'k. What about life jacket, inflatable float-coat, etc? How much is needed to offset the buoyancy of waders and give you a fighting chance to keep your head above water?
... I suppose it might help to know, regarding my concern for how much stuff I'm lugging, is the lake I want to fish is 5 miles in from the trailhead. I'm generally backpacking in for a couple days. Adding the weight of float tube, waders, flotation of some sort, wading shoes or fins, etc on top of fishing tackle and a couple days camp gear is a bit discouraging.
Always wear a PFD of some kind. Im a good swimmer but always wear a pfd in tube.
