I want to start off by saying that stumbling onto this site was one of the best discoveries I have made in a while. Reading the boards has already taken its place in my morning pre-work routine, and I have greatly enjoyed the conversations.
My question is about caring for my waders. I recently bought a new pair of simms waders; a huge step up from the boot legs I had been using for years. I am fortunate enough to work ten minutes from a great trout stream and thirty minutes away from some seriously fantastic ones. Needless to say, many work days either begin or end on one of them.
My trips are usually sporadic so I keep all of my gear in the car at all times just in case I get the itch. I was wondering, if I should be concerned about leaving my waders in the trunk of a hatch-back. Is the heat going to be bad for them (like it would be to my line - which I take in every night). I know better to keep them in direct sunlight, and they now are in a backpack (though I plan on soon buying one of those big tupperware things to keep everything in). I, of course, take them into dry after use. Should I be worried about the sun though, or the heat that inevitably gets to them even in their storage place?
Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Again the site is fantastic - keep up the great work!
I just hose my waders off after fishing and let them dry on a hanger outside for 15 minutes or so. I then bring them in the house to dry the rest of the way. I never let them dry in direct sunlight.
I simply follow the instructions on the Simms web page for proper care & cleaning…
First I would like to welcome you to the BEST flyfishing, flytying, rod building and fly anything on the web! Lots of great people here and they are always eager to help others.
I do not know what the written word is for wader care, but, I have a Mazda truck with a fiberglass cover and I always hang my wet waders on a clothes hanger in the back when finished fishing and they usually stay there til the next trip. I have always been afraid that if they were put somewhere where they would not dry completely, that there would be a problem with mold/mildew. Hopefully, someone here will let you and I know the proper way to store them.
GBF,
I read somewhere that the heat in the car on a summerday are bad for the waders, but still worse for the rod. When I have my gear in the car, I try to park at the shadows (Tree, building, etc). If you get them in a plastic box, you could take the box to the office, isn’t it?
Malevo
“It is not our differences that divide us; it is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences” Audre Lorde
I have all the windows on my vehicles tinted with [url=http://www.formulaone.com:766d9]http://www.formulaone.com[/url:766d9] .
It is UV resistant and very effective. In my state I can use the dark tint on the rear windows, light tint on the front windows, and I put the UV sheild on the windshield in the front. I do this because my wife has had issues with skin cancer and this tint removes the harmful UV while we are driving. Could protect your waders too.
He died for me, so I could live for Him.
He gave His life for me, so I could give mine to Him.
He became like me, so I could become like Him.
[This message has been edited by mtb4jc (edited 30 April 2006).]
[This message has been edited by mtb4jc (edited 30 April 2006).]
My Dad had a set of waders literally for decades. He always dragged along an old blanket to cover them while driving (keep them out of the sun), hosed them down once he was done with the trip, and hung them upside down with this hanger he made that supported the boots. I’ve seen hangers similar, but not the same, on the market now. He always stored them in the basement until he needed them later. (I might add, we lived in Colorado, so the lack of humidity might have something to do with longevity as well as care.)
I still have those waders, and they’re still in great shape. It’s not, ‘great shape for their age’, it’s just ‘Great shape’. I bet they’re at least 30-40 years old now.
Great hand-me-downs for the grandsons. (I might add, I’ve worn them, too, with an extra washcloth rolled up into the toe. Our feet were three sizes apart.)
After using I’ll rinse off, especially if I’ve used them in salt water. Then I have a special wooden hanger where they are hung out to dry. When in the back of my truck (fiberglass cargo bed cover), have one of those large plastic bins where I keep them neatly folded along with my vest and net. Bottom line is that I get good mileage out of my waders!
Thank you all for the warm welcome and the advise.
I always wash and dry my waders inside. I was a little more concerned about the heat and UV rays deteriorating my waders after this process. I wasn’t even aware that I should be worrying about my rod also! I think I’m just going to go in search of some sort of UV protective box…