Folks, like many on here and into the outdoors, I did a lot of research on a new wading jacket/vest to suit my needs. Can I say from the star that I am not a trout fisherman and dont fly fish, never have and dont intend to either.
I usually fish pike (musky) in Ireland. Yes, Irish fisherman here, hello to all! I ordered my Rapid River Vest in September this year and it arrived promptly, many thanks to ll bean. From the reviews and research I was doing, I cannot fault the vest in any way! Its superbly good!
I like to travel as light as possible, due mainly to the fact that I fish VERY OFF THE BEATEN TRACK! I can fit everything I need into the vest and it doesnt feel cumbersome at all! In fact only yesterday I went fishing and had to trudge through a dense forest and all i needed to carry in my hand was my rod!
Everything else went into, or attached to the vest! The usual, items went into the wallets and pockets on the vest, but I was also able to include a 1.5ltr flask, heavy duty rain jacket, ground sheet, all my deadbaits (attached via caribener clip and hung out of bottom of hip belt), first aid kit, (medium pouch), weigh sling, torch, bite alarms x3, all the accessories needed and I didnt even go near the inside pockets on the vest!
The quality of the garment is 2nd to none, its fantastic for moving through thick terrain and equally as home whilst moving along the bank. The luxury of the vest is most definitely for me to have my hands free 90% of the day to cast, catch and release! All this whilst carrying everything I need right beside me.
My next challenge is to see how light I can pack my vest with my bare essentials and will try to pack my 1 man Coleman tent into the spacious pouch at the back, I reckon it can be done.
Comfort? Supremely comfy whilst wearing and the added hip belt that takes all the weight - genuis!
Many thanks LL Bean, you have made a safari angler here in Ireland feel very much at home on the side of the bank, on the beack or trying to get through thick brambles and forest on the hint for a specimen pike!!!!
I received my package a few days ago. This is more than I expected. I bought two pieces for me and my friends. It is worth every dollar spent. The material is excellent and the settings are fantastic. Also great recommendation for L.L.Beam, I'm from Europe, Serbia, and congratulations on professional support.
I've used this vest for about a year. I like it so much that I got one for my fiancee for his birthday. Now he's a fan too!
Why it's great: It's built like a back pack with a padded belt so the weight is carried more on your hips than your shoulders. I wish I were able to carry just a waist pack and lanyard. But it's never going to happen - I carry too much stuff! If you're like us and often carry several fly boxes, 1 1/2 liters of water, a sandwich, a jacket and all your other gear this is a perfect vest.
Why it might not be what you want: It's a little bulky in the front and doesn't have the zillion little pockets that other vests have. It's a little heavy, but once it's on doesn't feel as heavy as a regular vest.
Sizing note: I'm pretty little, 5'2" 120 lbs. We were able to adjust the regular length to fit me perfectly.
Well I bought this vest about a month ago in preparation for the Salomn River salmon run me and a few guys do each year. This vest came in so handy it wasn't even funny. There are plenty of pockets for anything and everything you will need. The one part of the vest that i loved the most was the lumbar support belt which doubles as a wader belt. Which for anyone who has Lost there footing is a must. Thank you llbean for making a kick butt vest kept me dry when I went for a swim.
