. The price is very reasonable.The zippers seem durable so far and I would recommend this vest without hesitation.
April 25, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by Hawkeye29 Vest for fishing.
I looked around for a bag and decide on a vest, I liked the fact that this vest had easy access to compartments and had plenty of storage. My favorite feature of the vest is the lower belt and comfortable shoulder straps. Liked all the adjustments so it fits well and I'm a big guy. I'd recommend this fishing vest to any of my friends. Would love to see some belt attachments such as a pole holder so I could change flys and use both hands.
April 18, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by JustinSWVA Great Product
Purchased this vest to carry everything when I go fly fishing. There are plenty of places to store flies, line, snacks, anything else you could imagine. The pocket in the back works great for a Camelbak. The unique design of the vest with the waist strap reduces the amount of weight you feel, especially when carrying water. Vest fits comfortably (even on a larger than average person) without being bulky. If your looking for plenty of storage and comfort, this is the vest for you!
April 14, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Smarmyguy Great design and value!
Bought this for the first day of trout fishing, because I was tired of my old vest never fitting perfectly. This vest was an extraordinary value and easy to adjust to fit perfectly. Great design and loved all the pockets!
April 3, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by GrouseAndTroutBum Great Vest
Have used this vest for about two years and it's great. The only improvement I would suggest would be to move the pockets on the hip belt more forward because it's difficult to access them (and my waist is 32). Other than that, I like the arrangement and sizes of the other pockets, and the hip belt is perfect for taking some of the weight off shoulders.
January 7, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by
SalmonNW Awesome Vest!!!
I mostly fish for salmon/ steelhead in Pacific NW. I seem to hit the river with everything I got. I wear a fly vest, backpack, and a fannypack. I never drink enough water for the day. This vest has helped me consolidate my gear down to a manageable size. I still take drift gear, spinners,spoons,jigs, bobbers, flatfish, even a quart jar or two of eggs or shrimp. I am comfortably able to fish all these methods. I have fished with the vest probably 6 times. Mostly involving hiking through thick Oregon coastal vegetation in search of a few fish. At this point I do not question its durability. It seems to be very well made. There are so many pockets which is great. The only temporary downside is that I still get confused where I put what, with so many options. I would not hesitate on buying this vest.
December 21, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by IrishPikehunter Miles better than expected
Folks, like many on here and into the outdoors, I did a lot of research on a new wading jacket/vest to suit my needs. Can I say from the star that I am not a trout fisherman and dont fly fish, never have and dont intend to either.
I usually fish pike (musky) in Ireland. Yes, Irish fisherman here, hello to all! I ordered my Rapid River Vest in September this year and it arrived promptly, many thanks to ll bean. From the reviews and research I was doing, I cannot fault the vest in any way! Its superbly good!
I like to travel as light as possible, due mainly to the fact that I fish VERY OFF THE BEATEN TRACK! I can fit everything I need into the vest and it doesnt feel cumbersome at all! In fact only yesterday I went fishing and had to trudge through a dense forest and all i needed to carry in my hand was my rod!
Everything else went into, or attached to the vest! The usual, items went into the wallets and pockets on the vest, but I was also able to include a 1.5ltr flask, heavy duty rain jacket, ground sheet, all my deadbaits (attached via caribener clip and hung out of bottom of hip belt), first aid kit, (medium pouch), weigh sling, torch, bite alarms x3, all the accessories needed and I didnt even go near the inside pockets on the vest!
The quality of the garment is 2nd to none, its fantastic for moving through thick terrain and equally as home whilst moving along the bank. The luxury of the vest is most definitely for me to have my hands free 90% of the day to cast, catch and release! All this whilst carrying everything I need right beside me.
My next challenge is to see how light I can pack my vest with my bare essentials and will try to pack my 1 man Coleman tent into the spacious pouch at the back, I reckon it can be done.
Comfort? Supremely comfy whilst wearing and the added hip belt that takes all the weight - genuis!
Many thanks LL Bean, you have made a safari angler here in Ireland feel very much at home on the side of the bank, on the beack or trying to get through thick brambles and forest on the hint for a specimen pike!!!!
Thanks!
November 21, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by Vlada Rapid River vest pack
I received my package a few days ago. This is more than I expected.
I bought two pieces for me and my friends. It is worth every dollar spent. The material is excellent and the settings are fantastic. Also great recommendation for L.L.Beam, I'm from Europe, Serbia, and congratulations on professional support.
October 19, 2012