For years, it was hip boots but then I got tired of wading "just a little further" and filling them up all the time.

So I broke down and bought neoprenes. I started with stalking foot but they leaked horribly in the foot in less than a year (I hike alot). Then I tried neoprene boot foot waders and had a little better luck. They are going on 3 years but damn near every seam leaks badly....especially down the inseam and the crotch. Am I expecting too much out of neoprenes? I always wash and hang them out of sunlight. I don't abuse them when hiking. It just appears that the seams don't hold up well with even moderate use. I should probably mention I have used middle-of-the-road hodgman neoprenes.

Which brings me to breathable waders. I am looking for something that has bullet proof seams and comes in bootfoot. Money is not an issue as I will pay if the durability and quality are there.

Do you fellas have any suggestions? I'm kind of burning out on neoprene leaks and want something more dependable.

Thanks.

This may sound wasteful, but I usually buy the inexpensive neoprenes, $50-60, and hope to get 2 or 3 years out of them. If I rip or tear them when hunting, I don't worry too much.

Had a friend spend an ungodly amount on some "indestructable" waders, only to rip them on a barbed wire fence on his third trip out. He was in a bad mood for a week, then he told his wife, and she was in a bad mood for a month!

If you take good care of them I have gotten as many as 4 seasons out of them. Your hiking puts a lot of additional stress on them, and they weren't designed for that. Maybe pack them in a daypack and put them on when you get to your fishing spot.

Andy

Hey Eric,

I just got a pair of the high end stocking foot Dan Bailey waders this summer in trade for some stuff and I'm loving them so far. Switched to them after wearing out the feet on a pair of Fly Techs. I think Bailey makes a boot foot version too that I'm eyeing for winter boat fishing. Salmon Bay in Seattle carries them. Good luck.

Bruce

I bought a pair of breathable waders last year and have not been disappointed. Before that I always got neoprene but will never go back after the breathable. Even in November for the chums I wear the breathable and just put an extra layer below them. I got the cheapest Orvis that I could buy (I typically never get Orvis stuff but Cabela's was sold out and on a two month back order. That should be another posting as I usually like Cabela's gear but I have had bad luck with both neoprene waders leaking and out of stock breathables even though they continue to send mailing after mailing advertising specials on their breathable). I don't know if Orvis make's a bootfoot version but regardless I would advise some version of the breathable membrane wader. -Old Chum

Ronny makes a breathable wader that comes in bootfoot or stockingfoot and is touted as indestructable. It has a titanium fiber woven into the breathable fabric. The manufacturer at the Sportsmen's Show was dragging pieces of rusty barbed wire across the fabric to demonstrate it's durability. They shipped a pair to a friend of mine who gets all the freebies and we put them through the paces last winter on the SW coastal streams. It was fun making him bushwack through clearcuts full of blackberries, over barbed wire fences, even a tangle with some old logging cable with masses of broken wire sticking out of the mainline. No leaks first winter of use. They have a thin layer of neoprene in the butt and knees for padding. Downside...about $375.

Long before L.L. Bean sold sweaters to yuppies, they sold "Bean boots" and outdoor gear to hunters. I've got a pair of breathable waders (stockingfoot) that have held up well for seven or eight years, no leaks.

The best part is, L.L. Bean has a lifetime guarantee on all their gear... if I ever get a leak, they will fix or replace it... no questions asked... check it out:
http://www.llbean.com/customerService/aboutLLBean/guarantee.html

I went to college in Maine, I knew kids that would wear out a pair of shoes, bring them back, and get a new pair... crazy!!

-N.

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

Chucknduck, do you know who carries the Ronny brand? I've never heard of them but they sound like what I'm looking for.

StorminN....I checked out the L.L.Bean page. They have 3 different styles of breathable waders.....which style do you have that have held up for 7 years? I am suddenly in the market for new breathables.

http://www.flys shop.com/centers/industry/09-99newprods/prods.html
Try the above link and scroll down past 3/4 of the other stuff and look for Titan Waders. It gives Ronny's phone number. Looks like lots of on-line shops are carrying the Titan line also.

Eric,
Saw that Cabela's has a "breathable" bootfoot made for hunting that they claim has a similar titanium material and neoprene lining meshed into parts of the breathable. Its on page 261 of the master catalog (fall).

Thanks again fellas!