Yeti Rolling Duffel Comes Through Big for Fly Fishing Travel

I'm heading to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for some Steelhead and Smallmouth bass fishing next week. The steelhead are in the rivers, and the smallies are becoming active. Chasing two species of fish means I need to bring more than one size fly rod. I'm bringing one each in a six-weight, seven-weight, and eight-weight.

Yeti Crossroads Luggage Is a Fit for Fly Fishing Gear

The Yeti 72L Roller Luggage is making my life easier with fly fishing travel because I can fit single-hand 9' fly rods in it if I lay them diagonally. I find a rod tube that can fit two rods and lay it sandwiched between my clothing.

The Yeti Crossroads 73L/29" Wheeled Luggage is filled with clothing, a fly rod tube with fly rods, and fly reels. — I can fit two fly rods in one tube, which perfectly fits in the Yeti Crossroads 72L Luggage. The upper half of the duffel has a lot more room for packing. | photo by Ken Baldwin

I'm not a fan of travelling heavy. I try to keep my luggage down to one check-in, one carry-on, and a backpack. If I can get away without having to bring a carry-on, that's even better.

The Lighter I Travel, the Easier the Trip

Traveling through an airport with only a backpack is my idea of freedom. So far, the Yeti Crossroads Luggage, because of its roomy size, has made this happen for me more this year than ever before. Sliding through the airports with just a backpack and my hands free makes the whole ordeal actually enjoyable. And I arrive at my destination not feeling like I've been beaten up.

Tested Over Time

Here's what works for me when I travel: I put two rods and two reels in the Yeti Roller Luggage. The third fly rod, which is in a slim, custom plastic rod tube I made, is attached to my backpack. Again, I'm trying to travel light. I carry a matching fly reel in the backpack. If my check-in luggage is lost, which will happen if you travel enough, I have at least one rod I can fish.

For Fly Fishing Destinations off the Beaten Path

With fly fishing trips, getting to the final destination can sometimes mean a lot of vehicle transfers, undeveloped roads, and brutal luggage handling. The upside to the Yeti 72 liter bag is more than its size. Like all of Yeti's products, it's made with attention to detail and has the extra level of quality that Yeti is known for. Go ahead and beat it up; it can handle it.

Traveling Light Makes For a Better Airport Experience

Flying used to be easy; it's not anymore. It seems to get more and more difficult every year. Airlines don't care about your comfort; they care about squeezing as much money out of you as possible. You must do what you can to make flying easier because the airlines won't. Traveling lighter is one way to make the whole ordeal simpler and less of an energy suck.

Going through the airports with just a backpack has greatly improved my comfort level when traveling. I throw everything in the Yeti Crossroad Roller, including my fly rods, and now airports are a breeze to get through. I have a beer before boarding, watch some sports, and then casually walk to the gate. KB

"The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing.” - Herbert Hoover

The gear reviewed in this article was provided to me at no cost for evaluation. The views and assessments presented are my own.