3 Veterans Projects You Should Know About

It's Veterans Day and a great opportunity to highlight several new projects within the fly fishing industry to support the organizations who's missions are to assist those who fought for our freedoms by giving them opportunities to heal and spend time on the water.

SIMMS - WARRIORS AND QUIET WATERS WADER
You might remember in the wrap up IFTD - Bakers Dozen of Cool post about the Simms Warriors and Quiet Waters G3 Wader which are now listed on the Simms website and in stock at select retail locations as well.  Proceeds from the sales of these waders will benefit Warriors and Quiet Waters and the goal is to raise $100,000 for this organization.

From the Simms press release...

"This Veterans Day, Simms is honoring those that have served our country like only it knows how—with the creation of a special edition Made-in-the-USA fishing wader. 

For a limited time only, Simms is offering a special edition G3 Guide™ Stockingfoot to benefit the Bozeman-based Warriors and Quiet Waters Foundation (WQW).  WQW helps reintegrate traumatically combat-wounded U.S. veterans and active service members from recent wars into society by building hope and resilience, facilitating camaraderie, and providing security and serenity through fly fishing and other high quality therapeutic recreational mediums in southwest Montana. 

The G3 Guide Stockingfoot – Warriors & Quiet Waters wader is the company’s first foray into a custom wader, made possible by utilizing the country’s last remaining wader manufacturing facility.  The new special edition G3 Guide™ wader features 5-layer and 3-layer GORE-TEX® Pro Shell fabric, Multicam® camo pocket, belt loops and top hem, WQW custom patch, and all of the same features found in the award-winning G3 Guide™ Stockingfoot. 

“We have been partnering with Warriors and Quiet Waters Foundation since their launch in 2007.  The benefits are extraordinary for everyone involved,” says Diane Bristol, Simms’ Sr. Director, Employee & Community Engagement and Warriors and Quiet Waters Board Member.  “Each time the warriors come to Simms, we are honored and humbled to be able to play a small part in their recovery.” 

Simms has been supporting Warriors and Quiet Waters Foundation, hosting each of the organization’s week-long Fishing Experience (FX) trips to Montana during the fishing season.  Each warrior is outfitted with a selection of Simms gear and is given a tour of Simms’ wader manufacturing facility. 

“To witness the power of fly fishing on these true American heroes is breathtaking,” says K.C. Walsh, Simms President.  “We hope the fishing community will embrace this special product offering because its story is much more important than just staying warm and dry.” 

The special edition wader will remain on sale until all inventories are gone.  In total, the offering is attempting to raise $100,000 for the organization.  Anglers can see the wader at or at select special retailers across the U.S.

Established in 2007, WQW is known as the “gold standard” in therapeutic recreation programs for combat-wounded veterans from recent wars. To date, WQW has helped more than 450 of our nation’s warriors and their spouses in their recovery from seen and unseen injuries. For more information on Warriors and Quiet Waters Foundation, please visit www.warriorsandquietwaters.org"

Click through to the Simms WQW webpage for more information on this Limited Edition wader which includes several videos on the creation of this project and some behind the curtain looks on how these waders are made.

UMPQUA ZERO SWEEP PACKS AND BAGS
Another mention from IFTD were the redesign of many of the Umpqua packs and bags with the Zero Sweep series.  These bags and packs were designed with a goal of creating clean lines free of snags and many of the features came from the suggestions of Special Ops veterans.

From the product launch of the Zero Sweep bags and packs through all of next year, a percentage of profits will go to benefit Discover Courage.

From the Umpqua press release...

"When Umpqua Feather Merchants (Umpqua) reentered the packs, bags and vests market in 2014 the results were impressive. The entire line received overwhelmingly positive feedback from consumers and several products received industry accolades and awards. But that did not stop the 40+ year old company from furthering its legacy of designing and offering the most innovative and highest quality products to anglers around the world.

At this year’s IFTD show in Orlando, Florida, Umpqua revealed the all-new Zero Sweep™ line up of products that include two waist packs, two chest packs, three sling packs, a backpack, a tech vest and a revamped Tailgater ZS Organizer. One of the products, the Rock Creek ZS Compact Chest Pack, received the “Best of Show — Youth Category” award.

In addition to improving on the original design concepts of its previous products in this category, the Umpqua product design team collaborated with a premier technical outdoor pack design firm and US Special Operations veterans to conceive and produce its Zero Sweep™ line of packs, bags and vests. A primary goal of the line’s design is to eliminate line snags while on the water through a unique system of sheaths, ports and attachment points for the go-to tools and accessories that can often cause snags. Retractors are attached inside the products on high-wear hypalon tabs and threaded out of ports where tools are stationed snag-free. “Blind” hemostat sheaths guide partially opened hemostats to snag-free clip points and orient and partially conceal the tools in easily accessible locations. Umpqua even designed unique Zero Sweep™ buckles that clip underneath flat web loops leaving no exposed edges on which lines can catch. Closed foot zipper sliders, specially designed zipper pulls and streamlined, integrated external foam fly patches whose edges are also covered round out the Zero Sweep™ design features.

 Many of the distinct innovations in our new Zero Sweep™ products were born from a collaborative effort between former Special Operations Veterans and members of Discover Courage and our design team members. As a way of saying “thanks” for both their input and their service to our country, Umpqua will be donating a percentage of the proceeds from every Zero Sweep™ sale through 2016 to Discover Courage."

Visit the Umpqua website for more info on the soon to be released Zero Sweep Packs and Bags.

VEDAVOO REEL SERVICE PROJECT
Vedavoo's annual Reel Service Project was featured with a T.F.M. post when it launched in September and this raffle continues with the goal of raising over $10,000 for Project Healing Waters.

Click through to the Reel Service Project webpage and pick up a few raffle tickets for a chance to win some original and one of a kind Vedavoo gear.

Remember to thank a Veteran today for their service.  Their sacrifice has given us all the freedoms we enjoy.