William Joseph Coastal Pack or Gear Bag chest pack

Ive been looking at replacing my existing chest pack. I have an early fishpond and also a Simms freestone vest. The two products Im looking at are the William Joseph Coastal and the Gearbag Chest Pack. Looking for feedback on any of the above mentioned products good or bad. You can email me or post here.

Thanks and Happy Holidays,
Seege

I have the Gear Bag Chest and really like it. Both are similar and are great packs. The biggest differences are that the Coastal has atleast twice the backpack capacity of the Gear Bag and is more expensive.

You should try both on and determine if the extra storage capacity is necessary and worth the extra cost.

I have the Gear Bag chest pack which I purchased a year or so ago. When I first got it, I was amazed at the quality, all the little tool pockets, etc. However, when I put it on and waded out into a stream, I discovered the chest pack protruded out in front so far that I had to crane my head forward in order to look down to see where I was stepping. Wearing bifocals made this even more uncomfortable. Also, the first time I put anything in the back pack, even a light fleece jacket, the chest pack rode up higher on my chest. I understand there were some changes made in the next version of the Gear Bag pack, and these problems may have been eliminated. I now have the Fish Pond Backwater chest pack/backpack outfit, and I really like it. The waist belt prevents it riding up on my chest, and the two front chest boxes leave an open line of sight down the front.

Larry Compton

The Coastal has 2 separate packs, one over each breast. The Coastal II is similar to the Gear Bag Chest with a much larger backpack. I do not like the Coastal at all. It tends to foul line when stripping, casting, or playing fish off the reel. And it doesn't store so much. And it's hard to remember what is in which compartment.

The Coastal II and Gear Bag Chest have very similar front packs. Both are excellent. The Coastal II front pack has a bit of a lower profile. This improves visibility at one's feet, which is good for walking, wading, and landing fish. It is also smoother, so snags line less frequently. But the backpack is humongous! Too much for most of my fishing. And too hot for me in the summer. So I still use the Gear Bag Chest most of the time. If I did more hike in fishing and had to pack a lunch and more gear (hiking shoes, for example) then I would prefer the Coastal II hands down.