Fishing Clothing and Gear that Earned Return Trips to Panama
We test a lot of clothing and gear on our fishing trips around the globe and even when I don’t perform a detailed review you can tell that gear passed the test when you see it on multiple trips. There are certain items that stay on the top of the pile and get used more than others. Sometimes it’s for clear, performance-based reasons. Other times it’s more subtle than that – I just feel comfortable using particular items, they don’t surprise, disappoint or otherwise fail me.
Yesterday, I detailed some new items that will be headed to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge for the first time. Today, I’m going to list a few that have already been there and earned their right to return.
This cooler has gone with us on all three of our prior trips to Panama. We check it through packed lightly on the way down, and loaded with yellowfin fillets on the way home. I’m sure they’ve beaten the crap out of it, but it looks virtually new and all of our precious cargo arrives still frozen. This is an absolute no-brainer.
I have lots of shorts that I love, but these are my absolute favorites. I got the grey camo version nearly a decade ago and they’re still in great shape. I think I wore them four out of every five days during the pandemic. I’ve added two more pairs. They come broken in and don’t ever look or feel worse.
I bought these after our first trip to Panama, when I fished barefoot and beat the holy hell out of my toes when scrambling to get in on the tuna feeding frenzy. They’re stain-resistant, dry fairly quickly, and shed tuna blood easily. Perhaps most importantly for old guys like me, they provide lots of support.
We’ve now printed a bunch of mostly one-off leather patch hats for ourselves and for return travelers to exotic places. This blue and gray one was one of the earliest, and it shows it with sweat stains and fading, but I still break it out for comfort and a bit of tuna mojo.
When you’re fighting a big tuna, you’ll contort yourself into all sorts of weird positions, and if the twig and berries get bound up you won’t be able to focus on the important battle. AFTCO’s boxers are moisture wicking, antimicrobial and stain resistant, so you’ll avoid crotch rot if you’re exhausted and fall asleep in them before dessert is served.
Since I’m bringing some of my own tackle this time, I’ll probably have to rig it up and tie knots of my own. My declining eyesight may require the use of the readers to make sure that everything is failproof. Pro Tip: Always bring two pairs of sunglasses on every fishing trip because if you lose or break one you’ll be covered.
