Gear Review: Riversmith Convoy Collection

The folks at Riversmith invited me to sit down for a demo earlier this year for a new product line that was hush-hush. I was intrigued—what new accessory had they dreamt up?—but I wasn’t expecting to see the Convoy Collection, a series of purpose-built luggage items for fly anglers. And at first, I wasn’t sure what to make of this lineup. A few of the items caught my interest, but most of them just felt like retreads of products other companies have been making for years.

Then I got a few of these pieces to use on a weeklong trip to Alaska, and I realized how wrong my first impressions were.

Riversmith sent me their Gear Roll, Travel Pack, and Packout Bag. Of the three, my favorite is the Gear Roll, which is ironic since it was the piece that I initially thought I’d never use during the demo earlier this year.

Each piece of the Convoy Collection that I’ve used has blown me away, not just in terms of build quality, but in the little touches Riversmith added to make these products stand out in a relatively crowded field. Let’s take a look at each one.

Gear Roll

No matter how hard I try, I always feel like I’m overpacking for just about every fishing trip. Between waders, boots (or wet wading gear, if it’s warm enough) my chest pack, net, rods, reels, and rain jackets, my truck’s back seat is always a mess.

The Gear Roll is the first store-it-all solution I’ve used that really does store it all.

When it’s unrolled, you’ll have three compartments facing up—a zippered mesh for your boots, a second, finer mesh pocket for your waders, and a waterproof area for fly boxes and anything else you’d like to keep dry. The mesh pockets do a great job of allowing airflow around your wet waders and boots, which helps prevent mildew when you’re hauling gear around.

I have no problem fitting my size 12 Korkers boots, a pair of Skwala Backeddy waders, my Orvis Chest Pack, and a few reels in all those pockets. In fact, I have room to spare in the waterproof pocket.

When you roll up the Gear Roll, you’ll find a fitted pocket for net storage, complete with a Mollie Loop closure that keeps the net snug and secure. The fitted pocket is a nice touch because it keeps your net in place, instead of sliding around everywhere.

On the other outside panel, there’s a button closure holding a changing mat in place. No more one-legged dances while getting your waders on; just slide that mat out, and slide it back in when you’re done.

Finally, there are two velcro straps designed to hold rod tubes, and they actually do a great job of keeping the rod tubes from moving. I expected them to slide around, but the rod tubes stayed put.

You’ll roll the whole thing together with adjustable molle loops, so you can really stuff the Gear Roll full and still transfer all your gear in one piece of luggage. There’s also a built-in strap to hang the Gear Roll, either from your truck, or in a hotel room (which I utilized to dry my boots every night while in Alaska). Riversmith also added backpack straps if you want to haul the Gear Roll that way.

It’s hard for me to overstate how satisfying it is to fit every piece of gear I need into a single piece of luggage. I don’t have to make two or three trips to load up my buddy’s truck when it’s his turn to drive. I just grab the Gear Roll and go. It’s a fantastic store-it-all solution that greatly simplifies getting from your house to the water, especially for the wading angler. I can’t find any fault with the Gear Roll. It’s one of the best pieces of fly fishing gear I’ve had the pleasure to review.

Travel Pack

This is Riversmith’s take on the popular rod-and-reel storage cases we’ve seen from other brands. The twist with the Travel Pack is that Riversmith built in enough storage for at least a half-dozen fly rods (four-piece rods up to 9’6″), all your reels, fly boxes, and other terminal tackle, in addition to toiletry and clothes compartments. There’s also a zippered pocket on the outside that’ll fit your keys, passport, or other traveling documents. Finally, you can carry this like a briefcase, or use the shoulder straps to haul it as a backpack.

On my Alaska trip, I fit four rods, four reels, a few boxes of flies, all my leader and tippet, and a whole host of camera equipment in the Travel Pack, and still had room to spare. It easily fit in the overhead bins on my Alaska Airlines flights. My friend borrowed it for a trip to Slovenia, and had no problems carrying it on for those flights, either.

The Travel Pack comes with velcro dividers that you can move around to suit your own storage needs. There’s also a zippered cover that can keep your fishing gear separate from your clothes and toiletries.

For the angler who flies to their destinations, or even if you’d like to keep things a bit more compact for a long cross-country drive, the Travel Pack is probably the best solution out there. That I didn’t have any problems using this as a carry-on in three separate airports is a mark in its favor, and there’s more than enough room here for all your gear that you don’t trust in checked bags.

Packout Bag

This is the smallest piece in the Convoy line, but it’s still packed with uses. The Packout Bag is designed to be used as either a hip or sling pack, depending on your preference. It’s a minimalist bag for those who only want to haul along the basics. It’ll fit a few fly boxes, tippet spools, nippers, and other terminal tackle with ease, but that’s about it. There are straps for your forceps, and you have two pockets to help you keep your gear organized. The fabric is water-resistant, so be wary of dunking it completely underwater.

The interesting feature is a deployable, machine-washable trash bag that you can use to pick up litter while out on the water.

Final Thoughts

The Convoy Collection isn’t just another luggage collection with a few tweaks for fly anglers. Of all the pieces I’ve used, everything felt purposefully designed. The storage options felt intuitive, and each piece felt like it had plenty of room for its intended use. The Gear Roll is the new gold standard, in my eyes, for fly fishing luggage. I’ll be interested to see how it shakes up this part of the fly fishing market.

From a durability standpoint, everything has endured well. The Travel Pack has a few scuffs from roller bags in the overhead airplane compartment, but the zippers are still solid and the stitching hasn’t frayed. The Gear Roll has held up wonderfully, even with my studded rubber wading boots bouncing around in it for a while.

For an angler who’s on the go, or looking for ways to streamline their gear storage, I can’t think of a better place to start than the Convoy Collection.