Chota Tundra Hippie waders

[mcseal2]

Just curious if anyone had tried these? Looks like the stocking foot part is just a bit thinner than the Simms G3 waders I have. Simms said there neoprene is 3.5mm, Chota shows theirs as 3mm. On my moose hunt the Simms G3 boots and chest waders worked well. I think the chest waders might be overkill for caribou, but I wondered about taking the Chota tundra hip wader and the Simms boot? I need some ankle support and the G3 boots provided that. Also my feet stayed warm and dry on the moose hunt being in and out of the water constantly.

Thanks to anyone who can give me some advice.

Tundra Hippies Adjustable Hip Waders

The Tundra Hippies are built just like our existing Hippies with the addition of a new, tougher outer material. The new material is twice as tough as our regular Hippies with no noticeable weight increase. The Tundra Hippies are geared toward those more adventurous folks that tend to take the...

www.chotaoutdoorgear.com

 

[ilikeshootin]

I used the standard version every day for 10 days in alaska. It was the perfect combo for me.
I needed the ankle support from the G3 boots for long hikes and the waders were great, pull them up or push them down. They seem a little thin or fragile...but they're not too bad. In the front of one of the waders the thread started to pull where the hook grabs your boot laces . Could be my fault as I tried to pull the hook as far forward on my boot as possible... an easy fix for sure. Super glad i didn't wear muck boots or hip waders. They held up just fine. no rips, tears or any other damage. Wasn't busting through willows all day every day.
I would recommend them. Sounds like the new ones are even better. They look pretty sweet.
Bring extra socks for sure!
I did a lot of research and I think I came up with the best option....for my situation anyway.

 

[CentOregon60]

Those look like a good option for many situations, unless breaking brush...

 

[Kevin Dill]

Help me understand something. The Chota Hippies or other (stockingfoot waders) require the use of a wading boot...correct? The boot gets wet, but the water stops at the wader-foot. So now we've got a wet pair of boots on a breezy 25 degree morning as we wait for a moose to show up. Or maybe we wake up to colder temps and the wading boots are frozen stiff (not to mention colder than heck) when we go to put them on. Am I missing something? My feet are aching just thinking about this. What say you guys on this?

 

[mcseal2]

You are right on how they work. On my moose hunt though my feet stayed warm. It wasnt 25 but it was cold enough to see my breath several mornings. The 35 degree or so cold rain with wind weather that chills me about as much as anything. The neoprene must insulate pretty well. My socks never got nearly as damp from sweat either as they do in a muck boot when I wear them on the ranch. I have not worn them in temps cold enough to freeze them at night yet. On my caribou trip we will have a Mr Buddy heater in the teepee since there likely wont be much fuel for the stove.

What would you recommend for a boot that has anole support for that wet of weather? Cabelas doesnt have the ones you liked for moose anymore do they?

 

[Kevin Dill]

They might be perfect for caribou in decent temps....and of course your topic is posted in regards to caribou hunting. For moose, I commonly wake up to a frozen/frosted interior. We've hunted many mornings when the valley temps were in the teens to mid 20s. One morning it hit 7 degrees.

I'm just trying to figure out how feet stay warm with basically a couple pair of socks and a 3 mm neoprene footie....on such cold mornings. My feet tend to get cold even wearing an insulated dry boot....let alone wet, cold boots to start the day. But hey....I'm always open to learning.

Cabela's no longer has the boots I use. My best boots for caribou have been the Zamberlan Vioz 1012 GTX in conjunction with waterproof gaiters. I wore these boots for 7 consecutive days in extreme wetness and the interior never got wet. My feet were probably the most comfortable I've ever experienced on any hunt....period.

 

[Huntmaster]

This combo is what my Kodiak brown bear guide recommended to bring on my hunt this spring. He wore them the entire hunt. I brought a muck boot with wader combo that I knew fit my feet. I have a pair of the Simms and Chota in my gear room, but I haven't used them much though. I would think this combo would be great for caribou. I'm going to take them on my Newfoundland hunt this fall.

 

[Amazer]

I have used the Chota Trundra Hippie the last two years in the Alaska interior for fishing and hunting, I love them. They are tough and are holding up well. It's great for Caribou and early Moose season. Later in the fall you have to layer up with socks to keep it warmer or have a good way to dry them out every night. It nice lowering them when you are highly active and keeping the sweat down from building up. Hunting on the Tundra they are fantastic. If you want to run a Hip Wader its a great choice. Also get a longer rain coat to keep you dryer in downpours.

 

[mcseal2]

Thanks everyone. I think I will get a pair. They sound perfect for my earlier season river fishing too.

 

[Nick Muche]

My buddy wore them on a caribou hunt for around two weeks. He loved them, we called him “choda boy” every day. Fun times.

 

[mcseal2]

Just made it home from baling hay and listening to a Tundratalk podcast with you on it Nick. I could see someone getting picked on with your crew, you guys sound a lot like me and my friends.

Thanks for the info. I am glad to hear they are holding up. I agree the name is pretty goofy and doesn't exactly inspire great confidence in their toughness. I don't care what they call them if they work though. I don't trust my ankles to Muck or similar boots in the tundra, and don't want wet feet if I'm in my Kennetreks and gaiters. We will be dropped along a river that I might want to cross also. I will buy a pair now and try them out on the river.

Before leaving for my hunt I will talk to my transporter again, hopefully right before if we can work out a way I can reach him then. I can ask what the river is like, if I can cross it with hip waders or chest waders or if it's to deep for either. I can make my final decision what to take then. I will wear my Kennetreks for the flight up and have them along either way. Worst case I'll throw them all in my big duffle and leave whatever doesn't look like it will be used at their place with my travel clothes before going into the field. If I pay $75 for another bag on the flight up to AK to make sure I can keep my feet warm and dry I'm fine with that, I just don't want to add unnecessary weight and bulk to what actually goes into the field.

 

[Nick Muche]

It's a tough crowd mcseal! But if we can't mess with one another what can we do!?

Mucks are surprisingly forgiving in the tundra, it's all I wear up there.

 

[mcseal2]

I wear slip on cowboy boots every day for work since it involves riding a horse a lot of days. My ankles are really flexible due to all the riding and walking on rough ground with no ankle support. I don't seem to injure my ankles very easily, but the flexibility they have can cause a fall. It has on some of my mountain hunts with a soft boot like a Danner Pronghorn in my younger years. Miles of side-hilling was really hard on me in them. Since going to a stiffer boot like the Kennetrek Mountain Extreme or Cabelas Meindl Alaskan I have had no trouble. I just worry about Muck boots because of the lack of ankle support for me. The Simms G3 boots have a lot more support and worked well for me packing my moose out so I trust them more.

 

[AK_hunter]

Kind of a late reply, but I’ve worn my Chota’s with Simm’s G3 boots on a fall bear and a caribou hunt now. If you’re planning on breaking bush, I put gators over them. They’ve held up great. I like them better than my Simm’s wading pants in that they are a lot cooler when hiking. Only downside compared to wading pants is that your butt gets wet when you sit down on stuff.


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