Picking up where our Koala and Koala Lite left off, the Steelhead Chest rig is designed with the outdoorsman in mind. Much like its nomadic namesake, the Steelhead is meant to make long treks over varied terrain more predictable with quick access to important items without taking your pack off (or leaving your main pack behind entirely). Three separate work zones allow you to customize your chest rig to your activity.
The Front panel has two reinforced stretch pockets with internal dummy cord tabs for important items like GPS devices. The center pocket is tapered to hold fishing tools like hemostats or line clippers. Built in retractor exits above the center pocket will accommodate a few alligator retractors in the hidden pocket inside the top of the inner mesh pocket. Velcro loop over the tool pocket allows attachment of drying foam or patches.
Inside the Front pocket is a zippered mesh pocket, reinforced wide mouth gussets and on the back are 3 reinforced stretchy pockets. The zippered Mesh pocket has a key hook on the inside as well as a pocket below the retractor garage to stick your ID / tags / fishing license. The zipper of the main pocket is reinforced with two stretchy gussets to allow the pocket to open wide and catch anything you might drop, including snipped line and components. The back panel has three segmented reinforced stretch pockets. The outer two are sized for most common fly boxes while the center one is great for spare tools. Above the two outer stretchy pockets are tabs for dummy cording your fly boxes. The front pocket clocks in at about 150 in³.
The Firearm pocket in the back is designed to be hidden mostly from view and is sized to hold most pistols, aside from the large hunting style single shots. There are two rip tabs with sewn in handles that you can lace through the zipper to have instant access to this pocket’s contents (careful to not lace the zipper pulls behind the rip tab). Velcro lined on both sides; you can also set this up as a workstation if you choose using any hook backed pockets or organizers. Tabs sewn at the top of both sides allow for stringing the included 45” Paracord to create a stable shelf to work off. Dual sided zipper pulls allow you to choose which side works best for you. Put them on the inside if you want to have a low-profile pistol carrier with zipper pulls that won’t interfere with the draw (2 heat shrink tubes included if you have a hammer on your firearm). Move the pulls to the outside tabs if you want to use your Steelhead as a workspace where you will be accessing this pocket frequently. Above the back pocket is a velcro loop patch for drying foam or name strips.
The Steelhead Chest rig can be outfitted with the Steelhead Harness that can be worn under any of our packs. The harness has a spacer mesh back that will cool the wearer down using convection cooling. A tab located at the top of the harness will work with nets, either using magnets or retractors. The bottom straps have elastic anchors and are the same replaceable units found on the Hydro Harness
