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Long Haul reviews answer that one question we all have: sure, this gear might look nice now, but how will it look in a year or two? Will it hold up to all the abuse I put my stuff through? In this review, we’re looking at one of the most helpful pieces of gear I’ve had the pleasure to use—the Riversmith Travel Pack.
Weight
6lbs
Carry-on Compliance
Airline-dependent
Rod Storage
8+
Pros
- Room for rods, reels, and clothes
- Integrated backpack straps
- Customizable dividers
- Water resistant
Cons
- A bit heavy
- A bit large for some airlines
Released a few years ago as part of their Convoy collection, the Travel Pack is Riversmith’s take on the classic carry-it-all rod and reel case. Designed for both flying and packing in your vehicle, the Travel Pack has enough room for eight or more fly rods, a half-dozen reels, and plenty of fly boxes. I’m even able to fit my chest pack into the Travel Pack, which is a nice feature. I prefer to check as little of my fishing gear as possible when flying.
Riversmith also gives you Velcro compartments you can size to your exact needs, as well as two zippered pouches in the top lid for storing clothes or other gear. The idea is that the Travel Pack can essentially replace your backpack and carry-on, putting all your necessary gear in one convenient location.
The Skinny
The Travel Pack is pretty straightforward. Unzip the lid, and you’ll find a compartment with three Velcro storage dividers. The long skinny one is obviously for fly rods, then you can customize the other two for whatever reels or fly boxes you’re hauling.
On the underside of the lid are two zippered compartments which Riversmith says are perfect for hauling clothes. I’ve found them to be a great place to stuff extra leaders and fly boxes, in addition to rain jackets.
You’ll find two zippered pockets on either side of the Travel Pack, which will fit everything from your passport to your wallet and keys. There are plenty of handles for carrying this like a suitcase, or you can opt to use the built-in backpack straps. If you don’t want to use the straps, they tuck into a convenient slot on the back side of the Travel Pack.
There’s not much else to the Travel Pack, and that’s a good thing. A bag with too many pockets and features starts to feel like it wasn’t designed for a singular purpose. The Travel Pack is supposed to take the place of your rod tubes and carry-on, putting all your must-have gear in one spot so you don’t need to check extra bags.
Riversmith also says they built the Travel Pack to fit the general guidelines for carrying-on sporting equipment. They’re careful to note, however, that various airlines have different policies about carry-on bags.
The last thing to note is that Riversmith built this with a hard shell wrapped in durable fabric. They say the hard shell will help protect your rods, even if you check the bag. The fabric is supposed to help the Travel Pack stay water-resistant.
The Time Test
I’ve flown with the Travel Pack a few times now, but most recently took it on a trip to the Yukon. We had more than a few layovers, resulting in stops in Seattle, Vancouver, and Whitehorse, before finally arriving at our destination. On Delta, Alaska, and Air North, I had no problem carrying on the Travel Pack or finding room for it in the overhead compartment.
On the way home, I did voluntarily check the Travel Pack through to my final destination in Salt Lake City. It held up surprisingly well as checked baggage, and none of my rods were broken. As someone who’s never checked a fly rod before, this was a big step for me in trusting Riversmith, and I’m happy it turned out so well.
On this trip, I fit nine rods and seven reels in the Travel Pack, with room enough for my chest pack and Skwala RS Jacket. I opted to keep my box of large streamers in checked baggage, instead of taking chances with those going through TSA.
To be honest, I had enough room for a few more reels, one more rod, and at least one more jacket before the Travel Pack would have started to feel too full. I was carrying gear for both my fishing partner and me, so it was nice to consolidate bags on such a long trip. All rods were nine feet or shorter, and four pieces, but there’s enough room in the Travel Pack to fit 10-footers in there without a problem.
We spent most of this last trip fishing from large boats, and switching tactics throughout the day (hence so many rods). I brought the Travel Pack along on every outing so that we had whichever rod and reel combo we needed. It’s not too big, so it fit in every boat without taking up too much room, and eliminated that awkward balancing act of hauling far too much gear to the guide’s truck while he silently wonders why you don’t just use his rods.
The Travel Pack got wet – mostly while sitting in the water that drained off our wading boots – but the interior never got soaked. Opening it overnight while back at the lodge kept the interior dry and in great shape.
The only issues I’ve had with the Travel Pack are the backpack straps, which aren’t as simple to stow away as they could be, and the zipper pulls. All but one zipper pull has fallen off the Travel Pack over the years, which is surprising since it’s only spent one trip as checked baggage.
The fabric is also starting to show some wear and tear, although that’s to be expected.
My Recommendation
The Travel Pack is the grown-up version of other carrying packages, like the one Orvis offers. It has more room than any other I’ve used, and it’s the only one I’d trust as checked baggage. It fits in every overhead bin on any airline I’ve flown on, and it has room for more rods than I’ll ever use in a single trip.
The price, at $299, is a bit steep, but most good luggage costs more than seems fair anyways. If you’re in the market for a good new do-it-all piece of fly fishing luggage, the Travel Pack should be on your list for consideration.