There was a time not too long ago when a personal flotation device (PFD) was only that—a device that would float a person. Coast guard–requirements, so the story goes, precluded adding pockets, because PFD wearers, in theory, could fill those pockets with lead, and the device would no longer float itself, let alone a person. The requirements have since changed, and approved PFDs now have a variety of pockets.
The Chinook is a cross between a PFD and a fishing vest and has as many cubby-holes as an old roll-top desk. There are 10 pockets, five on each side. The lower pockets are stacked three deep: a Velcro-flapped pleated pocket, a zippered box pocket and a zippered pocket that lies flat against the body of the PFD. The top pockets have a Velcro closure panel pocket on top of a zippered box pocket. With the exception of the two inner pockets at the bottom, the pockets have either grommet or mesh drains. (Those two inner pockets are flat, so they can’t take on much water and will slowly drain through the stitching.) The zippers on the four boxed pockets are positioned so that you can easily peer into those pockets. If you run out of room, there are five attachment points along the zipper. The upper-left pocket has a patch of Velcro pile designed to hold fishhooks.
The Chinook has two side cinches in addition to a waist belt. The back has its foam panel placed up high, above a mesh panel that supports the cinch straps and waist belt. The configuration at the back keeps the PFD from hindering layback rolls.
If you subscribe to the theory that our working memory maxes out when dealing with more than seven (plus or minus two) elements, we suggest that you leave at least one pocket empty.