Neopreme or Breathable?

[stephan009l]

Thanks ryan! Appreciate the info!

[Twise95]

In my experience, owning both types, I tend to only use neoprenes when I won't be doing much moving around. This includes sitting in a boat, and duck hunting. If I'm doing any amount of real hiking, I have to wear breathables. I did a cedar creek hike in late winter a few years ago that about killed me in neoprenes. Literally, my face felt like there was a body of water on it trying to drown me.

As far as breathables go, I tend to go on the cheaper side of things. If I can get 2 seasons out of a pair of waders that only cost me $60-$70, I'm personally happy. With wading in water and rumbling through the tulips, no one can honestly expect a pair of waders to last forever, considering how much abuse they are expected to take. I bought the cheapest pair of Frogg Toggs available in 2009 and I've fished the living crap out of them (although some of you certainly fish way more then I do), and they are still working great. They have a couple small rips down by where the gravel guards are, but no seal leaks whatsoever. Pretty cool for a $60 pair.

As for wearing underneath, my biggest problem with any waders was getting my clothes to not ride up my legs when putting them on. I bought a pair of camo fleece pants from Cabela's, the ones that have the straps on the bottom for your feet, and they are truly awesome. Not only are they warm and comfortable, but it solved the problem of pants riding up my legs. You can get them in non-camo, but I haven't seen them advertised anywhere else but Cabela's. They were a great buy, and now when I fish even in the cold winter with breathables, they are typically all I need to wear, save for some compression shorts and warm socks.

As far as footwear goes, I bought a set of Cabelas wading shoes for $50 back when I bought the neoprenes, and I still have yet to need a new pair. I know a lot of you guys like to buy local and support other businesses, which is totally cool. But I honestly can't argue with Cabelas' customer service and the quality of their boots. They've held up their end of the cost and then some. Definitely can't complain.