stocking foot hippers; suggestoins?

[kbobb]

Hi folks,
after wearing boot foot hippers for a 3 mile hike into the mountains, and wearing the skin off of my feet, i am looking for stockingfoot hippers to wear with wading/hiking boots.
have any of you tried these and how did they work for you?
any brands that are good or any bad experiences?
not many to choose from - would like breathables if possible -had the cabelas pvc type years ago and sweat so bad they were as wet inside as out.

thanks

 

[Wild_Trouter]

Love the Redington Palix River Wading Pants when I'm hiking into the mountains, which is 75% of my fishing. I have had them for two years and they are holding up quite well, and I'm not easy on my stuff. Pair them up with some Orvis Neoprene Wet Wader Guards and a pair of Duck Wading Shoes and you can thank me later.

https://www.redington.com/fly-fishing-waders/palix-river-pant

https://www.ebay.com/itm/DUCK-AND-FISH-Mens-Sticky-Rubber-Sole-Wading-Shoe/112500826888?var=412888369416

 

[jifigz]

Why not hike in in shoes and pants and carry waders in a backpack? I carry oversized cheap sneakers for my "Wading boot." Works well for me .

 

[HopBack]

Simms Fly weight wading boots paired with neoprene wading socks.
These are more comfortable than any hiking boots I have ever worn.


No need for waders if you're hiking 3 miles in. I wet wade mountain streams from april-november with no problem. In the winter, carry your waders in a back pack and your set.

 

[kbobb]

Thanks folks
Wild trouter - will give the palix a look - the advantage of hippers to me is you can take a leak easily when necessary.

jfigz - i fish from pool to pool while hiking so need to have them on pretty much from the get go.

Hopback - i used to wet wade the susquehanna and that was nice but on the mountain streams i like hippers because of bugs and poison ivy, not to mention the rare snake.

 

[Bamboozle]

There are NOT a lot of options out there anymore if you want hippers instead of waist-highs. While I wet wade 99% of the time, I use hippers in the winter.

The best I ever used were Hodgman's but they don't make them anymore.

Orvis had decent stocking foot breathable hippers but I'm not sure about now.

About all I would consider theses days is Dan Bailey who makes a nice breathable product and The Chota Hippies.

Be forewarned: both the Dan Baily & the Chota can be tight in the calf area if you have big calves like I do.

The owner of Chota told me they were redesigned (because he has the same issue) about a year ago, but I haven't checked them out yet.

Other than that, they are both decent for the $$$.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Cabelas. GG

 

[salvelinus]

Chota Hippies work fine for me.

 

[outsider]

Chota Hippies are as light as you can get. Hip boots that feel like you are wearing nothing.

 

[dryflyguy]

I got a pair of cabelas 3 forks hippers at half off last winter - $30.

Not breathable. And I do sweat up a bit in them.
But I'm kinda used to that, having worn rubber hippers for years.

After using them maybe a half dozen times so far this year, no problems yet.
They do seem to be pretty durable
And for that kind of money, even if they only last one season, I'm fine with it

 

[just_jon]

I’ve had a pair of Dan Baileys for more than 10 years. Still gong strong.

 

[wildtrout2]

I just tonight, bought a pair of frogg togg PVC hippers with felt. They're cheap ($35), but they'll get the job done as well as any other. They are very light weight and breathable. I have tried every hip boot out there, and they ALL leak at some point. So, I can't see spending a lot on them. The most I've gotten out of any hipper is 2 years.

I can't see wearing chest highs when you'll be fishing a stream that's only a couple feet deep, and the deepest hole might be 4' deep.

 

[SteveG]

Frog Togg makes stockingfoot hippers as well

 

[BrookieChaser]

I buy the cheap pro-line rubber hip boots.

Then I proceed to slip and slide through every creek I fish, identifying any coins I step on by feel due to the flimsy soles, with my legs sweating profusely, for the entire two year lifespan of the boots.

I know two people that have the Chotas and they swear by them... while I swear at my rubber boots.

 

[jifigz]

BrookieChaser wrote:
I buy the cheap pro-line rubber hip boots.

Then I proceed to slip and slide through every creek I fish, identifying any coins I step on by feel due to the flimsy soles, with my legs sweating profusely, for the entire two year lifespan of the boots.

I know two people that have the Chotas and they swear by them... while I swear at my rubber boots.

No matter how I store those things proline rubber hippers always spring a leak right where the crease is in the front of the rubber.

 

[Acristickid]

Have the Orvis hippers- they are fine I guess.

I am not a hipper guy as I invariably have to wade to deep to retrieve a snag etc...and end up damp or soaked.

Usually end up wet wading or if there is brush and or bugs I just wear the waders.

 

[kbobb]

good to see your experiences - for me it looks like dan bailey's or chotas are the front runners.
I too, have used cheap hippers for many years and for a couple hours use, not too much hiking, they worked fine.
this past week I ended up hiking about 6 miles in these things over 2 days and the loose fit in the foot caused a blister. I do have good simms boots - just need to get a pair of stockingfoot hippers now.

also the bugs and poison ivy were so bad in this area that i would have been a mess if I wet waded.

thanks again folks.

 

[klingy]

I’m a big fan of the llbean timber ledge quick dry pants. Don’t have to worry about bugs, and they are pretty tough in brush, and handle nettles really well. Yes, you get wet, but they dry relatively quickly. Much cooler than waders, but don’t really offer the snake reassurance you were looking for.

 

[Bamboozle]

kbobb wrote:
also the bugs and poison ivy were so bad in this area that i would have been a mess if I wet waded.
thanks again folks.

Wet wading doesn't have to mean shorts...

I get Poison Ivy just by saying it, however I wet wade wearing long lightweight Nylon zip-off pants (which I never zip off) and never have an issue with Poison Ivy or a problem with bugs more than I do elsewhere on my body.

If that is your only hang-up with wet wading, forget the shorts, get a pair a long zip-off nylon pants and enjoy the freedom.

 

[dryflyguy]

jifigz wrote:

BrookieChaser wrote:
I buy the cheap pro-line rubber hip boots.

Then I proceed to slip and slide through every creek I fish, identifying any coins I step on by feel due to the flimsy soles, with my legs sweating profusely, for the entire two year lifespan of the boots.

I know two people that have the Chotas and they swear by them... while I swear at my rubber boots.

No matter how I store those things proline rubber hippers always spring a leak right where the crease is in the front of the rubber.

Yeah - same problem I've had with the proline hippers lately too.
And it happens fast - can't even get a full season out of them anymore.
Must be using really cheap rubber. Or a design flaw.

Years ago, they would last at least 2-3 years or more