Wading jacket recommendation

[steve154]

I am seeking advise on a new wading jacket. I do not want to spend over $200.00.

I have a Cabelas Dry Plus jacket and it keeps me less than dry plus.

Cabelas Gore Tex jackets are in my range. I am a little bit apprehensive to buy another one from them though.  Simms has the Freestone at $180.00, but the words packable and lightweight keep scaring me. Weight of material = durability and performance in my mind. Anyone seen a Simms Freestone? I would like some feedback.

I wish I had a full service shop close by so I could actually go look at some different stuff.

Thanks,

Steve

[Mike Anderson]

I have the Cabelas Gore tex and it is a nice jacket. Never let me get wet. I have a dry plus parka that I can say the same about. Cabelas has been good stuff to me.

Simms might be better and for what it costs it sure as hell better be. Both are most likely made in the same factory in China.

[mountainsallaround]

My seven year-old Cabelas breathable wading jacket (forerunner to the Dry Plus) did a good job of keeping me dry, though it left this plane of existence last spring and apparently left its water repellent capabilities behind.

All this happened last May when I was fishing in sustained rain in GSMNP and the Holsten. I’d have to be the ultimate pain-in-the-ass customer to suggest I didn’t get my money out of it.

I got a very good deal on the high-end Orvis wading jacket and it’s a very nice piece of work. Well designed and lots of nice touches, though I did just manage to wrip the velcro wrist strap off the velcro cuff on my right arm.

Probably won’t make any real difference.

I think they’re around $195. The Orvis warranty is pretty tough to beat, but Cabela’s price-to-performance ratio is pretty good too.

Good luck!
TC

[Zach Matthews]

I haven’t seen one yet that really satisfied me.

[Zach Matthews]

EXAMPLES:

See the black “yoke thing” and the 6 pockets?  How about those exterior zingers!  The hood is too tall (although at least Simms separated hood and collar).

The cuff design is guaranteed to both leak and catch flyline.  Last, look at that ugly-ass patch!

This is a $400 coat!

This one is even worse:

Chalk me up as Not A Fan.

This one is a big improvement:

I like where Patagonia is going here, a lot.  But!  It is still way too short.  Look how long the arms are in proportion to the body!  If you wore this with jeans you’d have three inches of shirt above the belt buckle showing *before* you hit coat.

Geez.
Zach

[Mike Anderson]

I want to know whats up with Simms bringing back rubber? Their packs, jackets, etc. Are $400 rubber waders in next years lineup? What was wrong wrong with Gore-tex? I guess they want to see just how cheap they can make stuff and still get some people to buy it…

The second jacket you posted looks like a crab fishermans slicker with some bling bling hanging off it.

Of course my William Joesph costal pack is pretty darned goofy too…

Mike

[steve154]

Yes sir, that is what I am talking about. All I want is a plain old heavy duty jacket that will keep me dry. That shouldn’t be too hard in my price range, but it is.

[brian dunigan]

The reason Simms coats are $400 is because they come with your very own Deed to the River.

[mountainsallaround]

I know what you mean about all the bling. That’s why I ended up with the Orvis jacket:

Only two big pockets on the front, a big flap pocket on the back, and an interior pocket. I often don’t bother with a vest in the winter, preferring a lunch-bag sized neck satchel, so a few pockets are appreciated.

And hell, I like the neoprene cuffs. Casting all day in the rain usually means water in my arms, but these neoprene cuffs do a fair job, especially once I cinch down the strap. I haven’t yet fouled any fly line in them, and I wear my Orvis jacket a lot.

And I gotta disagree about length. Short is better as far as this 5’8″ fly fisher is concerned. I didn’t buy this jacket to wear it around town (I have other clothes for that) so how it looks with street clothes isn’t important. Keeping the bottom couple inches out of the river is.

The hood arrangement isn’t great. If the rain isn’t just bucketing down, I usually prefer to wear a Akubra waterproof hat — it’s a lot easier to hear fish

[Zach Matthews]

Guys-

As far as manufacturing goes, I don’t have time to give you the complete rundown, but I have been writing an article that will appear a couple issues out in AA.

[scott s.]

I gotta ditto on what Mountainsallaround said. I have the Orvis jacket and absolutely love it. Very comfortable and simple.

[steve154]

Creek and TC,

I am just about sold on the Orvis. I can have my local guy order it and not pay shipping and I can give him some business, which I like to do whenever I can. One of the big things I like about it is that the storm flap has snaps, not velcro. Plus, I know that Orvis customer service is second to none.

The description says that it is made from the same material as the Tailwater waders. I have never seen the waders. Is the material decently heavy? I am assuming that it is because they say that it is 4-layer.

Steve

[Zach Matthews]

Just one more plug for the Patagonia before we go:

Submersibility.

[steve154]

Zach,

Is that the SST? It is about $125.00 more than I can spend, but would certainly have it on my short list if the cash were not limited.

[mountainsallaround]

The Orvis jacket is built from pretty heavy material. I can just about get it crammed in the back pocket of a vest, but it’s not easy.

As for submersibility, I’m sad to say I’ve tested the Orvis jacket EXTENSIVELY. (The waterproof digital camera wasn’t exactly an option).

Enjoy!
TC

[Zach Matthews]

Steve-

Thats about a year 2000 model SST.

[Jack Cummings]

Did patagonia do away with the hem snaps that allowed you to make your jacket long or short?
If so, I would put that in the minus column!

[Zach Matthews]

I don’t know, Jack.

[riptide]

I’ve had the opportunity to try a lot of jackets simms, patagonia, etc… (I’m luckier than most in owning a shop) but after all that, I settled on the Filson waxed cover cloth jacket.

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