I have been using the Fishpond San Juan chest pack for a while now on a variety of streams and really like it for tenkara fishing. I couldn’t find one locally, but luckily, Colorado Skies Outfitters (my local fly shop here in Parker) was cool enough to pick one up from their distributor and got me one within 24 hours. That was great customer service! Here’s a video of what I like and don’t like about the pack.
Nicely done. I like the idea of using a smaller foam fly holder, and agree pocket in the front section would be a good addition.
So when is the new Trico pack hitting the market? haha. Im saving my beans for that so I can have a small pack to bring on and off the trail.
Hi Stephan,
Probably not until Spring. I’m still working on the redesign and am trying to find a sewer. I’ll definitely post about it when it’s ready.
If you slit the lining( single edged razor or scissors) at the top of the two sections that have a stiff liner and pull those foam stiffeners out you will have a softer shape pack with more internal volume as well as those additional pockets you are looking for.
Jason what kind of thermometer is that you have in your pack?
Hi Tom,
I don’t know. I got it years ago from Anglers Sport Group in Elba, NY and it doesn’t have a manufacturer name on it. It’s flexible plastic–thinner than a credit card and takes up no space at all. That’s why I like it. Not sure where you could find one like that today. I haven’t really seen them around.
Vision make a comparable product that retails for about 30% less than fishpond’s. the fishpond has more attachments if that’s what rocks you.
After trialling the san juan, I find that it is both/either too big and too small for my needs – fR too big when I am fishing for myself (tenkara or otherwise) – as would Jason’s appear to be for him from what I can see that he is carrying – and too small for when I am guiding others, as I need a larger chest pack to carry the extra boxes of flies, tippets and leaders and suchlike for supplying as well as the other necessaries you have to carry when doing this, like radio, first aid etc. For myself, I still think Jason was on the ball with his own silnylon “baggie” that he sold for light backpacking and tenkara.