Wind River Stillwater Vest Review
Wind River Stillwater Vest Review
Unlike many fly fishing enthusiasts I see on the water these days I’ve never felt the need to bring my entire closet along with me. So when I look for systems to carry my gear I look for products that seem to carry what I need (i.e. not want) and look cool - I’m from a younger generation and I must say that traditional vests are just not the fashion in our crowd. After a while of using a backpack style vest that was geared to a minimalist I started to see some shortcomings for everyday fishing in terms of storage needs. When Hipwader.com gave me the opportunity to try out the Wind River Stillwater Vest I thought it would be a great chance to try something different.
On first inspection I formed a few quick judgments. Those being:
1)The pack definitely had more space to carry my stuff
2)There were some strange arrangements of pockets and zingers etc.
3)It was designed for function – not fashion
Before heading out on the water I got all my gear loaded up in the pack, adjusted it to my frame and then watched some TV in it (breaking in period). Right away I noticed that instead of stuffing things into every corner of the pack I was able to organize and space out my boxes, leaders and other equipment. This turned out to be important on the water because I was able to get what I needed quickly and not be concerned with repacking the vest – I just put the item back into its place. My fiancé also got to take a look at it. She felt reassured that “at least [I] wasn’t going to be picking up chicks on the river”. You might see this as bad – but really it’s an endorsement to do more fishing on her part.
Once out on the water I didn’t notice anything. What, nothing? The Wind River vest offers numerous ways to adjust the fit - side straps, front strap, and shoulder straps – so I didn’t notice any areas of strain. This is an ideal that should be strived for in every product – and Wind River meets it here. It was very breathable and felt great to wear.
Once I started using the vest while fishing I had all of my concerns addressed:
Concern: The zingers are located on the bottom of the vest.
What a smart design! It was the moment that I grabbed the clippers on the right zinger and didn’t even think about it that I realized how natural it was to not lift my hand high to pick these items up. You end up just moving you hand over from a low position at your side straight to the zinger.
Concern: The foam fly pocket is to the very right side of the vest (instead of in the center).
Well thought out! I put my fly boxes in some of the inside pockets and end up going to these most frequently. The pockets are located right where I need them most and having the fly pocket to the right has turned out to be pleasant rather than an annoyance.
In fact this is how most of the features were received – I would wonder why they were designed like that and then I would find that it was the most natural design possible. When I learned that it was inspired by input from professional guides it started to make sense. These are people who spend more time on the water than I could dream and they know what the requirements are for a good vest. It looks like the Stillwater did a great job in capturing their input.
Other main features are:
- tippet dispenser in mesh pockets
- hydration system
- Conversion to a waist pack
- Floatant holder
- D-Ring on back (attach net here)
Overall I give this product a 4-1/2 out of 5. The smart design, ample storage room and adjustability make this a superb product. The 1/2 missing is because I’d like to think that I could pick up on the water if the chance came along 
Here’s a more detailed view from their website of the pack:
Related Link: Wind River
