I'm gear obsessed. This is a common malady in our sport. I have reels I don't have rods for, lines I don't have reels for, and rods I only have the occasion to use a couple times of year. I have sink tips for every imaginable scenario, fluorocarbon and mono in a stupid variety of sizes, and ten times the number of flies I should have. And yet, with all this gear, I've spent the last 5 years toting most of it around in what amounts to a giant duffel bag, rummaging through it feverishly and unproductively whenever I need to find something. Non-fishing gear essentials (camera, lenses, apparel, etc) end up stuffed in with the rest of the mess, treated with less care and respect than they should be.
When the need for a proper gear bag became undeniable, I began the search for a bag that would provide organization options for my over-abundance of gear while providing adequate protection from my carelessness and the elements. These days, it seems like there are ten times the number of options there were just a few years ago, so choosing the right bag seemed quite the task. After way too much exploring, I ended up picking Fishpond's Storm Mountain Gear Bag. The feature set seemed impressive, and given Field & Stream named it one of 2010's Best of the Best, the chances of receiving a dud seemed slim.