I'm going on a boat hunt for brown bear this coming spring and need waders. I like the looks of Cabelas Dry Plus waist high waders....lots of good reviews, and much less expensive than Simms. Does anyone have first hand experience with this product? Thanks.

Phil

I have no experience with those.

I've worn the Tundra Hip Boots, which are fantastic. Too bad as they no longer available. Unfortunately now that Cabelas has gotten too big, all the quality stuff they used to have has been discontinued or has been replaced by pure crap.

The beauty of the tundra boots was that they had laces so it was more of a boot than a wader. The hip high wader was a plus. Don't forget it's not necessarily the water that will be the most important factor in your purchase, you may need to actually stalk in those things. You need more of a boot than a wader- you may have to climb uphill.

You need to try on what you get and make sure your foot doesn't slip and you have a good sole.

Good luck.

PS Worse case scenario, wear boots and get em wet. On a grizzly stalk we had to cross a stream and go balls deep in glacier water with just hunting boots. Walk back to camp sucked, 2 days later we got our bear.

Does your guide have recommendations?

My guide recommends breathable, stocking foot chest waders. I don't like or do well in chest waders and plan to use the waist high version. I'd like to know others experience with this particular product from Cabelas.

Phil

I did a Brown Bear hunt in 2012 and brought both the waist high and chest version of the cabelas dry plus. I initially used the waist high but after falling in the river several times I ended up using the waders only to keep from getting more water in the event I took a dive again. They worked fine. These garments will act like a water balloon when water gets in them making them extremely difficult to stand back up or maneuver, couple that with ice cold water and you may become a cocktail for the bear of your dreams. I would suggest getting a pair of light over pants to wear over them to give extra protections from abrasions

I used the chest high DryPlus waders on a black bear hunt in SE Alaska a few years back. They worked good.

Last spring I bought the Cabelas Wader jeans to use for fishing and hunting here. During the spring and over the course of the summer they seemed good, but by fall had fallen apart. The suspenders broke, the boots de laminated, the fly zipper broke, and the pant cuffs that were too long and hung down below the boot heel were fraying. All in all I thought the idea was good, but the product was quite disposable. I returned the waders to Cabelas and they were happy to refund.

I like the idea of breathable waist waders and will try again this spring. As long as I can return the broken product to Cabelas at the end of the season I'll probably keep buying and returning from/ to them.

What part of the state are you hunting in? Is the guide recommending chest or hip waders?

Having went thru a couple pairs of cheap waders before I learned you get what ya pay for. I would recommend the Simms. The old saying buy once cry once truly applies here.

Ok; I can speak to this. These Cabelas waist high waders are my go to bear and moose wear. They work well for these purposes. I have boat hunted SE numerous times and over the years moved from the chest waders to the waist highs. They are high enuf for most situations - but not all. I literally live in these during moose season. To me the waist highs work best, since the chest waders have proven too hot for agressive hiking (particularly the moose hunting).

Now the downside. These Cabelas waders are louder than the Simms (they do get quieter with age) and are pretty durable, but if I had to guess, I'd bet the Simms are more durable. After about 2 seasons the inseams break down from the abrasion of walking and begin to leak - easily spotted and easily repaired with seamgrip. You can send them back (I've done that once), but now after a couple more seasons, I just buy some new ones.

If you buy these, I suggest you keep the belt the comes with them for backup and replace it with a good nylon belt that is easily cinched - the belt that comes with these is a pain to deal with and doesn't cinch tight easily.

I bought a pair of the waist high Cabelas Dry Plus waders...they are lightweight and fit perfect. So far so good. The suggestion to bring both waist high and chest waders is a good one....and it will provide a backup. Thanks to all for the helpful advice.

Phil

Cabalas Dry plus waders work great in the duck blind, very comfortable compared to anything else I have tried. All waders in my experience require a great deal of care.

I used Simms Headwateers Stockingfoots for my 12 day Brown Bear Hunt.
Plenty of river crossings and hard wear.
They were great and performed flawlessly.
I know that you know.....but If you go this route make sure you size your boot correctly.

My suggestion is to ALWAYS buy your waders at least two sizes larger than you normally wear when hunting Brown Bear. This way you will have the needed extra room inside when the Bear shows up really close.

Larry Sellers
SCI(International)Life Member
R8 Blaser