It’s been a few months of rigorous use, but I am ready to write my review of the Coastline SurfSystem fishing “Back Pack” (I leave that in quotes as it is not truly a typical back pack). I received this fishing back pack from Ted Blake who designed this system initially to work the beaches and jetties of the North east looking for Stripers and Blues. This pack was quickly recognized that it would prove effective to all shorelines around the world. The system is currently being sold in many states in the US to anglers who have to pack some gear and trek into their fishing spot.
It is a super comfortable “back pack” style tackle system that carries a lot of gear over many types of terrain. The greatest thing is it leaves your hands free to carry the big rod holders and long rods as well as your cooler without feeling uncomfortable having to hike a mile in and out at times.
I didn’t want to rush in and give something a review before I gave it a serious workout for the type of surf shark fishing that we do in Southern California. On Day 1, I had some minor mechanical issues with the structural part of the pack. I am sure it was mostly due to the bigger than usual amount of weight that I was carrying and the terrain I had to cover to get to the beach as scaling cliffs and taking extraordinary amount of steps while carrying a lot of gear has its obstacles.
It didn’t take much to correct the issues that I ran across on my first run as a few heavy duty Zip-Ties to lock down a couple of things that were slightly less than supportive for all of the big gear that I was lugging in with me.
-Zip Ties to hold the base to the back portion of the pack.
-Zip Tie to hold the middle utility tube that turns out to be an incredible plier holder.
-Zip tie a bait knife sheath to the plier holder to carry your bait knife around safely.
My biggest initial thought was how well it would hold up to the rigors of the long walks and/or stairs with the gear I would have with me when heading to my shark fishing spots. After the few zip ties, it has proven to be rugged & comfortable and any worries that I might have had quickly vanished. Some of the features that the system contains that have proven extremely useful are:
-It has ample number of pockets attached to removable bags that have velcro straps attaching them to the system. This allows you to use all or just some of the utility bags with pockets depending on how much gear you are bring down with you. The many individual pockets holds your camera, tail rope, tape measure, leaders, rigs, sinkers, smokes, drinks, snacks etc.
-It is extremely light weight, yet very rugged made of salt water resistant eco-friendly post consumer materials. Nothing on here to rust and a quick light spray down after a trip is all that it needs.
-I comes with (2) PVC sand spikes that work great for holding extra bait rods or just to hold the rods out of the sand while setting up on the beach. These rod tubes can be removed and velcro straps are attached to the frame cover to act as a rod holder. The long two piece rods we use can be safely attached with each half per side to allow your pack to hold the rods so you don’t have to. This gives you the ability to mix and match as they are components of the system.
-The padded adjustable harness is extremely comfortable and has pockets for holding keys, cell phone, etc. This includes shoulder straps and a waist belt that snaps on.
-Built in cutting board. This is one of my favorite parts of the system. The cutting board slides in and completely pulls out of the poly constructed base of the pack. It is securely held in there and easily slips out to use the cutting board.
-The aluminum back leg of the pack extends out for those sloping beaches or jetty rocks to help keep the unit supported when there is some rough or adverse terrain to keep it steady.
-It has two sets of poly legs which fold out via a small switch. This holds the pack above the sand or rocks without having to rest the base right on the elements. This is also extremely helpful when taking the pack off or putting it back on again as it raised off the ground and easier to pick up to your back since the pack is generally heavy when loaded with all the crap that I (or we) bring down to the beach. Once you slip the pack on, you could easily fold the legs up and push the switch to lock them in place so you don’t have any extra legs hitting you in the back while trekking to the beach or vehicle.
To summarize my experience with this surf system, it is an awesome tackle pack. I have used it over 24 times in the past two months and each time I take it out, I like it even more. I know where all of my gear is at all times and nothing gets all mixed together since everything is able to be separated easily and everything has a home. I’ve also purchased some of those cheap Tupperware style containers for some of the pouches to hold my leaders, rigs and sinkers, so as not to puncture the fabric of the pack and to further organize and saltwater proof my gear. It also cuts down on my time packing up for the night for those guys who fish with people who secretly pack their gear and try to slip out on you at the end of the night when you are not looking. You know who you are!
I absolutely love the Coastline Surf System and totally recommend it. I am not one to just blindly endorse a product since I value my reputation, but two months and 24 fishing trips later and I could say that I did my due diligence on this pack to put it to the test.
To read more about his system and the practical uses, please visit his website at: http://coastlinesurfsystem.com/
Be sure to let them know you’ve seen it on Prehistoric Soul. We have some great partners for our site like Wilbur with his surf sinkers. We want to show them that we appreciate their products, attention to detail and customer care they give us so more opportunities can be open for everyone.
Until next tide,
Tom “Latimeria”
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