chest pack for saltwater

[ScopeJockey]

I do (or used to, before my daughter was born) a bit of fly fishing off the beach (mostly Crane's) and have been using a chest pack that was probably made for trout fishing. I've found that the salt water has really done a number on the zippers - they freeze up with salt and I've had to regularly rinse the chest pack in fresh water and free up the zippers. For what it's worth, it's an old LL Bean chest/fanny pack.

Anybody have better experience with the other chest/fanny packs in the saltwater or are we committed to regularly rinsing and cleaning these things? Thanks for any input.

[NMB]

check out some of the products made by william-joseph or fishpond. they are far more advanced and than what you have probably been using and they are designed with the salt in mind.

[bobfishgerald]

I use a Patagonia Hawian sling jobby. It is great. It goes over one shoulder and then when you pull the backpack part of it around to the front the zippers are right there. Great in the salt.

[dlangan]

I guess it depends on your personal preferences/needs. Those mentioned are nice - I've certainly seen them. I have had very good luck with the bucks bags chest pack. zippers are plastic. no issues. and arranged to fit my needs.

But I yak a lot and I get in and out a lot. So trading between the life jacket and chest pack is a drag. Decided I wanted a fanny pack the stayed dry - even in the yak. I have the Simms roll top dry creek fanny pack. Love it. Basically a dry bag w/ a belt. I can stick a 8" Finsport, bunch of tippet, a couple of spools and I am good to go. Not as much storage as a chest pack, but the yak has a bulk head for everything including the kitchen sink.