Waders

[Takem]

Cabela's Dry Plus have been good for me.

 

[USMC-40]

Rogers brand breathables for me. Current pair is on season 4. We hunt pretty hard, some boat hunting on public ground too, where we are climbing in and out of the boat

 

[Big Ern]

I’ve worn and some point or another most brands. Here is my take on a few of the waders i have used/owned:

Sitka waders: current breathable waders Inise. Awesome waders. Comfy and durable. Kind of -minimalist design. Really like these. The boots are great. Comfortable, good traction. Knee pads actually are a nice feautrue...came in handy during a dry field goose hunt. Pricey, but worth it in my opinion. Super breathable which helps if you hike a lot in your waders.

Banded: comfy, but were junk. Leaked after 49 hard days, buckle broke, just poor fit and finish. Not the waders I would recommend if you hike a lot on public land to get away from the crowds. Duck club crowd who roll the argo to the blind may like the baggy comfort

Orvis: great waders. Before sitka, these were my favorite. Durable and great warranty. Boots are meh, though.

MPW: use their neoprene waders for cold weather. Have held up strong for 2 seasons so far with 2 January trips to Ark. like these a lot. Good features and boots are nice.

 

[Holocene]

My hunting partner and I run USIA waders here in Oregon for hardcore duck hunting (50+ days/year).

+1 that they are the Carhartt of waders, except actually made in USA and repairable by the factory.

Pros = super durable, customizable, 100% waterproof, you can choose any boot (stock is Boggs), dry faster than neoprenes.
Cons = non breathable so can get clammy, a litle stiff and loud compared to neoprene, expensive

Overall, this is my favorite wader of all time due to durability, effectiveness, ability to repair and customize.

 

[bayoublaster7527]

Been hunting in waders a while, gone through canvas to neoprene to new breathable ones. They all leak at some point, generally speaking 1-2 seasons of hard Ark hunting does em in. I have a pair of banded insulated breathables I got as a gift. Had em about 3 seasons, no leaks so far but I don’t hunt as hard or much in timber now. I will say they are super comfortable, warm, and a million times easier to walk in than the old 5mm neoprenes.

 

[tt_johnsclist]

So I ran the USIA waders for a full season and thought I would follow up. Pros - super durable, I would be surprised if they ever leak! The Bogs boots are warm if sized right. Customizable. Price point is pretty good for higher end waders. Hand made in USA. Cons - clammy and almost wet from condensation inside on cold days. Heavy and a little stiff. Boots (Bogs) run small. Very slow delivery from order date. Custom pockets are not that easy to access.

I’d still rate my Orvis’s better, but I certainly will still keep and use these waders for a while, especially anytime durability is needed.


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[andydwyer]

I'm pretty new to the world of hunting, but this I know a bit about. I fly fish quite often, and a low budget guy so I do a lot of research. The most important factors for breathable waders are fit and care. You actually have to wash them more often than you think to keep the membrane working properly. As for fit, if they're snug at all, especially when you take a big step and they pull at the crotch, they will leak soon. At least 3/4 of all wader failures are at seams -- probably mostly in the booties and crotch.

Inseam fit is really important if you want them to last. I think that makes Simms and Patagonia the best choices because of their huge variety in fits and gracious warranty. The 2020 Patagonia line looks really great and super tough for beathables. Another choice is the Redington Sonic Pro - I haven't tried them, but I hear great reports and their customer service is actually much better than their 1 year warranty if you take proper care of them.


Personally, I'm trying to save for the Reddingtons (or hoping to unwrap some in the morning ) since the fly shop I trust the most in northern MI reccomends them above Simms.

 

[ridgefire]

I thought leaky waders after a season or two was the norm until I bought Simms. I probably had ten years in them before I sprung a leak. More than impressed with them. Sitka waders will probably be my next hunting waders.

 

[Loco4dux]

Time will tell and the price hurts up front, but the Sitka waders are legit. I finally couldn’t handle leaky waders and replacing waders at minimum every other year.

 

[backcountrynative]

Agreed with Chase_D. I have not heard a single good thing about Banded Waders. I would definitely go with breathable waders but look at Rogers or Drake. If in the budget even Sitka.

 

[Holocene]

My hunting partner and I run USIA waders here in Oregon for hardcore duck hunting (50+ days/year).

+1 that they are the Carhartt of waders, except actually made in USA and repairable by the factory.

Pros = super durable, customizable, 100% waterproof, you can choose any boot (stock is Boggs), dry faster than neoprenes.
Cons = non breathable so can get clammy, a litle stiff and loud compared to neoprene, expensive

Overall, this is my favorite wader of all time due to durability, effectiveness, ability to repair and customize.

**End of year update to my USIA waders. Had a great season and ALMOST made it through without leaks but did spring one at the place where my boot is glued to the wader. This was undoubtedly from really tough mud hunts where I was pulling and tugging at that union with strength that you'd expect to cause a small tear. They are going off to USIA for repair so I'll try to remember and follow up about that experience.

I finished the season with my Patagonia super light packable fishing waders and really liked how I can take off my boots, turn the waders inside out and thoroughly dry them between hunts. That's a feature I like, so I might check out those Orvis waders for duck hunting in the future.

End of day, there's no perfect rain jacket and no perfect wader. They all seem to leak eventually, so all the better to learn how to make good repairs.

 

[Gaffer]

I have no experience with the red zone elites. But You can't go wrong with either Simms or Sitka waders.

 

[Jimss]

I've been using and abusing Simms waders for years. They have a lifetime warrantee.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Simms, the ONLY name in wader manufacturer IMO. I’ve been wearing Simms Gore-Tex waders now for about 25 years and currently on my 4th or 5th pair, but I still have the first pair I ever bought, and they still get used occasionally.


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[full choke]

I am opposite of most people who have responded here. I use whatever cheap breathable waders I can find. Sierra Trading usually has some Hodgemans on sale about now- always under $100. I only use stocking foot waders. I cannot stand waders with boots attached. I usually get at least two seasons out of a pair, more if I want to patch them.
My problem is never leaking seams- it is always punctures. Barbwire, sharp beaver chewed sticks, that kind of stuff. The kinds of thing that are not under warranty. No reason to spend $300 plus on waders that will get holes regardless.
For me- cheap lightweight breathable's work great- just properly layer your clothing underneath.

 

[jeffpg]

This reminds me that I have a new set of Simms that have been used one time. Like new in size 11 if anyone is interested in them.

 

[duckkiller1518]

Anything from banded will leak. Hate it but they are working on it but no good currently. Have had several macks pw big ditch last me a while.


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[bear run]

This reminds me that I have a new set of Simms that have been used one time. Like new in size 11 if anyone is interested in them.

I have interest .

 

[jeffpg]

I still have the Simms waders.

 

[Tradchef]

I’m a simms fan and they are made right down the road. They are expensive but they are worth it.