Gear Review: Fishpond Tumbleweed Chest Pack

More versatile—and lighter—than an angler’s vest, the Tumbleweed works well as a sling-pack for short jaunts from camp and as a chest pack (with and without a full backpack). On a trek up Idaho’s Kelly Creek Valley, one tester wore it on his chest, his weekend pack on his back, and kept his rod in hand.

“I could dip in and out of the river all day on the way to camp without ever stopping to drop my backpack—my fishing gear was always within easy reach,” he says. A large compartment holds your multitool and other fishing essentials, while a zippered panel opens out to form a perfect shelf for the removable foam insert that holds flies. $59; 12 oz.; fishpondusa.com