As I sit here planning for my annual western fishing vacation, I couldn't help but think about all the advances in fishing products that are geared toward the traveling angler. From hi-tech luggage to quality multi-piece rods to interchangeable sole boots, there are numerous items now available to help the vacationing angler enjoy their trip. While by no means representative of everything currently available, here are some of my favorite "travel" items.

Starting with luggage, in my opinion there is nothing more important to the traveling angler than a quality well-designed wader bag. Not only is this the absolute best way to pack your critical fishing items for travel, this is a real convenient item for day-to-day use while on the road (I live out of mine!). While many options are available from companies such as Fishpond, William Joseph, Sage, Orvis, and LL Bean, my absolute favorite is the large Wet/Dry Wader Bag by Abel.

The Abel Wet/Dry Wader Bag has a vented compartment on the bottom for storing wet waders and boots, a large fold-out mat for changing, a large upper compartment for your vest, rain jacket, wader, belts, etc., two side zipper compartments for accessories, a carrying handle, shoulder straps and convenient tuck-away backpack straps. At approximately $125, this is a "must have" for anyone who plans to do any level of fishing travel. Better yet, use this year-round as I do!

On the subject of waders, while waders are a no-brainer these days (think breathable chest waders), boots present a real challenge to the traveling angler. With space at a premium, most anglers are forced to bring only one pair of boots. With the myriad of conditions one can expect to encounter, while any boot will provide some level of utility, none will cover all situations. From large freestone rivers, to meadow streams, to driftboats, each condition found warrants a different boot.

While studded felt soles are the best bet for wading rivers such as the Madison, they are not allowed in most driftboats and rafts. As such, standard felt soles are a necessity. However, felt (studded or not) is all but useless when walking meadow streams such as Slough Creek in Yellowstone Park or Flat Creek in Jackson Hole. Here is where a rubber lug sole excel. With that said, a well-designed pair of multi-sole boots are the best option for anyone planning on traveling to fish.

While there are several brands of multi-sole boots available (or previously available), none are as well-designed as those offered by Korkers. Available in two models ($79 and $129 respectively), Korkers offers an interchangeable sole boot that actually works! Standard with both felt and rubber lug soles, studded felt soles are also available for an additional $29. With three soles to choose from, the angler gets a full range of utility in a fraction of the space required to carry three pair of boots.

Next on my list of travel items is a pack rod. While you can and should travel with your normal rods, you should always carry an emergency travel rod that never leaves your side (in case your primary rods are lost or damaged). For those who can justify the expense, there is no finer travel rod than Winston's 8'9" 5-weight, 5-piece LT. At roughly $650, this is one travel rod that can do it all! If the price tag for the LT is a bit too high, try Redington's 9' 5-weight, 5-piece Wayfarer at just $195.

Moving on to clothing, with limited space available, I am real careful in regard to what I bring on vacation. Over the past few years, I have become a big fan of zip-leg pants. Serving as both long pants and shorts, zip-leg pants are your best option. Available from many sources, my favorites come from Simms and ExOfficio. The same goes for long sleeve "tech" shirts with roll-up sleeves. Suitable for a broad range of conditions, these are all I bring. My favorite is the ExOfficio Airstrip ($75) and Redington Gasparilla ($39).

Another key item is a large duffle bag for your cloths and personal items. These are readily available from a number of sources with good options available from Abel, Fishpond, William Joseph, and Sage. Like a well-designed wader bag, a good duffle bag can make your life much easier when on the road. Look for a duffle that top loads for easy entry, has wheels for dragging through the airport, and is large enough to carry all of your clothing and non-fishing items.

If like me you carry valuable and fragile items such as cameras, camcorders, binoculars, cd's, extra sunglasses, etc., a good "Gear Bag" is in order. Since these items are so important to our trip and so tough to replace if lost, stolen or damaged, regardless of where we sore them when we are at our destination, we also pack them separately and carry them on to the plane with us. Compact with adequate padding, and a strong and comfortable shoulder strap, the Abel "Tackle Bag" stands above all others for this purpose.

While not hi-tech, a cooler is another great item for the traveling angler. Not only is it useful once you arrive (it sure beats Styrofoam!), it is a great way to check semi-fragile items such as travel mugs, etc. Over the years, a large plastic cooler has become a staple on our trips. After one or two trips you are bound to have a handle broken by the luggage handlers. When this happens simply drill some holes in the side and make rope handles that cannot be damaged. Also, be sure to strap your cooler shut.

With a little planning, your dream fishing vacation will not become a nightmare. Nothing puts a damper on a vacation like lost or damaged luggage or forgetting to bring key items. Lost, damaged or simply delayed luggage is nowhere near as rare as many would like to believe. As such it is important that you carry on what you can. Create a check list and add and delete items after each trip based on what was and was not used or needed. In a few years you will have a list that covers 95%+ of what is required.