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When you invest in any product that is designed to protect you from the elements, one tends to focus more on, features, performance, characteristics of the gear rather than what it takes to properly care for that product. While it is certainly less exciting, but just as important, is care and maintenance. Coming from a rugged, hardcore, “need now” environment of the aquaculture world; I learned the hard way of the importance to caring for and maintaining my gear. We all want our gear to preform perfectly day in and day out, but to get that performance we have to do a few things to maintain our gear. Luckily with modern fabrics and materials, this is quite simple.
Whether you have been working long grueling hours of physical labor in and out of the water, blind hunting, or walking the salt marshes of the Eastern Seaboard in search of a duck, at the end of the day we all have one thing in common. We want to get out of our gear and into the lodge or shop and take a well-deserved rest. One important step that is often overlooked is to care for the product you rely on day after day to keep you dry and comfortable; you’re chest waders.
If you do these few quick and essential steps each time you get out of your waders, they will have the best chance to ensure your comfort for years. Once you return to home base, simply spray them off to remove excess debris. I’m not saying you need to scrub or use soap and water, just a garden hose wash is all you need. If you have sweated in your boots, a boot dryer is the ideal way to effectively expel any moisture. Finally, hang the waders from the boots to ensure the wader is fully extended to dry. A cool, dry and dark place with adequate air movement is the ideal storage/drying location. No matter how nasty your waders are, if you do these few simple steps, you will be pleasantly surprised each and every morning you need your chest waders to perform.