"Army" Waders - Fancy Footwork - Wait and See ?

[Bobfly]

I have had for many years a pair of remarkably hard wearing ultralight waders from Orvis of a type they no longer make (as ever !!!). These have twice had overall Diver Dave treatment but are generally well on to the extent that the old neoprene feet are so gummed up with sealant that they were that stiff that they were nearly impossible to put on.

I have therefore cut off the feet up to the bottom of the "Goretex" bit and installed new feet made from British Army waterproof boot liners costing a tenner. Used Stormseal/Aquasure for the overlap and for a run around the top edge inside and outside. They are now rolling up to a very small size and the plan is to carry them and use them with my cheapest hill boots and an old pair of thin cheap nylon gaiters. I hope this is a plan that will come together. Deeper scope than wellies and similar. See pictures below.

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[Wildfisher]

Excellent!  Well worth a try. 

[Bobfly]

I will have to make sure to keep the grit out so gaiters should be the way to go. Neoprene feet will be more grit resistant than these "Goretex" type feet. The whole lot weighs in as though a pair of plain overtrousers.

[haresear]

Great idea. All my waders leak, but I never knew you could get goretex boot liners. Must get some.

Alex

[Bobfly]

The Aquaseal or Stormsure sealants will not work on the type of material that makes up modern "non-rubber" wellie boots and so on. So, trying to attach the normal kind of plastic rubber wellies to a breathable fabric using those products does not work. That is what I tried at first and I could undo the glueing quite easily. With these army boot liners I was joining fabric to fabric and putting on a sealant first along the middle of the material overlap and then the upper inside of the waders overlap, having turned them inside out, and then the outside overlap edge as well. I had the outside wader material overlapping the army bootie by about an inch or so. So I used a whole tube of Stormseal in making three spreadings for fixing on the two feet allowing each application to cure in turn. They do not look like coming off as the glue gets right into the material surfaces and the result is very very well stuck together. My only concern is in relation to gritty material abrading the bootees as I presume that neoprene socks are fitted to most waders because it is more resilient, unless it is chosen for keeping feet warmer, or both. Hence I am using usual hill gaiters over my boots.

[Allan Crawford]

Nice job, what about trying some sort of sock over the gortex boot to help protect them ?

[Bobfly]

Yep, the plan is to carry the rolled up waders with my hill boots that take two pairs of socks. Then put on a thin pair of socks then the waders then other socks that will get wet and also gaiters back on to keep out the crap. Walk back with the boots and a spare second pair of socks if needed.

[Bobfly]

I have Sealskins socks, and great they are for the hill and general use. I also have a pair of Snowbee neoprene socks and thought to put them on the bottom of the waders in the first place but fabric to fabric looked more reliable and simple for adding new feet on.

[Bobfly]

Yes indeed - that was what I used to use the army socks for in the past, or, if the distance was shortish I would just walk back in the damp boots. Mostly I just walked back.

[scotty9]

Wet feet all day everyday for 4 months didn't do me any harm on my last trip, once your feet are used to being wet they're fine as long as you let them dry every night. Wouldn't bother me at all now about getting boots wet when out on a hike. Leaky waders though, that's a different matter cause you desperately want to stay dry  :lol:

I like this idea, super lightweight and compact waders, excellent.