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Lightweight wading shoes instead of waders?

W

wildmed

Active Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2019
Messages
100
I can't stand wearing waders or even hip boots and I've tried many different pairs. I think I just sweat easy or something because in waders I get boiling hot and swampy even when it's chilly outside, then I freeze later once I am stationary! I hunt from a canoe alot, so in the past I jump out in waders or hip boots and get through the nasty until I am up on dry land, then I sit down and switch into boots and throw the waders/hip boots on my back, and then if I have to cross more deep areas I have to switch out again and it is just a huge pain. That is the only way I have found to keep me from sweating. I'm sure many of you can relate if you hunt marshes and swamps, when you are trudging through that mud, its like a suction cup every step and it is alot of freaking work, and if I walk any distance in waders no matter how cold it is outside I just cook!

I'm thinking this year I might just do the same thing but jump out of the canoe in a lightweight wading shoe and a pair of compression shorts and eliminate the waders all together. For reference I am in Wisconsin, so the water is pretty chilly as the season progresses, but sweating in my waders makes me cold once I actually get setup. I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope I don't have to wade higher than waist deep, for obvious reasons hahaha!!! I'm thinking it might be better to just bite the bullet and be cold jumping out of the canoe but warm up as soon as I dry off and finish walking to my tree than to sweat like a pig and freeze later on once I'm setup? This is essentially what I did crossing rivers on a trip in Alaska. Even though the water was freezing cold from snow melt, once I toweled off and put on dry socks and boots and started hiking, I warmed back up right away.

Anyone have the same issues with waders/hip boots or have ever tried this strategy of using a lightweight wading shoe for whitetail hunting?

(Obviously use common sense once it's dangerously cold, don't get frostbite or hypothermia)
 
wildmed said:
I can't stand wearing waders or even hip boots and I've tried many different pairs. I think I just sweat easy or something because in waders I get boiling hot and swampy even when it's chilly outside, then I freeze later once I am stationary! I hunt from a canoe alot, so in the past I jump out in waders or hip boots and get through the nasty until I am up on dry land, then I sit down and switch into boots and throw the waders/hip boots on my back, and then if I have to cross more deep areas I have to switch out again and it is just a huge pain. That is the only way I have found to keep me from sweating. I'm sure many of you can relate if you hunt marshes and swamps, when you are trudging through that mud, its like a suction cup every step and it is alot of freaking work, and if I walk any distance in waders no matter how cold it is outside I just cook!

I'm thinking this year I might just do the same thing but jump out of the canoe in a lightweight wading shoe and a pair of compression shorts and eliminate the waders all together. For reference I am in Wisconsin, so the water is pretty chilly as the season progresses, but sweating in my waders makes me cold once I actually get setup. I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope I don't have to wade higher than waist deep, for obvious reasons hahaha!!! I'm thinking it might be better to just bite the bullet and be cold jumping out of the canoe but warm up as soon as I dry off and finish walking to my tree than to sweat like a pig and freeze later on once I'm setup? This is essentially what I did crossing rivers on a trip in Alaska. Even though the water was freezing cold from snow melt, once I toweled off and put on dry socks and boots and started hiking, I warmed back up right away.

Anyone have the same issues with waders/hip boots or have ever tried this strategy of using a lightweight wading shoe for whitetail hunting?

(Obviously use common sense once it's dangerously cold, don't get frostbite or hypothermia)
Click to expand...

I use some convertible and breathable waders I got form Cabelas many years ago, theyre awesome.

When im on dry land i roll em down just like boots and when it gets wet i pull them up to my waste. They breath enough i dont get hot when im in the swamp either.

Sadly, i think they discontinued em but perhaps there is something similar out there idk, just a thought? I could imagine wearing wading shoes tromping through WI swamps in the fall but all the more power to ya if it works for ya.
 
I was looking at those Choda hippies or Yoder chaps which sound like the same thing as what you mention. Maybe someone has experience with those? Seen a few reviews and tried a cheaper version something similar and wasn’t completely sold on them. I just get sick of hauling the hips boots around and taking them on and off. Most of the spots I am wading for 10 minutes at most, usually less, to get onto a main island or isolated patch, then it’s mostly dry ground after that except for one or two smaller water/muck crossings, so I get sick of hauling the waders around. Dan Infalt calls his rubber boots foot aquariums because he just knows he’s going to fill them with water and dump them out once he gets on high ground which got me to thinking, why even where the rubber boots? Why not just wear something minimal to protect your feet a little and just towel off a bit and put dry socks and boots on when I get to high ground! The water is still icy here in WI so I’ll have to give it a try this weekend and report back haha hopefully I don’t freeze off any toes!


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wildmed said:
I was looking at those Choda hippies or Yoder chaps which sound like the same thing as what you mention. Maybe someone has experience with those? Seen a few reviews and tried a cheaper version something similar and wasn’t completely sold on them. I just get sick of hauling the hips boots around and taking them on and off. Most of the spots I am wading for 10 minutes at most, usually less, to get onto a main island or isolated patch, then it’s mostly dry ground after that except for one or two smaller water/muck crossings, so I get sick of hauling the waders around. Dan Infalt calls his rubber boots foot aquariums because he just knows he’s going to fill them with water and dump them out once he gets on high ground which got me to thinking, why even where the rubber boots? Why not just wear something minimal to protect your feet a little and just towel off a bit and put dry socks and boots on when I get to high ground! The water is still icy here in WI so I’ll have to give it a try this weekend and report back haha hopefully I don’t freeze off any toes!


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Click to expand...

I hunt similar to you which is why I bought those convertible hip waders and theyve really fit the bill. I have one spot i go about a half a mile across pretty deep swamp to hunt the bedding on the other side of it, its a bitch and Ive often sunk right up to my hip many times.

The idea of toweling off doesnt seem all that appealing to me but i see how it would work if youre going to towel off and get dry before hunting but what about heading back out and having to put wet shoes on again in the cold? Id seriously look into those Choda hippies or yoder chaps youre talking about as unfortunately there just isnt a large market for this stuff as there arent many swamp hunters compared to the strictly dry land guys.

I even saw a Youtube video once about "swamp shoes" i think they were called???? Where you sort of floated across the mud and such without sinking in much but was never able to find them or any more info on them.

Good luck, its tough out in them swamps!
 
Thanks for the input! I’ll look into the hippies and try those out! I agree we hunt similar it sounds like, I go over my hip boots all the time too, not fun! For early season I guess it makes more sense to just get wet, but yeah coming back out you make a good point, I didn’t really think of that.


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2 heavy duty trash bags. Slide one on each leg. They fit in a small pocket and weight nothing.


Sent from parts unknown
 
wildmed said:
And I know what shoes you are talking about, DIY Sportsman had them in a few videos. They are called mudders


www.mudderboots.com

Mudder Boots | For Marshland Mobility

Mudder Boots Co
www.mudderboots.com


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Click to expand...
Combine the Mudders and Wiggy's waders and you'd be good to go...

www.wiggys.com

Lightweight Waders (Thigh High)

Manufacturer of the finest sleeping bags and outdoor gear in the world. Nothing keeps you you warm & dry in cold, wet conditions like Wiggy's!
www.wiggys.com www.wiggys.com

 
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