Ultralight Wader Recommendations Please

[Bernard]

Dear fellow members of the board,
I am reminiscing about my times spent in my SIMMS ultralight waders. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated for something similar or the location of a lost stash of this line of waders. I want something I can compress to a very small size and weights little.
Very much appreciated!
Bernard

[fshflys]

I have a pair of Patagonia wading pants that are quite small & fit great. I've never had Simms, had Orvis & the Patagonia' fit way better. Example, the Orvis had neoprene booties that would fit a size 10, I wear size 8 & my Patagonia booties fit perfectly. They come up for sale occasionally for $150.

[briansII]

I have no experience with these waders, but it sounds like they may be what you're looking for.

http://seattlebackpackersmagazine.com/l ... rs-review/

I've owned 3 pairs of LL Bean waders. Unfortunately I had to use their excellent warranty on all 3 pairs, because of premature leaks. That was several years ago though. I would guess they have since fixed those problems.

I remember the old Simms Ultralight waders. Light, but very durable. If you can find discontinued Simms Blackfoot waders, they were more packable than the Guides. Same for the older Freestones.

briansII

[Bernard]

Thanks so much so far!
I'll look into these options asap.
Bernard

[billfish3r]

Im currently using the adamsbuilt truckee wader. I been finding it lightweight and comfortable compared to the other waders that Ive had in the past. If anyone is looking for wader recommendations, I would suggest you look at these waders.

Fish3r

[clee]

I have a pair of Patagonia Middle Fork waders for those nonfishing specific travel, backpacking and summer mornings when you don't want to get wet wet wading. Wore them this week in Colorado a couple times. I don't know how long they'll last but this arent my primary waders and only for the tasks mentioned above. One thing to get use to is the stockingfoots which are made of rubber opposed to neoprene. So your everyday wading boots will fit loose. These waders pack to the size of a thermarest sleeping pad.

I have a pair of simms packable waders (I don't recall what the model name) that have been discontinued for ages now that I've left in Asia for when I visit there. Those were similar to those Middle Forks but the stocking foots were the same laminate fabric as the wader itself. They packed smaller than the MFs. Both are just over a pound in weight.

Not sure how long either one will last. If the Patagonias are anything like their "premium" waders it won't be long.

[Bernard]

I love seeing an older thread survive. Thank you for the comments. Every now and then I splurge on something but pulling the trigger on those Patagonias is hard! I know they ROCK and Patagonia is very good about customer/product support. Hmmmm ...

[clee]

I love seeing an older thread survive. Thank you for the comments. Every now and then I splurge on something but pulling the trigger on those Patagonias is hard! I know they ROCK and Patagonia is very good about customer/product support. Hmmmm ...

Lol. I didn't realize this was a three year old thread. BTW Patagonias suck. Everyone I've ever know who's had one, whether high end or low end models, complained they leak. And they leak rather quickly. You are right though CS is excellent.

[McFlyfi]

One year, I took a scale to the Bass Pro Shops in Ontario. I went into the flyshop and started weighing waders. None of them were what I would call "light"- all over 2.5 lbs. On the way home, I hit the now defunct flagship Sport Chalet in La Canada, and weighed out a pair of basic, cheapo Caddis- right around 1.5 lbs. I still have and use them for ultralight float tubing. Taking the buckles/harness off saves another 1/4 pound.

I tried a pair of Hodges vinyl waders on a whim, I don't recall what they weighed, but I am pretty sure it was under a pound. Pretty much one time use though, but at 15 bucks, it was worth the attempt.

In my experience, cheaper can = lighter, the "budget" makers are using fewer plys of a thinner material.