GungasUncle
There is a LONG thread on the USIA waders at the other forum - you know the one. They seem to get great reviews and I may try them in the future. Right now I use Cabelas breathable and my good ol Redingtons I've had for 10 years. Aqua seal does wonders!
Suggestion.I've had my USIA since early March. Here are my thoughts:
I got mine with an extra inside pocket, the larger exterior pocket, belt loops, and the Boggs insulated boot. The two pocket upgrades and belt loops added an extra $25 for each upgrade (x3) and the boot upgrade was $75.
I like the insulated boot feature a lot, but they lack traction and I miss the studs I used to have. I have contemplated adding short sheet metal screws (a trick I borrow from running on ice where I use sheet metal screws on running shoe soles), but the thin soles worry me. A very short 1/4" screw thread might still work...undecided if I want to risk driving them all the way through by accident.
My first thought when I got them is that the thickness is indeed heavy, but they seemed bullet proof. However, after a few weeks, I got the same problem I always get...the rubbing on the inside of the knees caused the colliding creases to saw through, creating some holes. I called Kim and he said bring 'em in and I'll fix them, it's a known issue. He turned them inside out and applied a bunch more tape at no charge. But, after a few more weeks, I got the same problem just outside the width of the extra seam tape. I'm sure he would have fixed them again, but St. Helens is such a far drive to continue dealing with that, so I just took some large rubber patches and used Aqua Seal to apply them on the inside; that seems to have done the trick now for a couple months.
They are non-breathable and sure enough, they become a sauna in warmer weather. I just suck it up and deal with that 'cause I'm tough that way
This is my first experience with an integrated boot and I'm liking the ease/quickness of donning/removal. I also like the Boggs because they are a smooth rubber boot on the outside that doesn't disintegrate like my other boots eventually did. The other nice thing is I no longer have to worry about all the hiking I do causing holes to wear through the bottom of a neoprene bootie; that is another problem I've had with stocking foot waders.
In short, the USIA are heavy and do get hot outside of winter. I still got friction holes around my knees fairly quickly, like every other wader I've tried. But I seem to have resolved that with rubber patches/seal on the inside for now. They have eliminated the other holes I used to get at the bottom of booties and the holes I used to get around the tops of the boots and the smooth rubber boots also eliminated the boot-falls-to-pieces problem. Oh, and the suspenders are not angled, intending to just go straight over the shoulder, but they slip off, so I just cross them at my back.
Besides the initial knee problem, the USIA have been OK for me. I really wish a design feature that has some sort of reinforced, slick material could wrap around the inside of the knee/leg of waders that would prevent the rough threads of the exterior fabric from acting like a saw (even the styles with no exterior seam on the inseam) when I walk because that has happened with every wader I've tried (2 styles of Redington, 2 styles of Hodgman, and USIA).
I realize this is an old thread but for anyone who might be new to this I have been using my Frogg Toggs and they are great.
I just bought a breathable Caddis brand Guide model at Sportsmans for $140 that went on sale withing 30 days which dropped them to $120.
They have a pocket on the front for your hands and a zippered pocket, extra layer on the upper legs for brush protection and they have sizes in stout for short legged folks like myself.
Tried them twice and I like them. The only con I have is the belt that doesn't have loops to keep the belt attached when you take them OFF.
Below is a pic of them on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Caddis-Attrac...&qid=1372157811&sr=8-1&keywords=caddis+waders
I'd love to hear how you like them