Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Backpacking creek/river crossing leggings.

Not wiggy's.

Quite a few years ago a guy was making some ultralight weight very basic leggings.

Not meant to be worn for anything more than, slip them on at creekside, wade across then take them off.
They were nylon or poly tent/tarp material with heavy application of silicon.

Check out Hodgman Gamewades. I've never used them and can't say how well they work.

Rocky,

Good morning.
I corrected my post, I should have wrote 'leggings' not waders I consider leggings waders. The ones I saw weighed less than 10 ounces and packed down to the size of a tennis ball. They didn't cover your mid section and they tied onto belt loops or belt.
Gamewades are 25oz.

The guy making them was getting bad reviews from people who were using them as 'wear all day waders'. So maybe not around anymore.

A search on 'leggings' gets some very interesting results, none of which you're interested in.

Maybe I better go have a look.

I'm not sure what exactly "leggings" refers to. I wear gators most of the time, which won't keep deep water from getting into your boots. If the water is deep enough that you can't cross the stream without getting water over the tops of the boots and consequently inside the boots, then your feet are going to get wet. In that situation, there are other options. You know it's not a sin to get your boots wet. I always carry a couple pairs of extra socks. After you cross the stream, take off your boots, wring out your socks and drain the water out of your boots. Put everything back on and wear your wet socks for 1/4 mile. This pumps the water out of your boots. Then change into your dry socks. Hang the wet socks on the outside of your pack to dry.

One time, when I knew that I had to cross a stream that would inundate my boots, I carried a pair of deck shoes. I changed into the shoes, crossed the stream, then changed back into my boots. I knew I was coming back the same way, so I hung the wet shoes on a tree and retrieved them on the return trip.

I've seen lightweight hip waders, with waterproof Nylon tops. That might be what you are referring to. But they are pretty expensive and I wouldn't want to leave them hanging on a tree.

BTW I always use Smartwool socks.

Dang guys, my trash bags never looked so smart...

Haha same here.

I've seen what the OP's looking for. I just don't know where to find them. It's basically just a waterproof nylon bag you pull over your boot and leg. It comes up to your crotch. It's like the afore mentioned trash bags but they fit better and last longer than plastic. A guy with a sewing machine could make a pair in a couple hours but with the price of nylon and waterproof seam tape, that's more expensive than buying them ready made.

I pack two commercial grade heavy duty trash bag. I run 550 chord through the tops of the bags and over my shoulders. The bags can be useful for a lot of other things too.

Web searches never show what I want. 'waders' gives 40 pages of fishing waders. 'leggings' gives 40 pages of yoga pants, not that there's anything wrong with a well filled pair of yoga pants.

Take off boots and socks, slip on Crocks. Change back after the crossing.

I've done that while packing with the llamas.

I did that once. The Crocs filled with coarse sand/gravel and that was very painful. I took them off half-way through the stream crossing and just continued bare footed. I suppose it would be different with a sandy bottom or mud. But decomposed granite is not any fun.

Yes that's what I'm referring to.
Very thin nylon seam taped and extra silicon inside and out that come up to your crotch. A string to tie them to your belt loops or belt, nothing fancy.
Stopping and removing boots/socks or changing socks, wringing them out etc. - too time consuming.
The maker could sit down put them on cross the creek, then take them off in a couple of minutes.

Maker thoroughly explained how the ultra-light weight wader was meant to be used.

Check out Barney's Sourdough Slippers or NEOS River Trekkers.

Something like this but who knows where to find it. There's no info at all on this photo.

Too heavy/bulky.

Rocky,

That's them although the one I saw were grey.

Yep, those Alaskans just love to carry heavy stuff, they're funny like that.

Use your rain pants. cinch the cuff area of the rain pants tightly around your boots with a Velcro cinch, multiple wraps of shoe lace/parachute cord or electrical tape. Used the technique many times to cross creek and small rivers up to crotch deep when hunting Northern BC. Have your boots well greased (Sno Seal) and don't waste time when crossing. Never got a wet foot yet, but I wouldn't go wading/fishing with the setup.

I settled on liking the Velcro cinch the best...which was left over from a relative's removable cast and is Velcro about 2" wide with a rectangular O-ring in one end. Too much waste with electrical tape but it worked well. Nothing wrong with the multiple wraps of boot lace or parachute cord either...make a loop on one end and cinch back.

As per the rain pants, I like the KUIU Chugach for backpack hunting. Side zippers are plenty waterproof for the quick crossings. Easy to take them on and off too.

Not sure what you are looking for Mike. Ive used sourdough slippers, wiggys waders, the old red ball branded version of the same thing. Sounds like you're thinking of a lw upper married to a lower of the same thing. I have seen lots of talk about that, but never anything viable that I remember.
All of the above can work, and I have done the gaiter high step and the rain gear run too. It just depends on how deep, how cold, and how many times you have to cross the damn thing before you get to where you are going. For the most part I have settled on waist high goretex waders and crocs/water shoes. It weighs more and takes some time, but I generally stay dry and don't freeze my nuts off, so I guess it's worth it.

This is them, Rock Chuck found a good picture, but no info. to be found so far.

I'm moving back to Idaho, it's mostly high dry desert. If I was going to be in a place where I cross water a lot I'd be OK with some of the waders mentioned here.

Kurt52, that's a good idea but I've gone to ankle high boots. I don't think this would work very well with them.

Beach shoes work much better. take off pants, boots socks


https://www.amazon.com/Wave-Waterpr...p;adgrpid=65884145727&th=1&psc=1

Have done that. Crocks were so slippery that I have to use a walking stick to be sure not to fall down in mid stream.

I have worn wet boots but prefer to keep them dry, so more usually have stripped down and waded barefoot.

In a week long backpack hunt with two waist/chest deep river crossings, I bought a cheap pair of vinyl chest waders, took them on the float plane, carried them miles in my pack, and they split out an inseam when the water got about to the bottom of my ribs.

Yeah. Sometimes. It is real hard to see broken glass in the stream bed underwater .. and there are ass-munch types who'd deliberately do things like that out there. Also I find that fairly rough bottom and really cold feet don't get along very well. Tendons that will stretch just fine in warm conditions are very stiff, very inflexible when "properly chilled" making foot strains / injuries more likely than I like.

If I know I have to cross a stream or two I carry "camp shoes" of a sort that dry quickly and don't weigh much in the first place. Favorite choice is Merrill "Trail Glove" zero-rise running shoes. They're usually 10-12 ounces for a pair which seems worthwhile overall.

I was just checking out those ninja, five toed shoes! Ghey looking but I bet something like that might could get the job done , in a pinch!

My stream wading has been way out there a looong way from roads and people in northern and Central BC. Broken glass is possible but not likely. When a kid and teen in WA State I got cut a few times from broken glass when swimming and wading in the Columbia River, a lot farther south.

Glacier melt is amazingly cold. Ice water and sharp gravel is a recipe for cuts, and with cold enough feet I don't even feel some cuts till later. If the sun is shining it sure feels good to dry and warm legs and feet after wading ice water, almost pleasurable. Camp shoes idea is a good one. I use Crocs for camp shoes usually.

No help finding the lightweight waders/leggings, BUT what I've been using instead of Crocs are Arcteryx Norvan SL's- very light, meshy trail runners (with a Vibram sole!)- lighter than Crocs, full lace up (they aren't coming off), better outsole and in a pinch if you had a full boot failure that wasn't repairable- these would get you by better than Crocs

I use them as "camp" shoes and for fording higher creeks/rivers.

13 oz for the pair

Getting your feet wet might be fine in the summer but for backpack hunting, it might be hard to get them warm again when it's 20F and there's 4" of snow.

agreed; but often there is no other viable option- I've found even in cold conditions after fording- drying my feet, donning my dry socks and dry boots (which are usually tied together and hanging around my neck as I ford) and starting hiking again I'm good to go pretty quickly

slogging through a cold creek/river, in cold conditions and getting your hunting boots (and socks) fully soaked is not a good strategy

The viable option is the whole point of the OP. However, we haven't been able to find the waders he's looking for. Apparently they aren't made any more.

I guess that would make it a non-viable option, so maybe go to plan B

I mostly wade with either Vibram "finger gloves" or Merrell Trail Gloves. In older days, Merrell "Overdrive" shoes. Those are roughly 10-12 ounces per pair.

What about two ultralight dry bags? Similar concept to trash bags but heavier and more puncture resistant

someone reached out to me a little while back, he wants me to test a prototype wader (goes over your boots), just for creek/river crossings - he has the weight down to 8 oz; I'll let you know if/when I receive a pair

Like....

Looking forward to your experience with the ultralight wader !!!

You may like Altama Maritime boots. Midsole doesn't get wet, water drain holes. Cordura. Dries remarkably fast. Durable, multi-surface/substrate and water use.

hodgman gamewade. frogg togg makes something similar too (rena)

i use something similar to others postings- couple of thick mil trash bags work well up to knee/mid thigh crossings. rabbit ear tie em. its not for wading-but its best for crossings.

ok.