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LL Bean Rapid River Vest Pack |
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 Just got the Rapid River Vest Pack in today (only 2 day shipping from Maine). I haven't had a chance to really pack it full of my gear but I did slip it on and it fits like a glove! Very adjustable and lots of low profile storage. No pouches sticking out or buckles to snag your line on. More to come. We head up to the Pere Marquette new week for our annual SteelheadCamp and will put it through the paces. Until then, my daughter has been running around testing out the durability. If you can't wait for the ful review, click on the image of the jacket and it'll take you to the website. Right now, even with the limited use, this is going to outperform anything I've seen.
The only issue I had when ordering was the size. They were sold out of the 'regular' size. I called and talked to them and the woman on the phone basically said if you measure from your 7th vertebrae (the one that sticks out when you lean your head forward) and measure down to your belt line...if you are over 19 inches, go with the 'long' size. I am only about 170 lbs and just shy of 6' so I figured I would need the regular size. Not true...the long actually fits really well as I measured 22 inches using this method. The woman also mentioned that the vest/pack size is measured much like a backpacking pack and not like clothing and such.
THE ACTUAL REVIEW
Well my review is in for the LL Bean Rapid River Vest Pack...10 out of 10! This vest outperformed anything I've seen or owned.
 The customer service when ordering the vest was outstanding and helpful as mentioned in the above pre-review post. The pockets on the vest are very accessible and hold a considerable amount ofgear and even a cold soda or 3. The pockets are placed on the front of the vest and have zippers that unzip and zip easily with two fingers - no need to use the other hand to try and straighten out the zipper. On the inner portion of the vest there are mesh zipper compartments that work well for storing extra tippet or items that aren't needed often.
A great feature on the front of the Rapid River Vest Pack was the zippered foam fly patches. The lower front pouches unzip to reveal a foam fly patch. the pocket unzips in such a way that it make a little shelf that folds out at a 90˚ angle. This allows for easy access to your favorite flies and also gives you a little working area when tagging flies back on the foam patch. The edge of the pocket also creates a rim that keeps any loose flies from possibly blowing out into the water or onto the ground.
While there is a more than enough storage for all of my fly boxes, the pockets are very low profile so you don't have pocket and pouches to contend with while trying to pitch flies. Unlike other vests I have owned, this vest was very balanced even when having more weight in the pack portion on the vest. The yoke configuration distributed any back weight evenly to the front. The built in wading belt was also a nice bonus and offered side storage packs for extra tippet and even accommodated an extra spool and reel I had. It also supplied some much needed lower back support while casting for 8-10 hours.
Another bonus with the Rapid River Vest Pack is that it has many tie on points and rings to hook radios, nippers, hemos and tools. We use radios when we float on the river and I was able to keep it securely fastened to the vest and easily accessible at all times.
The material that the Rapid River Vest Pack is made of is very durable, yet, very flexible. I hiked with the pack on throughout the river as well as rowed my floatable with the vest on. Again, the packs and pockets never got in the way or rowing or casting. While it was unseasonably warm last weekend (in the 70's and low 80's) the vest was not hot and with the mesh yoke kept me cool and comfortable.
The pack portion of the vest can actually hold a rod case with a rod. I wouldn't recommend a 2 piece rod case as it would be too tall but a 4-6 piece rod case would fit very well with room to spare. There is also a small 'D' ring in the middle of the yoke to attached your fishing net.
The $100 price tag was a bit more than I wanted to spend, but after using it for our trip, it was well worth the investment. If you are in the market for a vest I would highly recommend this vest. I have ordered fishing gear from LL Bean and have always been very happy with the quality and warranty they offer.
If you have any questions about the vest or would like specific photos of the vest
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