Chota "Hippies" Waders

[204guy]

Anybody have any experience with the Chota hippies?
I'm needing something for stream crossings. I've done the roll the pants up barefoot thing, never again. I've worn crocs which works so so. But something that keeps you dry for crossing slushy snow melted streams is very appealing. My thoughts are to take my boots off slip a lightweight hip boot on then use crocs or vivobarefoots as a wading shoe to cross. I'm aware of the glacier socks which I think would work for this. The wiggy's I haven't read the best reviews about. These chota's seem to get good reviews and weigh 11 oz which is the same as the glacier socks. Decisions.

 

[chopchop]

I've got some friends that do a lot of stream surveys for a state agency in Kansas... lots of in and out of mid thigh to ankle deep streams. They have all converted to these chota wading socks/hip waders and haven't looked back. The chotas are much lighter weight and cooler than the rubberized canvas they used to use.

They wear them with wading boots, so I don't know how durable the things would be without some sort of protection, but they've had them for several seasons now and still going strong. They tend to wear them all day... roll them down in the truck, get to the stream, roll them up and go.

I've almost pulled the trigger myself a couple of times, but I end up either wearing breathable chest waders or wet wade if I'm in and out of a boat.

I'd be careful using crocs for stream crossings - in my experience they get pretty slippery.