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

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

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

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

so more usually have stripped down and waded barefoot.

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.

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

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.

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.

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