Wading Pants Advice Sought, Please

[Joe Billingsley]

I'm finally retiring my old hip waders and am going to get some waist-high wading pants for the small streams in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. I have narrowed it down to three - Simms G3 Guide Pants, Simms Freestone Pants, and Patagonia Gunnison Gorge Pants. Some of the questions I have are:

Are the G3's quite a bit heavier and, therefore, hotter (or warmer, which could be a good thing sometimes) or less comfortable than the other two?
A lot of wader comparison reviews say Patagonia's waders are the most comfortable on the market. Do you agree or not?
Which of the three has a belt system that is the most comfortable and functional?
Which, if any, of these three do you have and what do you think are their pros and cons?

Any advise and suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you for your help.

Joe

[ScottP]

Joe,

I would avoid any Simms Freestone waders, pants or chest. Had an older pair of Freestone chest-highs, that gave me 4 years of pretty good service. When they started leaking in the feet, I sent them back to the factory and received a brand new pair, which started leaking, again in the feet, within a few months. Unfortunately that was in April and I'd been fishing a number of very cold tailwaters in MT. Just happened to be around Bozeman, so I called the factory, told them the story and was invited to drop by - 45 minutes later I show up with still wet waders. Talked to their service rep, who said they'd moved production of the Freestone line "offshore", and the quality control was problematic. He also said they'd replace my Leaking Lena's again, for free, but I'd probably be bringing them back with 6 months with the same issues but, for a slight cost, I could upgrade to a pair of Gore-tex (made in USA), which would keep my feet dry. Didn't have the cash at that point so I took another pair of Freestones which, true to form, sprouted multiple leaks in the feet by July (actually a bit ahead of schedule). Finally broke down, paid for the upgrade and, knock on wood so far, have kept my toes dry. Freestones? - never, ever again. Simms, which prides itself on it's reputation within the FF community, is doing a disservice to it's customers by even putting them in its product line, especially at $200+.
Rant over - gotta go out back and put some snow on the back of my neck.

Regards,
Scott

[Joe Billingsley]

Thanks, Scott. Do you know if the new Freestone line has been "improved" any since your experiences? Know anything about the Patagonias?
I hope the snow has cooled you off a little!

Joe

[ScottP]

Joe,

I got rid of my last pair of Freestones last year, which were only 6 months old; unknown if Simms has done anything to fix them since. I've been happy, so far, with the Headwaters I traded up for (I see they make them in convertibles, which could meet your needs for $100 less than the G3's). No experience with Patagonia waders; sorry.

Scott

[Trigg]

I have the Simms G3s. Have no experience with any of the others, so I can't compare. But I love the G3s. They fit well and are comfortable. Have a wide belt with a sturdy plactic buckle that's completely functional. They have a fly and waterproof zipper which makes them true pants rather than waist-high cutoff waders. (Had some Cabelas waist-highs that I hated.) Down side is the cost.

[Byron haugh]

I have a pair of Orvis' fleece lined wader pants. They are great......especially on cold/cool days out there.

[dave potts]

I bet those "cold/cool days" in Hawaii are really brutal aren't they Byron? LOL

[sgallas2]

Haven't used the Gunnisons but the two other Patagonia waders I had were very comfortable. I heard Orvis was putting out a waist high wader a year ago. Never happened but I picked up a pair of their convertible sonic waders and they are the best fitting pair of waders I've ever owned.Easy conversion .
Best,
Steve

[Byron haugh]

I bet those "cold/cool days" in Hawaii are really brutal aren't they Byron? LOL

Good one Dave!

I use them when I go to Montana. Can be quite cold there even in early July. Have been snowed on there on the 4th of July!

[Brian Moffitt]

I have a pair of the Orvis Pack and Travel wading pants and am very happy with them. As Steve noted Orvis was supposed to release a Sonic Seam wading pant last year but it turned out the convertible wader/wading pant was such a huge seller for them they decided they didn't need a wading pant in their line. If you want a very similar pant at a price point about 1/2 of the Simms G3 look at the Redington Sonic Dry pant. I have their waders and have absolutely no complaints about them after several years of use.

Brian