The front wader strap buckles are attached with opposite ends of the buckle to each side of the top on all DRYFT chest waders. Opposing buckles in this way makes it so that they can be clipped together, to make it possible to hang them from tent poles, racks or hanging rods without the use of a hook or hanger. It also helps the wearer find the right clip when pulling them over the shoulder. Another use that isn’t in the video, but was mentioned by a commenter is that the straps can be clipped together in front of the wearers neck, so that the front of the waders can be pulled down (for on river relief – talking to you men), and then the straps aren’t floating free and lost behind your back when it comes time to pull the front back up and buckle up.
Welcome to another Tips and Tricks video. In this video Nick shows how he carries his mid-length trout net while fishing with the BKCNTRY fishing backpack. In a previous video Jordan showed how he carries a long handle guide net, and this builds on that video by showing three additional ways to carry a net in an easy to reach position. Drop us a comment with questions or comments. Happy fishing!
This is a neat tip from Jordan Young-Treadway @treadwatersfly on how to tame your Skagit head and sink tip while swapping a fly without reeling in any line at all. If you’re working through a run and want to make sure that you start again at the same distance, this trick lets you easily swap flies without reeling in your line. Without tying off to your rod like Jordan shows here your fly line will float away and tug on your tippet, making swapping flies more difficult. Happy fishing!
Here is Jordan Young-Treadway (@treadwatersfly on Instagram) showing how he carries his long handle guide net on walk and wade trips. By looping it through the net holding loop at the bottom of his BKCNTRY backpack and also supporting the top with the roll top clips, it makes the net easily accessible when it’s time to scoop up a fish. Happy fishing out there.
We recommend cleaning and lubricating the zippers on waders on a regular basis. Zipper Cleaner and Lubricant and Zipper Lubricant Stick from Gearaid do the job nicely and will help keep your zippers operating smoothly and performing like they should. If your zipper is dirty, or isn’t running as smoothly as it once did then pick up one or both of the products mentioned here and fix it up. Happy fishing!
We get asked about the tightness of the neoprene gravel guards on the Primo Zip GD and S14 waders. We designed them to be tight fitting for one main reason – to keep sand and gravel out of your boot. Loose fitting gravel guards can allow sand, silt, and gravel to get up inside the boot, and can get pushed up by heavy current unless securely hooked in place. More about the lace hook below.
But first, let’s talk about the function of gravel guards. In this video I had been wading through a side channel that was full of thick and deep silty sand and mud. With each step I was sinking into the mud, and even though I had been wading in fast current only moments before the gravel guard was still firmly in place where it needed to be to keep the inside of my boots clean and clear of sand, mud and gravel.
Check out this short video for a detailed view of how I use the gravel guards
The functional purpose of a tight gravel guard is that it makes the lace hook somewhat redundant, and in some cases the lace hook may not even need to be used. Fit is going to be different for everyone, depending on wader size and boot size, so this may not apply to everyone. Also, some boots have a lace hook attachment near where the gravel guard sits naturally, and some boots do not. For me, the gravel guards fit tightly enough over the boot that I don’t need to use the lace hook at all. I just tuck it up inside the gravel guard itself. The guard doesn’t move on me, even when wading in the heaviest currents.
Avoid damaging your boots and waders
I like tucking the lace hook up inside the gravel guard (and not attaching it to the boot) because stretching the gravel guard way down towards the toe on a boot, where the hook is located on some boots, can pull and put stress on multiple parts of the wader and on the boot and boot laces. My waders and boots they last longer for me because I don’t do this.
This can happen if the lace hook doesn’t reach easily or comfortably. If it doesn’t reach easily, we don’t use it.
Something to keep in mind is that straight out of the box the neoprene gravel guards may seem tight, but they will loosen up a bit over time and become easier to pull down over your boot. They are designed to keep sand and gravel out of your boots, and will do their job well with or without the lace hook.
For wading safety, we highly recommend wearing a wading belt anytime you are in or around water in fishing waders. Why? Because it may help save your life if you end up falling in the water and swimming. A tight wading belt will help trap air in the lower part of the waders, and help keep them from filling up with water. Water is heavy, and waders that are full of water are extremely heavy and cumbersome. Even the strongest person will struggle to pull themselves out of the water with waders full of water. We hope you find this tip helpful. Happy and safe fishing everyone!
If you have damage to your neoprene stockingfeet use these tips to find and repair the hole. Neoprene stockingfeet on fishing waders can get punctured by things such as stepping on sharp rocks or gravel or from using worn out boots causing puncures or abrasion. Old worn out boots will damage neoprene stockingfeet when the liner is worn down and sharp edges are exposed. This can lead to damage on the top, toe, or bottom of the stockingfoot. Repairs are fairly easy and will hold up well if done correctly.
What you’ll need:
A water source for testing and somewhere dry to hang the waders.
Step by step instructions for repairing fishing wader neoprene stockingfeet
Find the hole. The first step is to look for differences in the area that seems to be letting water through. If you can see an indentation, or abrasion in the neoprene is a good indication that something is wrong in that spot. A surefire way to test the feet is to turn the waders inside out and fill the feet with water. Usually hanging the waders while doing this is the easiest way to control the flow of water when filling the inside. If there is a hole you’ll see water dripping out of it.
Water dripping out of a puncture hole. This is the inside of the stockingfoot (waders inside out) filled with water.The outside of the toe. The hole can be visually seen as an indentation. These are the same waders as pictured alongside with water dripping through the hole. A sharp edge inside a worn out boot punctured this hole.
Next step; Fix the hole. Once the waders are dry this can be accomplished simply by rubbing a small amount of Aquaseal or Aquaseal NEO into the hole, making sure to rub it into the hole so that it fills the inside of the hole. We recommend backing the inside with some masking tape or Gearaid Tenacious Tape, and then filling the hole from the outside. Once it’s full and Aquaseal fills the hole apply a thin layer out to about 1/4-1/2″ on all sides of the hole. We like to apply a small piece of Tenacious Tape over the Aquaseal at this point, which will be removed later, to make a clean and smooth exterior to the patch.
Materials you will need: Aquaseal or Aquaseal NEO, tape such as clear Tenacious Tape, cardstock (packaging works well) and scissors.Cut cardstock to a rounded point and apply small amount of Aquaseal.Rub it in and use the point to get it inside the hole or tear.Cover the area to 1/4″-1/2″ on all sides of the puncture.We’re using clear Tenacious tape here to help the Aquaseal cure flat.Apply the tape and rub out any air bubbles to the sides. This tape will be removed once dry in 24 hours.Peeling tape 24 hours later.Finished repair. The tape makes it finish flat.Finished repair.
Ever had a wet arm while fishing in the rain? The cuff system on the Primo jackets is designed to prevent this. Here is a video explaining how it works and why.
You’ve probably read or heard recommendations to dry your waders between uses, for comfort and to avoid mildew damage. You might be wondering why this is so important? The main reason is to avoid mildew growing on the inside which can damage the fabric and seam tape. Some amount of condensation will always be present on the inside of waterproof breathable waders, simply because of how the fabric functions. The material used on breathable waders works in this way; there are thousands of tiny holes, that are too small for moisture (water) to fit through but are big enough for vapor or air to move through. This allows air to flow through, hence making them breathable, but keeps water from passing through. Because the human body naturally passes moisture out through the skin, a bit of condensation build up throughout the legs, feet, knees and on the ankles is normal. If you’re interested we have more information about condensation here.
How should you dry your waders?
This is the easy part. Simply hang your waders up to dry in a warm well ventilated area, allow them to dry out completely between uses, and you’ll be ready for your next trip with dry and good smelling waders. In most situations we recommend just leaving the waders right side out, and hanging them by the hanging loop or clip the front buckle ends together and hang them up somewhere warm and well ventilated.
We’ve found that the only time we need to turn the waders inside to dry the inside is after we go for an inadvertent swim. If and when you fall in the river and fill your waders up, you will need to turn them inside out to fully drain and dry the inside before storing them. And remember to always wear your wading belt for safety!
The bottom line is that it pays to dry your waders to avoid mildew damage. Mildew is not only stinky and gross (and possibly harmful to your health), but it actually damages waterproof breathable fabrics and seam tape making them more likely to wear out and need to be replaced faster.
Do you waders have funk that you’d like to get rid of? Gearaid makes great cleaning products designed to work with our waterproof breathable fabrics.
We’ll leave you with these example photos below of what to avoid! The black spots shown over the fabric and seam tape is all black mildew, doing what it does best to damage and ruin these waders. So don’t ball your waders up and leave them on the floor or in the back of your truck!
