10-02-2009, 10:10 PM
The trick to staying warm with breathable waders is to put a pair of polypropylene long underwear on first followed by a pair of fleece pants or as someone else has already suggested, use nylon pantyhose next to your skin and then go with the fleece pants. I used to wear jeans under waders and found that as you sweat and it begins to evaporate, it will make for a very uncomfortable experience. Breathable pants made from material like fleece are a much better option as well as multiple layers of socks using the same recipe, something very light like silk or nylon next to your skin followed by socks made from wool or a synthetic blend(anything but cotton) between the nylon sock and your waders.
On the original subject, I've owned Hodgman neoprene and Orvis breathables, both were pretty good. I just bought a pair of Simms breathables for this season and they are by far the best waders I've ever owned. A little spendy at around 250 bucks but in my opinion are well worth the money so far. I can't really comment on the durability aspect since I've only had them since last March. So far so good. There's also been some significant advancements lately with wading boots, as far as being lighter and offering better traction. There's a movement under way to ban felt soles on wading boots, so to be ahead of the curve you might consider purchasing a pair without the felt. I bought a pair made by a company called Cloudveil and they're as light as tennis shoes and very comfortable to wear while wading and fishing, even if you're covering several miles of river.
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On the original subject, I've owned Hodgman neoprene and Orvis breathables, both were pretty good. I just bought a pair of Simms breathables for this season and they are by far the best waders I've ever owned. A little spendy at around 250 bucks but in my opinion are well worth the money so far. I can't really comment on the durability aspect since I've only had them since last March. So far so good. There's also been some significant advancements lately with wading boots, as far as being lighter and offering better traction. There's a movement under way to ban felt soles on wading boots, so to be ahead of the curve you might consider purchasing a pair without the felt. I bought a pair made by a company called Cloudveil and they're as light as tennis shoes and very comfortable to wear while wading and fishing, even if you're covering several miles of river.
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