I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a rod snapped or a reel dented because the gear bag I used couldn’t hold up to the rigors of airline travel or extended trunk time.
They just don’t seem to make gear bags like they used to.
Enter: Fishpond gear bags.
Until I recently came across Fishpond’s rugged Cloudburst Gear Bag (retailing for $190), I had lost all hope in traveling with my fly fishing gear ... opting to rent rather than bring my own gear on out-of-state fishing trips.
But with its zip-out waterproof cover and molded bottom, not to mention a padded interior compartment system that will keep your gear intact, the Cloudburst Gear Bag has restored my faith in traveling with my gear once again.
In fact, when we moved last week, the first thing I packed was my fly fishing gear, which I made sure to stow away safely in my Fishpond Cloudburst Gear Bag.
More Details About the Fishpond Cloudburst Gear Bag
Along with protecting your gear from physical abuse while traveling, Cloudburst Gear Bags keep your gear dry while on the river’s edge or in the driftboat with a waterproof molded bottom and cover.
And when I say protecting your gear, I mean all of it. With 10 external pockets, 20 internal compartments, and a padded interior divider system, you can fit just about everything in this thing.
Pros About the Fishpond Cloudburst Gear Bag
Another drawback to airline travel with your outdoors gear is that bags always seem to get lost or delayed, especially when you’re flying in and out of small airports in remote locations.
That’s why carrying on your gear in a gear bag such as the Fishpond Cloudburst is the best way to go. Even when it’s stuffed with gear, the Cloudburst doesn’t get much bigger than 11x19 inches, which will fit under your seat or in an overhead compartment with ease.
And with 30 pockets, it has plenty of interior storage for all your outdoors gear as well as exterior storage for all of your other travel goodies such as snacks, iPods and books.
Cons About the Fishpond Cloudburst Gear Bag
Are there any? I’m still looking.
Two hundred bucks might seem like a lot for a smaller gear bag, but then again this isn’t some flimsy duffel bag and is more in line with the high-end suitcases and laptop-style backpacks that can run well over $200.
The only other beef might be the colors you can order the bag in, moss green or steel blue. Heck, I might get three or four of these things if they came in additional colors.
Conclusion
If you do a lot of travel, or just want to protect your outdoors gear, you’re not going to get much better than the Cloudburst Gear Bag.
In fact, it would probably be a good buy for any of your outdoors stuff, whether you’re into fly fishing or not. I could see it being used to hold hunting gear, camera gear, even your gadgets, such as a GPS or marine electronics.
And with a lifetime guarantee, you can rest assured the bag itself is also protected if you ever run into a defect in materials or workmanship.
But enough about the bag, I have another fly fishing trip to pack for. We’ll see you on the water.
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