I recently had a chance to take the Ribz front pack out kayak fishing. What the heck is a Ribz front pack? Well, according to the manufacturer's website, the front pack was designed by backpacking experts for packing equipment in a way that redistributes weight for comfort. The front pack sits up near your rib cage, thus aptly named Ribz, and has straps that go around your back and over your shoulders. The front pack looks nice and seems to be made of a durable (nylon) material that is water resistant. The regular size pack design has around 700 cubic inches of storage area. The small size has around 500 cubic inches. When putting it on it reminded me of a fly fishing vest, which is better than my first thought....a fanny pack (C’mon,I know you were thinking the same thing!).
Of course, backpacking was not why the Ribz front pack interested me. My mind was filled with ways to use it while kayak fishing. As we kayak fishermen know, it’s important to have everything organized, within reach and quickly accessible. With that being said, just by putting on the front pack, you gain storage areas right at your fingertips. The front pack is divided into two matching sections (Left & Right side) connected by a zipper. You unzip the middle to put on and take off the front pack. Each of the two sections has two zippered pockets. One large pocket and one small pocket. Inside the two large pockets, attached to the back, are two small mesh pockets. Needless to say, there are lots of options when packing. Here are a few pics showing the design of the front pack.
As I was brainstorming uses for the front pack the first idea I had was for it to hold my plastics. I usually have my plastics stuffed next to my seat or stored away in my tackle box which sits behind me. Filling the Ribz front pack with around 15 bags of various sized plastics (worms, lizards, crawfish, etc) not only gave me quick access to all the plastics, but also kept them secured and organized. Even with the 15 bags of plastics, there was definitely room for more. Another option is to add hooks, weights, pliers and plastics to the pack. Another great idea from MJ, who was also kayak fishing with me, was to have a retractable clip on the outside of the pack connected to a pair of small pliers or clippers for really quick access. I think if Ribz were to add D-rings or clips to the front pack it would add another dimension to the product.
Some of you may be thinking what I was about wearing this front pack while kayak fishing; this might get in the way of my rod handle while fishing! Or what’s worse? What if it affects paddling? But to my surprise none of these concerns were a reality. While my concerns were at the front of my mind, I started casting and low and behold after about 10 casts I completely forgot the front pack was there. The front pack seemed to stay in position due to the straps and also stayed out of the way of my paddle and rods.
We really put this Ribz front pack to the test on this trip. We not only paddled and fished but we explored a few really secluded fishing spots which required portaging around two beaver dams and paddling up small streams where paddle and kayak control were a necessity and not once did the Ribz pack interfere. I kept the front pack on while pulling the kayak through mud, trees and grass and I must say I was impressed! I never felt the front pack was in my way nor did it hinder me while pulling the kayak. Again, I basically forgot it was there. Overall, I was really impressed with the front pack much more than I thought I would be. Is it designed specifically for kayak fishing? No, probably not, but milk crates weren’t either! What the front pack does provide is a new way to organize and secure tackle in a way which is useful to those of us who kayak fish. While I may not wear the Ribz each time I go out, I’ll certainly be using it when storage, organization, and fast access are a must! Rest assured, you’ll see it in future pictures with some nice size bass!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the Front Pack for free from Ribz as coordinated by Deep Creek Public Relations
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