best (for the $$) chest wader out there?

[mustelameister]

I'm going to break down and buy a decent pair of chest waders before winter sets in for wading those open creeks. The old La Crosse black rubber waders about wore me out last year.

I know nothing of neoprene and all those other fancy waders I see in the Cabela's candy catalog.

Would like to hear some recommendations based on experience.

Thanks

[jwr64]

www.mackspw.com/Item--i-MPW198S

Dont know about the mail order warranty BUT If Mine start leaking I stop by the store and get a new pair. Thats the duck club warranty, 2 year, no? asked

[mustelameister]

thanks for the link

the comments posted don't look too inspiring

[jwr64]

Didnt even look at them. I wore mine about 120 days last winter, 6 to 8 hours a day. not a single problem.

[mustelameister]

that goes for about any boot today I suppose

there are good ones and those you swear at

[seldom]

Probably any 5-ply, breathable you can buy today will probably follow along this example. Every year folks ask the same question as you so here is a write-up I did to try and answer the question.-


For 6 years I worked on a toxicology project for a state university(MSU). As the old geezer on the project, I did MOST of the wader repairing for the project. We had up to 12-15 students working in waders 7 days a week for four months steady and a handful year round regardless of how hit or how cold it was. Many days, if a student doesn’t have to wear their waders all day, the waders get swapped with students that need them for their activities the balance of the workday (some workdays can extend well into the night). Those young folks wear waders HARD!! A heck of a lot harder then somebody like me that’s old enough to have learned to avoid putting my waders in jeopardy!!! A normal day for any wader we use is that it gets a constant workout going back and forth over boat gunnels, hiking through brush such as old blackberry canes, lots of thorn apple brush, crawling though and over old barbwire fences, and just plain beating the brush with them hour after hour, day after day, year after year.

Of the waders we have for the project, NONE have been able to come close to the three sets of Hodgman Guidelites we have in the lot! Three years!!! (my personal ones as well) NO punctures, NO rips, NO pinholes, NO snags! Not a single patch EXCEPT the back of the heels, which are neoprene. If the wading boots or socking foot doesn’t fit the wearer correctly, the back of the heels can start to seep after three years of darn hard service. I patched the heels that seeped and have had no further problems!!!

Cabela’s sells a comparable wader of which we have several and they come in second to the Hodgman’s. I’ve had to patch a couple of small, ½” tears in the 5-layer seat due to sliding down banks and over old boards with nails sticking up. The seats are well enough reinforced that the tears only seeped.

On a parting note, you may think you’re really tough on waders but I’m here to tell you, you have no idea how tough you are on equipment until you’ve seen how a dozen to two dozen 20-25 year olds use and treat equipment most have never wore before on a daily and yearly basis!!!

When the area I'm trapping requires me to wear waders(beaver flooding/deeper mink/rat water) and I'm still trapping canines at the same time, I'm still wearing the very same waders all day long that I originally bought at the start of the project!!! How many can say that they put a pair of waders on in the morning hike-in to wader a beaver swamp and after getting back to the truck, drive to a field where you have canine traps and walk a 1/2 mile round trip and do this repeatedly throughout the day, beaver swamps, ditches, plowed fields, barbwire fence rows, creeks, and plenty of "squwack brush" in their waders and do it 8 years running with the same pair?? Damn tough frigin waders!

[stickbowhntr]

Seldom, what do you like with them for the boots?

[seldom]

Sept 1, 2011 15:01:21 GMT -6 stickbowhntr said:

Seldom, what do you like with them for the boots?

That's a darn good question because the boots are really just as important as the waders especially with all the walking I do. I've tried two different pair from Hodgman and they were OK. I've tired two different ones from Cabela's. One was OK(I still have them as spares if I'm ever in need) but the last ones are great!! Great tread with bobs & cleats, light, and great support.

[seldom]

In addition to the above reply, I'd strongly suggest that if anybody is looking to buy a pair of breathable waders, Never, never, ever buy the ones with boots, buy the ones with the stocking feet.

The fabric is so light that it conforms to your legs but you will have a air space between your leg and the inside of the boot. This void will fill up with water and wader material as the water pressure fills the space, it also pushes the material down into the boot. If anybody remembers "Stringbean" from the Grand old Oprah and Hee Haw you'll remember his costume, so you'll get the drift. The water keeps pushing the material down into the boot which stretches the suspenders which will pull the crotch down to your knees about like Ole Stringhbean! You won't believe how hard it is to climb into a boat over the rails or climb a creek or river bank with waders like that!!!

[calvin]

I recently switched from Neoprene (was a step up from rubber) to Cabelas dry weave stuff. A very light material that is about like wearing a thin pair of pants all day. Doesn't absorb water (and get heavy) like neoprene does. Heading back to buy a second pair this week.

I spent a little over 2 weeks in them, all day long, this last spring in SD. Don't even notice your wearing waders...and they a LOT cooler if/when you want to use them in the summer heat fishing. They breathe.

[trappnman]

I don't doubt seldom a bit-

but i usually need new waders like yesterday, so head to fleet farm which is the only store that carries waders all season around here. 2 years ago, bought a pair (Winchester brand)- 75% neoprene, 15% rubber, 10% polyester- think they were like $140-

and I went 2 years in them, and still going strong with 2 leaks- and I use them hard- lots of walking, which I think helps cause leaks.

1 leak in leg, where I ran into barb wire, another leak in bottom on insole, when I tried to push a small headed rebar down. both easily fixed-

sure was a pleasure, going two winters without WET.

the drawback is as stated carrying water- but i just sit on a blanket that takes care of most.

[thorsmightyhammer]

Never, never, ever buy the ones with boots, buy the ones with the stocking feet.


Seldom, i've been wearing breathables for about as long as they have been out.

Problem I had with the stocking foot ones was it got to be hard to keep my feet warm when it got cold out.

I typically wear my waders all winter. It was tough to keep the stocking foot ones warm when it started to get below zero.

Problem I always had with the neoprene is that when it was mild out I got as wet from sweating as I would of without having waders on(almost).

[thebeav2]

FAT MAN SWEAT MUCH

[thorsmightyhammer]

Tell you the truth no I dont.

You'll never see me with a soaking wet shirt at work and it aint for lack of trying.

Problem with those gdam neoprenes is they dont breath.

Best thing personally feel I ever done was go to the breathables and a good pair of wader type pants or fleece pants underneath.,

Nother problem I had with the neoprenes is when trapping beaver at 15 below they tended to freeze pretty solid.

I cant believe they even make the old rubber type any more.

Calvin what kind of breathable did you buy? Stocking foot or bootfoot? Calvin you need to be the guinea pig and buy a pair of the Simms G3's. Pretty pricey at about 400 bucks but they look tough and if a guy could get 3 good years out of them they would be worth it.

[seldom]

Sept 2, 2011 7:17:03 GMT -6 thorsmightyhammer said:

Never, never, ever buy the ones with boots, buy the ones with the stocking feet.


Seldom, i've been wearing breathables for about as long as they have been out.

Problem I had with the stocking foot ones was it got to be hard to keep my feet warm when it got cold out.

I typically wear my waders all winter. It was tough to keep the stocking foot ones warm when it started to get below zero.

Problem I always had with the neoprene is that when it was mild out I got as wet from sweating as I would of without having waders on(almost).

It's good to see that someone else wears the breathables like I do. I've wore my stocking foot down into the single digits but usually my mean temperature is in the teens and very long at that temp, I don't need waders with my water. I just layer my feet with a wicking sock than 1-2 pairs of wool socks my wife knits for me depending on what I'm doing the most of that day and how low the temp is. Warm as toast! I do have two pair of Cabela's fleece wader pants which are toasty when it's in the single digits.

I like you am a little amazed at the lack of trappers using the breathables. Also, when I bought mine they were advertised as being "almost bullet-proof" which I can attest to them being dang tough!

[thorsmightyhammer]

I havent tried the hodgman's you speak of seldom. I wish they made them in boot foot.

When my feet get really cold in the stockingfoot is when I am on the snowmobile.

Nothing like a ten mile run with frozen overshoes to get the toes primed up.

I wear my waders almost all winter long even if I aint going purposely into the water. I've found out whether I want to or not I am going to be in the water regularly lol.

Trapping rats last winter on the ice was tough. Early snow made the ice crappy and falling through a half dozen times a day wasnt unheard of.

Only put the snowmobile on the bottom once though lol.

[mustelameister]

thanks for all the tips and lengthy explanations

I've never owned a bootless wader before. So, not too familiar with some of the jargon here. I've run in La Crosse hip boots forever. So, we'll see. Good thing Cabela's is about 30 minutes from here. Probably have to go in there with the catalog and figure the "new stuff" out.

[trappnman]

went shopping for waders at Gander MT once- the kids there were tellking me all about te new waders, etc and etc, on and on-

finally asked them- how do they perform FOR YOU?

well, now that i asked.......................

[seldom]

[quote author=mustelameister board=talk thread=25276 post=311225 time=1314993360]thanks for all the tips and lengthy explanations

I've never owned a bootless wader before. So, not too familiar with some of the jargon here. I've run in La Crosse hip boots forever. So, we'll see. Good thing Cabela's is about 30 minutes from here. Probably have to go in there with the catalog and figure the "new stuff" out.

[/quote]

Well MM, since it sounds like you're going to Cabela's, take a look and try on a pair of their Guide Tech-5 plys and don't forget to try on the wading boots as well.
I hope you find what you're looking for.

[seldom]

Sept 2, 2011 14:07:54 GMT -6 trappnman said:

went shopping for waders at Gander MT once- the kids there were tellking me all about te new waders, etc and etc, on and on-

finally asked them- how do they perform FOR YOU?

well, now that i asked.......................

Clerks are clerks and trappers are trappers. This has been a good discussion about an important trapping necessity.