NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/417216
44 NEBRASKAland • DECEMBER 2014 Another Family Heirloom Retired The cold, wet truth about wader repair. By Justin Haag A nyone who has spent much time in boot-foot chest waders has surely experienced it: a wet crotch and wet socks. Wader construction keeps getting bett er, but it's a sad day when the dam of fabric intended to keep you dry inevitably gives way and moisture seeps to places you'd rather it not. I recently upgraded to a new pair of 3mm neoprene waders, but I just didn't have the heart to let go of the old ones. They were one of the first gifts given to me by my wife when we were newlyweds. Any gift from a spouse that is sure to result in hours and dollars spent in the field is an expression of true love and should gain its place as a family heirloom. Not to mention the fact that it's always good to have a spare set available for the wader-less among your hunting or fishing party. In an effort to find a repair, I went to the location only the brave should go to find important information: the Internet message boards. The experiences shared online include using a variety of patching chemicals such as Aqua Seal, made for the task, Shoe Goo, a great product which obviously has a name for another purpose, and even Flex Seal – the "as-seen- on-TV" stuff that floats a boat patched with a screen door. Aqua Seal and Shoe Goo gained the most favor in comments, by the way, as Flex Seal works best with some sort of backing, such as the window screen on the boat. In a pinch, a few commenters suggested putting your legs in a couple of trash bags, secured tightly to your body with duct tape, before dropping them in the old waders. As one who loves to incorporate duct tape in projects, this sounded mighty time-efficient and attractive. But, because I planned to write about it, I decided to further my research and find something a little more permanent. Story short: I couldn't find any product specialists who recommended attempting to fix a set of waders nearing 15 years of age. The time and money, and chance of failure, is too great, they tell me. One issue that makes repairing waders such as mine much more difficult is cracked boots. When rubber gets old, it oxidizes and breaks down, creating a myriad of fissures in an area that gets a lot of stress from movement. So, there you have it: Another family heirloom that has been demoted to decoration status. I may keep them, and some trash bags, around to use as a spare set anyway. When it comes down to it, it's likely to be the crotch of a friend, and not mine, that suffers most. And isn't that OK? ■