duaneredford.com   "Fear No Water"

Hidy Ho Good Neighbors,

I pulled on the zipper for the last time as the fabric separated from the zipper and the zipper slide became lodged on the teeth. This is quite disconcerting as you’re knee deep in the river with no way to ensure your fly boxes aren’t going to become refugees. I hadn’t put more than one hundred guide trips on the waist pack I had and it was not showing the durability of previous gear from this manufacturer. Right then and there I decided to look into a different company to supply me another waist pack.

I’ve dealt with Umpqua gear in the past and was always satisfied with their performance and durability. My Tongass pack has never let me down as I have traveled the country with it, floated down several rivers, and even went for a few unplanned dips in the water with it on my back. Each instance, the pack has answered the durability bell and kept my expensive camera gear bone dry. I chose the Umpqua Ledges 650 waist pack in hopes that it would perform equally as well.

I just completed my sixtieth guide trip with the new pack and I like it very much.  Every piece of gear in my old waist pack fit nicely in the Ledges 650 and left space for more gear than I typically carry. The large compartment has a leaf installed that helps keep your boxes separate and organized. Boxes slide in and out without issue. The pack is very comfortable to wear as the wide hip belt and shoulder straps are well padded and ergonomically justified. I especially like the plastic plate between where your hip and the bag meet. This allows the pack to freely slide around your torso without catching your waders and coming to a quick halt. This feature also provides a space between the pack and angler that keeps one from overheating on those hot summer afternoons.

The fabric is very durable, well stitched, and for what it’s worth, I like the color patterns. The zippers, ahh the zippers, my usual nemesis, have worked unerringly. The zippers are incredibly hard core, over-sized, and the pulls are reinforced, dipped, and will take a pretty good tug over and over again. Point blank durability at its finest.

Speaking of zippers, I do have a slight issue with the placement of the main compartment zipper.  I have found it difficult at times to open or close that compartment because the zippers are in close proximity to my body and it’s tough to get the zipper started as you open or close the compartment. My opinion is that in the next generation, the designers may want to look at moving that zipper to the front of the bag. It’s not a show-stopper for me; it’s just that everything else with this pack is perfect, why not this too?

There are a couple of sleeper amenities on this pack that are worth their weight in gold. In the front there’s a great slot to carry forceps. I carry two spares in there. Also, under the used fly pad, there’s a neat compartment for whatever where I carry my thermometer, and below that is a zippered pocket where I carry extra leaders and my phone. I really like the compartments on the belt straps; I carry my weights, dry shake, extra lighter, and a fly puck in those. The front elastic pockets are a handy “get-to-fast” feature, and the compartments behind those are hard to overfill with tippet, pucks, or a cigar or two. This pack just has it going on.

Overall, I give this pack a very high rating, and I have only had it a third of a season. I expect it to age gracefully and keep me well supplied and comfortable for its entire life. Thanks Umpqua, for another fine piece of fly fishing gear.

Fear No Water!

Duane