Best way to store or hang waders?

[flyfishfairwx]

I have both neoprene and breathable waders, what I am asking is what is the best way to hang them or store them?

I am planing to make a rack in the new garage that my wife and I built with 1 1/2 inch doweling and hang my waders, and use one of those golf bag organizer things, to put my boots, rod and cases and other stuff on/in.

My plan was to have them hang by the suspenders, hoping to let air in and dry and deodorize them at the same time.

Does anybody else have a system or way of doing this?

Pictures and plans step by step directions would help

Thanks in advance for any help or advice you all can provide

[Greg H]

I would tend to hang them upside down. This is the model I use http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0011358810157a.shtml. Cool air (like from a damp/perspiration/rinsed wader) will fall - out the bottom of the wader. Hanging upside down the wader will stay open and dry. If it is really wet either from a dunking or washing you will obviously hang them upside down. When I have hung waders by the straps I notice that I have to hang them much higher (straps don't like the weight), but more importantly they waders tend to collapse when hung by the straps and are not open for evaporation at all.

[flybinder]

I have a pair of Chota brand bootfoots that have just ended the 4th year of their career as a very heavily worn pair of waders and I merely keep them "loosely stuffed" in my mesh top wader bag. They're a breathable pair of chest highs.

My stocking foot, neoprenes, (Hodgmans), I keep hung up in my tying room by their boot feet. "Air, flows up, like a chimney", more or less, when waders are hung "feet up", as mentioned, and this really allows them to dry out properly. I also heavily sprinkle the inside of my neos with corn starch, after every trip, if they've gotten too damp inside. This rapidly absorbs a lot of excess moisture. (and, easily shakes back out).

My stocking foot breathables, I also keep "loosely stuffed" into the same type of wader bag, my boot foots are kept in. They're William Josephs and are 5 years old and going strong. (neoprene booties, breathable uppers).

Greg's right on the mark........... "hanging by the suspenders, will not allow the waders to dry as properly or quickly, collapses the tops, as well so the air flow is greatly reduced". Of course, this also plays hell with the longevity of your suspenders over time!

One thing that I do, that in my own opinion, lengthens the life of any type wader....... is to turn them all, "inside out completely", when returning from a day's fishing and leaving them that way, overnight.
Just, some suggestions!!
Paul

[Normand]

just try to keep the top open when hanging by the suspenders and the should be fine.

after using mine, i hang them off the balcony railing of the deck and the usually completely dry in an hour or so. i do turn them inside out for the ride home. that side will be completely dry by the time i get there.

i then fold them up and store them in my wader bag.

[Joe Valencic]

I only use breathables, but I make sure they are dry inside and out, then put them back in the mesh bag that came with them and keep stored in the house. Not that homes are vermin free, but it's less likely a field mouse or other critter will make a home in your boots or waders if they are inside your home or at least inside a zippered, breathable bag.

Joe

[ducksterman]

Being influenced from years past having had waders crack where the bootfoot met the wader...from folding over....I'm always careful however I do it not to have any folds or creases.

[Bamboozle]

I'm with Joe!

I'm talking stockingfoot breathables here:

First of all I ALWAYS hang my waders both inside and right-side out after every fishing trip until COMPLETELY dry. Then once dry; I loosely roll them up and put them back in a mesh or nylon drawstring bag. Then they get stored in a big zipper duffel until the next trip. Meeces do get into my garage on occasion and once made a nest out of some felt liners in a pair of snow boots so I don't take chances.

The fact that Simms, Cabela's, Chota, Patagonia and the rest package their waders folded in boxes and they sit that way in the fly shop until they're sold; leads me to believe there isn't an issue with folding breathables.

Back in the day when I wore boot-foot rubber or rubberized waders; I stored them upside down hanging from one of those "wader hanging hooks" that hooks behind the boot.

Also if you use rubber; store them in a plastic bag AWAY from heat AND electric motors which emit ozone. If you do they will be less susceptible to ozone cracking although the sun will eventually kill them.