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What is the ultimate setup for a long walk?

This is my standard kit if the walk is more than half a mile I've happily carried this for about one and a half miles, I could carry it further but any further than that and it'd be easier to use a different car park.

In CA Vulpine Sling
Single rod
Net & pole
Machete

The sling then goes in a Korum multi sling along with:-
1 long bank stick
1 short bank stick
1 korum but screw

In Fox Ruckall
Bait in 5lt bucket
Tackle box (medium Korda compac)
Leads
catapult
Headtorch
PVA kit (OMC one because it's square and doesn't roll)
Stove/kettle/gas bottle/cup/2 litres water/milk
Croissants and/or pan chocolate (because they're light)
Poncho
Gloves
Scales & weigh sling
sunglasses
collapsible water bucket
Phone and car keys
folding bivvy tidy (so I don't lose bits in the long grass)

A Nash indulgance light chair and a fleece fixes to the ruck all

Everything goes on my shoulders and both arms/hands are free.
I'll sometimes take 2 rods and double the bank sticks, but only if i know the swims are gonna be suitable, can't remember the last time I carried a brolly when barbel fishing
 

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This thread got me thinking back to when I was a kid going fishing . Me and my pal Phil used to cycle everywhere [ 30 mile round trips were not uncommon ] Rod , landing net pole and bank stick tied to cross bar , everything else was in a small wicker basket over my shoulder . Later progressed to a rod holdall this went over the shoulder then rested on the handlebars . Longer trips meant the keep net was required as we liked to tally up our catches a the end of the day , this was strapped to the top of the fishing basket . Two rods ? stuff of dreams , unhooking mat? didn't exist , brolly? smelly old parka was just fine . That was back in the late 60's / early 70's . Yesterday I went for a short Barbel session [ 4 hours ] , had 2 rods , about half a ton of lead , a folding chair , unhooking mat , numerous bank sticks , a bout 50 floats in a box [ I was ledgering !] A brolly [ rain wasn't forecast ], 3 tins of spam , and various other bits of fishing kelt . I passed a bloke who told me he had just finished a short day session and he had a barrow and the biggest rod holdall I have ever seen , that fella has too much gear I thought to myself as I nearly put my back out climbing a stile returning to my 4 x4 car . We humans never learn ....
 
I often walk two or three miles to fish, and sometimes cycle much further, and can honestly say I have never for a moment noticed the weight of my JRC Stealth chair when compared to its relative usefulness and to the weight of everything else. It goes on my back after the rucksack and before the (short) rod holdall (3 or 4 piece rods), and generally feels weightless. And because of my long legs and sporadic 'bad back' issues, I can't use any sort of stumpy stool, so I'd rather just sit on the bank than use any sort of combined rucksack/stool type effort. Apart from those three main items, I may occasionally yomp along with some light items in a (green) 'bag for life' or similar.

Because I don't drive I've just always been used to carrying my stuff round in backpacks and I think that makes a difference - and you've just got to find the backpack that suits. My Mrs (who does drive) finds my backpack ridiculously heavy (because she doesn't use a waist strap) and I find hers ridiculously heavy (because it's crap and doesn't have a waist strap)! Hers is a supposedly "specialist" fishing one, so doesn't distribute the weight properly compared to a proper hiking one with a decent padded waist strap.
 
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Ok, now we have all laughed at the portapotty, here is soomething that I made earlier this year . Basically it is a waterproof cushion with a strap and clip that goes around my midriff. If I take a bigger bag for a yomp down the riverside , the bag goes over my shoulders and rests on the cushion . When I get where I am going to the cushion becomes a seat .Looks a bit strange but works a treat, in fact had to make one for a friend who kept badgering me for one like it .


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Makes a tackle bag much more comfortable to cart around .
David .
 
I'm surprised more people don't use barrows.

It only takes a couple of minutes to take everything off and chuck it over a fence or style.

The ESP rucksack is excellent and much comfier than the TA one that was mentioned earlier. Combine these with a small quiver that holds multi piece or scope style rods and your can walk miles.

The only problem is the weather and you feel the need to bring a brolly too!
 
Vince Maddock said:
This is my standard kit if the walk is more than half a mile I've happily carried this for about one and a half miles, I could carry it further but any further than that and it'd be easier to use a different car park.

In CA Vulpine Sling
Single rod
Net & pole
Machete

The sling then goes in a Korum multi sling along with:-
1 long bank stick
1 short bank stick
1 korum but screw

In Fox Ruckall
Bait in 5lt bucket
Tackle box (medium Korda compac)
Leads
catapult
Headtorch
PVA kit (OMC one because it's square and doesn't roll)
Stove/kettle/gas bottle/cup/2 litres water/milk
Croissants and/or pan chocolate (because they're light)
Poncho
Gloves
Scales & weigh sling
sunglasses
collapsible water bucket
Phone and car keys
folding bivvy tidy (so I don't lose bits in the long grass)

A Nash indulgance light chair and a fleece fixes to the ruck all

Everything goes on my shoulders and both arms/hands are free.
I'll sometimes take 2 rods and double the bank sticks, but only if i know the swims are gonna be suitable, can't remember the last time I carried a brolly when barbel fishing
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I'd need a barrow for that lot! 😆
 
Paul Richardson said:
Lots of solid advice. I avoid a brolly whenever I can preferring decent waterproofs and also a poncho which can also be used as a tarp if the swim suits. I just pre-tie lengths of para cord to the eyelets, does the job nicely.
I also have a really good rummage through my quiver and rucksack as it's amazing what accumulates through the season
Weights and feeders are normally essential but do you REALLY need all them spares? When was the last time you lost 6 feeders and 6 leads in a session?
Chairs are great but on my local river it's nearly all sloping banks , so for a true roving session a decent unhooking mat can be perfectly comfortable and I think it discourages you from taking root in a swim, it just depends what you have in mind at the end of the walk I guess?
I pre-tie a lot of my rigs and have them on winders so no needs to carry line, spare hooks - it all adds up.
Radios, headtorches, spare headtorches, spare batteries, spare scales, mozzy sprays, phone chargers, spare forceps , - all recently taken out for roving sessions
I also managed to shed 4-5 banksticks which had multiplied over the summer. And a spare net & handle.
If you're roving do you really need 2 rods- again guilty of this but getting better.
I had a good look in my tackle box and again instead of taking 20 x kwiklinks & No 8 swivels and 10 baiting needles, I just took a few essential bits in a small clamshell box.
All seems small but it's the sum of the parts.
If I'm not going very far but still want to be mobile, I can get everything in a Trakker rectangular bucket with the shallow lid for terminal bits and bait , catapult in the main section.
And bait is another big weight, but I would wager most of us take way too much?
But if it's a yomp - definitely a decent rucksack as high on your back as you can - make sure it fits, I've set off before with one that was too narrow across the shoulders and it made the walk really uncomfortable.
I use a quiver but for years when leapfroggin rivers when piking I would just carry rods , net/handle and banksticks - keeping it as balanced as possible - if my gear is even slightly unbalanced i really feel it now on my lower back and hips so as suggested if you can keep your hands free this is the way to do it
you can get cheap carabiners off any site and it's amazing what you can clip onto a rucksack
I think it's worth the effort as when you are lugging around a lot of extra weight it can detract from the fishing - Ive done it so many times, set off like a sherpa , got absolutely knackered and settled on a swim, rather than compromise a bit on gear and fish where I really want to fish.
On a recent trip, my friend cut his session short as he had to make 2 trips with his gear, each one probably 1 mile there and back. It definitely distracted him.
I stayed on, after nothing all day the fish turned on and I had 3 in an hour
Truth is I had way too much gear and was dreading the walk back but I'm a bit younger and a bit fitter than he is but it was still painful.
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great read....and one close to my heart, I too have literally shed kilos of weight off. I just take a 6 inch double sided clam shell box with all my swivels and hooks in etc. hooklenths on foam spools and more often than not if its a good walk just 1 rod. I dont take a rucksack i pop my flask and my snacks down the large wide compartment of my rod sling. I also put rucksack straps on my chair.....so i have my chair on my back my rods with food and drinks over my shoulder and a small bait bag to carry. I also think a valid point to raise is footwear.....I found it very much harder to do long walks in those skeetex type wellies and have found the long walks much easier in a boot.
 
My kit is as follows;
Trakker Rucksack - 1.5ltr Flask, Tackle Pouch, catapult, scales, headtorch, weigh sling, feeders/leads, PVA Mesh and any loose feed i am taking. I roll my Sonik unhooking mat and secure this under the opening.
Trakker 3 Rod Holdall - 2 x Rods & Reels and in the spare rod section i keep my rod pod. In the side pockets i have 2 landing nets and sometimes i take 2 off 36" Extending bank sticks.
I then carry 5 litre bait bucket, in top compartment of the bucket i have my hook bait, baiting needle, scissors, bait stops. In the other hand i carry my ultralight Korum chair.
Its not to bad if walking on fairly flat ground, i wouldn't like to lug it through dense undergrowth etc.
 
The bag is the key thing for me - the larger it is, the more stuff you’ll be inclined to put in there.

I take the following when roving:
-Rod / reel (leave the rod bag in the car)
-1 pint maggot box with flouro / hooks / lead
-Freezer bag with chosen bait (usually meat)
-Net
-Mat
-Single bank stock with adjustable “V” head
-Drink of some sort in jacket pocket

What I leave at home:
-Rucksack / bag
-Rod bag
-Scales
-Chair
-Food

If I do need to take a bag then I’ve got a Trakker “bum-bag” one that works well as can fit most stuff in there + car keys / phone.

I told a mate we were “going roving” last Sunday and he came with so much gear he only bothered to fish two pegs. That said, the pork pie he bought with him was tasty.
 
Trevor Summerfield said:
Been struggling with this for a while.The biggest problem item of tackle seems to be umbrellas. Now using the River Lite but it is also heavy. had a Daiwa flatback at one time which was good but not tough enough for river fishing. Quivers also need to be light but none are, also carrying two made up rods can be a night mare. I am not a big bloke plus getting on a bit so maybe its the end of river fishing for me.
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The Gardner quiver ( I bought mine on this site) is very simple in construction and light. I like the way it sits on the shoulder. It doesn't slide round all the time like the Korum ones I've had do. You can easily carry two made up rods and the wrap round flaps which are velcro fastened will house the biggest of reels no trouble at all. Good bit of kit imo.
 
John Parker said:
For those with experience, what is the ultimate setup for a relatively long walk? I'm thinking mats, rucksacks, nets etc
I was asking myself this as I was struggling back to the van yesterday, so thought I would throw it out there!
I had gone for an unhooking mat/sling rather than a rucksack and regretted it...
I also ditched the pod after the first day in favour of single banksticks....
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The Gardner rucksack and quiver for me. The quiver is light and well balanced so doesn't constantly swing round. The rucksack is big but comfortable and holds everything you need for a full day. Bait and everything can be put in the rucksack so all you need to worry about is a seat. I can happily walk to distant swims with this. A roll up mat attaches to the rucksack via velcro straps. Having one hand free means I can open gates etc without putting everything down. On slippery banks I tend to use my landing net pole to steady myself.
 
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