Looking for some cheap fishing waders?

Help me choose chest waders.

• Neoprene of plastic? 3mm or 5.5mm? Pockets or no pockets? Help me choose my first pair of waders! I need a good pair of chest waders w/ boots attached for waterfowl hunting. I have been borrowing an old pair of cheap neoprene booty style waders and using some nice Caddis fishing wader boots, but it is time for me to get my own pair. So many choices! One of the guys I hunt with has some Cabela DryMax waders that are uninsulated but very light weight. The other guys all have neoprene. I seem to get either really cold or really hot, no in between. Requirements: $150 or less Chest Waders Duck Blind/Realtree Max 4/Or other wetland pattern Must last me more than 1 season :p I am leaning towards Neoprene just because of the warmth they will provide. I am a skinny guy w/ size 9 foot as well. Do I buy a size 9, or get a 9.5? Also my sister works @ Sportsmans Warehouse and can get stuff at Cost+10%, I also have access to the Columbia Employee Store but unsure of the discount. I stopped by Cabelas yesterday (2 hour drive) and the cheaper 3mm Neoprenes were $139 (Or $109 on their website..). Please help a waterfowl/wader newb!

• Answer:

  (From Mr Jamaro, who is absolutely thrilled to see a duck hunting question come up in AskMe) The best system is to go breathable and then layer underneath as needed. Second choice would be neoprene. Rubber would be dead last. But there are some considerations that may sway you one way or another. If you are going free roam with lots of walking in water you'll love the breathables. If you have a blind and are scooting out on a quad the neoprene and rubber won't be too bad. However, rubber can be brutal if you have to move a lot and you are hunting near freezing temps you don't want to break a sweat in them. It will give you the shudders something fierce. If you hunt alone most of the time as I do you have to really plan for the worst in weather. The ideal undergarment will be polypro (I think you can get some at sierra trading post which is where I get my stuff) it will keep you warm and in wick away moisture if you overheat in either. Here's the things to consider. Breathables: Pros: Can layer up as needed - so they work in any weather. Flexible for a lot of walking with stocking feet and the right boots. For boating and moderate walking the built-in boots models are great. Easy to patch but you have to work on the seams your first season no matter what brand you get. Cons: If you go stocking foot model and trek through a lot of sandy soil at the bottom of the pond your boots may get sand in them and it will grind a hole in the sole of your wader foot. Have lost a few pairs this way. Easy to patch but you will have to patch them. You can get aquaseal and some ripstop nylon scraps from the fabric store and keep it in your car for multiday trips. Stocking foot waders will not keep your feet as warm boot models in the coldest weather. Neoprene: Pros: Durable and warm. The big plus is that they will usually outlast the breathables. Cons: When they do leak they are a little harder to patch in the crotch or at the boot edge. In the early season (at least out here in CA) they are murder to free roam in, as you will fill the waders with sweat. If you are hunting refuges or a blind with levee access you can always just keep them in a back pack or on a cart and put them on at waters edges so you don't overheat during the hike in. Stockingfeet have the same problem with sandy soil as above (as sometimes the ankle protectors just don't work). I think in terms of quality at your price range? I would give the edge to the thinner neoprenes as you can with a little care get 2 or 3 seasons out of them. In 2 seasons a 150 buck pair of breathable will likely not be holding up well - plus those additional layers if you do them well are going to cost you more than you may be willing to spend.