So what do you have in your vest?

[Fiskadoro]

I was taking a few shots of my radio for the other thread and popped off these pics with the vest and the standard stuff I carry.

Here's the vest...



Here it is with the stuff out of the pockets....


So what I had on and in my vest was:

Small leatherman well oiled.
Icom M88 radio with extension speaker mic.
Combination whistle, waterproof lightstick, flashing emergency beacon, flashlight.
Ultralight aluminum lobster guage (homemade, always on there).
Carabiner compass.
Spyderco lockblade knife.
Skyblazer flare.
Mini Mag LED flashlight.

Most of the stuff there adds no real weight to speak of, some of it is just convenient, some of it would come in handy if I ever ended up out in the water alone for an extended period. I've always had this what happens if I get separated from my yak thing. Which probably comes from all my hours fishing small boats offshore. I don't see myself as a safety nut, just safe.At any rate most of the stuff is relatively cheap. for instance the whistle is a modded home depot product that I just shortened it to fit in the pocket.





It has several functions blinking red, solid red, flashlight etc... Since it meets the whistle requirement as well it's worth carrying around.

So that's my vest gear. What do you guys carry?

Jim

[StinkyMatt]

Go go Gadget Jim. If you don't have a drift sock and a 30 lb anchor you ain't got chit! Better go shopping.

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by StinkyMatt

Go go Gadget Jim. If you don't have a drift sock and a 30 lb anchor you ain't got chit!

Damn!!! A 30lbs anchor?!?!? What the hell for

I don't think I ever deployed anything over twenty pounds, except when I was getting paid to do so, and that was only on big boats over fifty feet, with a power windlass.

It's not the weight of the anchor anyway it's the weight of the chain and the scope that holds you.

Personally I don't have much use for an anchor on a yak, except when I'm "bait an wait" fishing in freshwater. Then I use a grapple that only weighs something like 10 ounces.



Castiac and DVL are pretty rocky so it holds just fine without much weight to it..

Driftsocks another matter... I usually carry two on the yak, a small and a large one. They don't weigh anything and I found them ideal for dropper loop fishing, and halibut fishing.



I use them all the time, the small one even on relatively calm days to control my drift angle, and when it get's rough the bigger one slows me down and keeps my bow to the swell and waves. I've had whole days I could not have fished without them. They are great tools to have on board especially when it's windy or rough.



My take is there is more then one way to skin a catfish. If you don't use it, don't take it, but the things I generally take are things I actually use. With the exception of the flare I pretty much used everything I carry on the vest in the last year. If I didn't carry it on the vest I'd still have to carry that stuff somewhere, and it's nice having it right there when I need it, but that's just my take.


Jim

[dorado50]

Don't forget to turn off the radio........

[bus kid]

unibutter. whistle, flashlight, compass, radio, knife, C02 for my paintball marker, seadye marker. cellphone in waterproof case.

Hay Jim where did you get the Starblazer flare from?

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by bus kid

Hay Jim where did you get the Starblazer flare from?

Sorry about that.... it's actually a Skyblazer, an older one. I used to buy them for my skiff at West Marine but they quit selling that model. In probably got about a half dozen of them sitting around, they may be out of date but every one I have ever tested worked fine.

Orion still makes them but they now have an extension handle.



Signal weighs only 1.41 ounces, 4 inch length

• USCG Approved
• Altitude: Up to 450'
• Burn Time: 6.9 seconds
• Candlepower: 16,000

Exact same flare.... The perfect flare for a vest.

Jim

[FishinReelDeals]

hahahaha. That looks like something Macgyver would have!!! Thanks for sharing.

[dgax65]

My PFD has plenty of storage space and attachment points which I put to good use.

http://www.stearnsflotation.com/Stea...-P1575C10.aspx



I carry a full-size dive knife and a small, lightweight safety knife on the front. On the left shoulder strap I have a white strobe and whistle. I've got one of the small Pelican waterproof flashers on the front. The right shoulder has a carabiner attached to a lifting strap that attaches to the back of the PFD. I keep my Standard Horizon HX850S DSC VHF radio/GPS clipped to the straps on the right side. Inside the front pockets I have 4 Starblazer flares (vacuum sealed to keep dry), 2 chem-lights, two Power Bars, Chapstick and a small container of zinc sunblock. I keep my fishing license in the interior pocket. I should keep some water in the PFD, but it is bulky enough already.

Because I AM a safety nut I also carry a CamelBak with additional water and survival gear (extra DSC radio, Garmin eTrex GPS, flares, smoke signal, chem-lights, Power Bars & signal mirror). I keep this CamelBak clipped on the back of my seat.

[maui jim]

.......I think we need a bigger boat.......

[wiredantz]

Dgax kayak is so rigged out, with a push of a button it become a submarine. Seriously you should see his kayak

[dgax65]

Originally Posted by wiredantz

Dgax kayak is so rigged out, with a push of a button it become a submarine. Seriously you should see his kayak

I don't have to push a button......It becomes a submarine every time I launch through the surf.