Breathable Wader Recommendation

Eric Patterson

Eric Patterson

Moderator
Staff member
The last pair I bought (Macks PW) were total crap. They leaked badly at the seems in the legs and crotch. I'd like to have another pair but not Macks. Any recommendations for a pair that also have a warm boot?

Eric
 
My dry plus waders from cabela's are pretty good. The seams leaked after some stressful hiking, but some aqua seal fixed that. I think the boots are 800 gram insulation.

They now have the warrior version with neo lowers and dry plus uppers. I have not tried this, but plan to if the current ones give out some day. After five years they still working well so it may be awhile.
 
Another endorsement for Cabela's Dry Plus. I got them a couple years ago and like them alot. I never have damp waders at the end of the day and don't even use my boot drier anymore. Time will tell if they last but so far so good.
 
Eric,

I'll throw in a third for the Cabelas Dry Plus. I have the waist high and the zipper front Waders. Like Pete said.
 
I have the First Flight breathables from Cabelas. They won't fit what you are looking for @ only 400 grams in the boots, but another vote for Cabela's brand breathable waders.
 
My Cabelas dry plus lasted exactly 2 trips before the whole right boot came off at the seam. I have Lacrosse now that are starting their 3rd season next week. 600 grams thinsulate in the boot. I go back to Neoprenes in late December and January.
 
another vote for cabelas. I just got these for this seaso and love them. If you search for a post Eric where I asked the same question not that long ago, you may get even more insight.

One thing about these waders, if yo have smaller feet, the upper chest the rest of the wader may be tight. I have size 9 feet and the waist, and chest of these waders are snug. I couldn't go with the size 10 boot as it woudl pull off my foot if caught in muck. The chest and waist fit good though.

Don't go with stout. Shorter inseam than most people have.

Mark W
 
I had a Dry-plus rain coat that lost water-proofness after a couple years. It was not abused, but simple used and it doesn't rain that much here in Idaho. That gives me serious doubts that dry-plus wader will keep you dry.

My personal recommendation of breathable waders is: No.
 
I wear breathable waders for work as well as for fishing and hunting. I'm in them something like 180 days per season some years, and from long experience have some thoughts.

(1) Boot foot waders stink. They have rotten traction, and in deep sucking mud or wet snow, the boots are loose and will pull off your feet. Stocking foot waders with good wading boots are much better--and warmer too.
(2) You can either buy inexpensive waders and expect them to leak pretty soon and need replacement, or you can pay top dollar and get waders that will be dry for a long time, and that the manufacturer will stand behind. Among my fishing buddies, almost nobody has anything bad to say about waders from Patagonia or Simms--except that they are wicked expensive. Both companies have excellent reputations for customer service, too.
(3) No matter what anyone says, if you dress right and they don't leak, breathable waders are warmer than neoprenes, so long as they are roomy enough that you can really pack on the layers. Late season duck hunting will see me with 2 pairs of long johns and heavy fleece pants, and 4 layers of polypro and fleece on my torso under the waders with a wading jacket over the top. Being a big guy to begin with, I look ridiculous, but I can hunt or fish in comfort.
(4) Barbed wire sucks. So do beaver dams.

I've decided to just suck it up and pay for top of the line waders. I can usually get 2-3 years of service out of a pair before they wear out, and when that happens they'll start with slow seeps that are livable even in the real cold, and with some minor repairs (Aquaseal rules) I can stretch that another year once with nothing but minor and repairable leaks. If they fail before that--and that's only happened once in my last 4 pairs of waders--Patagonia has replaced them quickly and without question. I think I'd probably have spent more going with bargain waders and replacing them more often.
 
I have a pair of Simms stocking foot waders and Simms boots for fly fishing. They are great.

For duck hunting I went with the LLBean breathable waders. I really like them. Two years and no problems that I haven't caused on my own. Sharp objects cause damage. Since I know that, it has been my fault. They were repaired successfully and have not leaked due to any manufacturer defect.
 
I'm with Jeff on the stocking foot waders. I agree with all he said, and here are a couple of other things that I think are big pluses for them:

Way more comfortable to move around in. They are more like a big pair of pants, they don't cling when you sit down or get up, easy to get in and out of a boat or up a steep bank. A lot more foot dexterity with wading boots than with boot foot waders. If it gets real cold, then I go with some older Hodgeman Dura-mags that are 1600 grams of thinsulate, although they are leaking (around the boot foot, where else?)-after several years. I just bought a pair of stocking foot neoprene that were on sale at Cabela's for like 75 bucks, I'll use those when it gets a little colder, but I doubt I'll like them more, I just bought them because they seemed like a good deal.
 
I have been using Lacrosse's Alpha Swampfox for the last 5 years and really like them, however, they only have 600grams of insulation in the foot. I like to wear them late in the season when i am breaking ice and really working up a sweat, but my feet get cold due to lack of insulation in the boot. Since i couldn't find another breathable wader with 1000grams of insulation, i bought a bigger size boot and double up on socks.

It seems that most hunting waders today(even the really expensive ones- $250 plus) are all made so cheaply that there are really no quality durable waders on the market. My Lacrosse Alpha's have had multiple problems- holes in boot uppers from normal wear in one season of use due to poor design/materials(they have since changed the boot design) and the other pair had leaky crotch/seams. Even though i like them alot and they seam to be durable for their weight, they are still cheaply made and the rigors of duck hunting expose their poor quality construction. However, whenever these things happen, i just send them back to Lacrosse and they replace them with new ones free of charge(if lacrosse didn't replace them, i don't think i would buy them anymore but i really don't know of a better option out there).

I had a pair of Cabelas cordura "wears like iron" waders for about 7 years. Great durability and tough as hell, but they are big, heavy(12lbs or more dry) and do not breathe at all, which was a problem for me since i am primarily a walk-in hunter. If filson would make a breathable wader that would be nice, but even filson's quality has dropped with the increase of their garments being made overseas.

Seems that most manufacturer's equate a "breathable wader" with lightweight and warm weather, so your options are limited(if any) if you are looking for breathable, warm and durable set of waders.
 
I second Jeff's comments about stockingfoot waders. If you want a pair of waders that will fit well and last more than a couple of seasons, the only options are Simms and Patagonia. If you don't mind replacing the waders every year or two, then you could go with La Crosse, Cabelas, Hodgman. They all use their own version of Gore-Tex, which doesn't function as well and is not as durable, but that's how they make them cheaper.

I've got a pair of bootfoot La Crosse waders that hangs in the basement for really cold weather, generally late November-early December up here in Wisconsin. But 90% of the time I use the Simms waders that I use for fishing year round. With the warmer weather we've had the last few seasons, I hardly even take out my heavy coat anymore. Last year I camped out on an island Thanksgiving night. Not much need for the 1000 gram thinsulate boots anymore.

Rick
 
I have been using Orvis breathable camo waders for a few years now, mainly for the early part of the season. Comfortable, especially if walking any distance. I add layers as things cool down until I ihave to switch to neoperenes.
 
I consider waders to be almost disposable, but that is due mainly to me.
I have had good luck with the cabela's dry plus and got two years of hard use out of my last pair (oyster shells, mussel shells on the bank, and green briar)
I just bought a pair of Waterfowl Wading Systems from Gander Mountain
They have reinforced knees, and seat, a real front pouch plus a hand warmer pocket and 1200 grams in the boot.
They also offered me an extended 2 year warranty.
I told them that I typically have to replace my boots every year and was told that I could cut them with a knife or even not like the way they fit and they would replace them.
We'll see how this works out, but so far after only using them a few times I really like them.
 
Ordered a pair of Cabela's dry-plus last night. LaCrosse has always been good to me and I hated to go elsewhere but the cut of their breathable waders looked a little low and I always manage to find myself in water up to my armpits. I almost pulled the trigger on the Hodgeman breathables and liked the thought of insulation but wasn't sure if the liner was effectively warm, removable, or how it would hinder leak patching.
 
Eric,

You'll be glad you DIDN"T buy the Hodgemans. I have a pair of the Cabelas waist high breathables and a pair of the Hodgeman Guidelight chest wader breathables. The Cabelas are much more roomy in the boot than the Hodgeman. I bought the Hodgeman Guidelights two years ago when I moved to Florida where I got to wear them on two occasions. At the time I did notice that the Hodgeman boot was more form fitting than the Cabelas. I had no problem putting on the Cabelas breathables last weekend but when I tried the Hodgemans I couldn't get my calve in the boot. Very disappointing but I have gained 5 lbs since moving back from Florida. I guess it's time to actually use the trend mill standing in my living room.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top