Wader care

After year and years of hunting with leaky hip boots and waders as a young man (I began to think they were designed to keep water in...), I've now enjoyed several years of dry/warm hunting from my insulated Lacrosse waders. I think they're 1200 or something like that.

I keep them hung upside down in one of those wader hangers, is there anything I should wipe them down with to keep them from cracking/dry rotting?

Thanks

Thanks for the reminder. I just remembered mine are still in the tote in where I threw them after last hunt of last season. Guess I better take them out and rinse them off. They are Hodgman waders. I wish Hodgman still made hunting waders.

As far as treating them, I guess you could put something on the rubber boots to keep them from cracking

I think there are 2 schools of thought on this for the best wader care. One is to do what you do...hang them but....right side up with the boots touching the ground so the suspenders do not stretch out. The other is to pack them in the same box they come in (cause you already have it) after cleaning them. I do know that I lost 4 pair hanging them by the boots like you but mine were under my storage shed (no sun on them) and I cleaned them up, wiped vaseline on the rubber boot area and wrapped a large garbage bag around them also. They dried out where the boot was touching the hanger on each side. I guess the lesson was keep them stored inside an A/C environment...not outside even in the shaded area.

that show I do it. Wash them, let them dry and fold up in original bag stored in original box. I have 2 pair of Cabela's breathable waders. on set is 5 yrs old and still good. minus the repaired hole in boot from ice. this is my second season on 2nd pair.

All mine have hung in the garage, upside down. Never had a problem until I tear a hole in one of the seams, which averages about 5 yrs. During season they stay in the back of the truck. I'd go crazy if I wiped them down and put them in a bag. If they can't last with me keeping them out of the sun and keeping them dry, then they're junk.

I use the canvas/rubber waders and keep them in my man cave, but once a month I wet them down thoroughly to keep them from drying out and cracking. I average 5 years per pair of waders if I am careful. May not work for everyone but it works for me.

I only wash mine at the end of the season. other then that they stay in the back seat of my truck

yep some confusion. I keep mine hung upside down under my duck shed during season. Its after the season they get washed and stored inside the box they came in.

So it appears that each of you take care of them in a slightly different way and get up to 5 years out of them...that makes me come to the conclusion that no matter what you do 5 years is the breakdown point.

Yep

Usually the boot goes first

Most important thing from what I've seen is to put vaseline on the seems and boots. that'l keep them from cracking/drying out. Never had a problem hanging them upside down, even in the garage with no A/C