Entering a creek

[UncleJak]

Trying to get an opinion on gear for creek wading. I never go in deeper than below the buttocks/hip high with most of my time spent in knee deep or less. I normally wear western work boots, but they always seem to leak or the water goes over the tops of them. I have been thinking of trying jungle boots since they drain and breath. Some other ideas I had were: rubber farm boots and waders. Does anyone have any experience with these choices? Or perhaps there are better ideas. I don't mind my feet being wet as long as the water drains when I exit the water.

[enfield]

I'm inclined to recommend the jungle boots.

[JPS]

I've owned lots of different waders through the years for fly fishing - they're great except for the hassle of lugging them around and getting them on and off. My advice is that if you're spending more time in the water than out of it, waders would be the choice. If you're out more than in, go with the boots.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

A dumb question about modern rubber boots-- Decades ago when I was a kid we lived in yankeeland a few years in the ice and snow. Dunno if adult day-to-day "walking around in mud and snow" overshoes/overboots were used different than kids, but the kids typical knee high rubber boots were sized so that it wasn't an impossible task to pull em on over ordinary shoes, and then pull the stupid things off again when you got indoors. Those old rubber boots wouldn't have been anyway comfortable to wear for all day walking around outdoors without shoes, regardless how many sets of socks you might wear.

We have a low spot in back that will occasionally flash flood and wash leaves up against the fence and pool up a foot or two water. Got tired of soaking leather boots going out there raking debris off the fence so the temp lake would drain. Went to Sportsmans Warehouse looking for rubber boots, expecting it would be the same as long ago-- get something that fits over ordinary boots. Went shopping wearing 8" lace up leather boots but they didn't have anything big enough that it was possible to cram a 11.5 EEEE boot into.

So gave up on finding an "over shoe" and got some 'LaCross 18" Burly Cleated' rubber boots that fit pretty good with just socks. They don't seem real uncomfortable worn with just socks, for an hour or two work. Dunno if they would get uncomfortable if you walked around all day in em. Am guessing maybe it wouldn't be too bad to wear em all day but haven't had to test it. Just saying, they seem more "wearable" without shoes than the rubber boots I recall from long ago.

So has the "practice" changed nowadays with rubber boots? Nowadays they make em comfortable enough to wear without shoes and nobody ever pulls em over "normal boots" nowadays? Just curious. Or alternately maybe the store just didn't stock rubber boots sized to fit over 11.5 EEEE boots but people with normal width feet still pull the rubber boots over shoes? Thanks.

Edited June 18, 2012 by Lester Weevils

[zapfbroad]

We pulled boots over shoes up north when I was a kid too.. maybe it's more regional...haven't looked

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[Oh Shoot]

I've waded creeks and ponds and lakes most of my life with shorts and tennis shoes. Always worked fine for me, but I didn't do it in the winter.

They make a bunch of nifty "water shoes" nowadays. Some designed to let water in and out, some to keep ya dry/warm with wader booties.

The various "hiking sandals" with the protected heel and toe areas oughtta work pretty well too? Lots of options if you're only after traction and protection and not keeping water out.

Here's a pair of nifty looking ones just ran across on SG the other day:

I used a cheap pair that looked something like these down in the Keys some, both on boat and in water, worked okay until they sorta rotted away, I'm sure better ones last; 'course that was salt water too.

- OS

Edited June 18, 2012 by OhShoot

[Mister L]

Wading is really the way to go in the summer, I aways go in cutoffs and tennis shoes.

[JAB]

I've got a pair of hip waders that were given to me. They work well and I have used them a few times. Would probably want to use those more if I were going into really cold water.

My wading is mostly done in the upper end of the Tellico and some in Citico creek. Never really any deeper than the depths you mentioned. The waders can get uncomfortable and hot/sweaty - even in the water - so last year I discovered that I prefer just putting on swim trunks and water shoes. That way, I can just enjoy the water and change into dry clothes when I get out.

While on the subject of wading, I was looking into chest packs to allow me to discreetly carry my 4 inch .357 and keep it up out of the water but the packs I found were all priced much higher than I wanted to pay. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I found a fairly nice, serviceable chest pack at Academy for something like seven bucks. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet, though.

Edited June 18, 2012 by JAB

[ShaunM]

I use shorts and tennis shoes during the summer.

[Guest BungieCord]

Chuck Taylors and cutoffs

[whiskey]

I'm a Teva sandals user. Years of whitewater rafting, kayaking, canoeing has convinced me that sandals are better than shoes for creek/river wading. The advantage of the sandal is the ability to let the small rocks flow on through, where shoes trap them against your feet.

My daughter has some of the glove looking shoes with a "finger" for each toe. She wore them canoeing twice this year and is very happy with them. She reports zero rocks in her shoes. She did manage to hang a brier vine between her toes last weekend.

Keen makes some really nice sandals that protect your toes and heals well. They are expensive, but well made and comfortable.

BTW, my rubber boots are not "overboots", they are LaCrosse Alpha Burly's that are rubber covered neoprene, like Muck brand, and are comfortable enough to hike in all day.

[zapfbroad]

I have some teva water shoes (not the toe sock kind but the slip on glove kind). I love em & they've held up 4 summers now. Definitely pay attention to the thickness of the sole the make sure it will cushion from sharp rocks.

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[Guest Lester Weevils]

I appreciate all the good ideas folks have offered. Am not much an outdoorsman and usually hike in "non wet" areas. When I'd go tubing or rafting a few times per year would either wear tennis shoes or "plastic water sandals" when they started making them. Protected feet against rocks but didn't keep legs from getting skinned up on rocks.

Maybe am squeamish but wouldn't want to walk much swampy areas in tennis shoes. Too much risk of injury stepping on something sharp I didn't notice. Going ankle-deep in swamp muck in tennis shoes? Yecch!

Main interest I had in the rubber boots, when the low spot on my back woods floods, sometimes it is cold. In addition, the water comes down a little valley with lots of houses uphill. Seems rather likely there could be septic tank runoff and other nasty germs in that water and would rather not get exposed any more than possible. One might wonder the same about all except the most pristine mountain streams around here? And also the rubber boots turned out lots better than leather boots for occasional concrete work. Had a sacrificial old set of lace-up boots for that, but it didn't keep from ending the day with soaked feet and boots that took a long time to dry out.

[10-Ring]

I've been going through the same thing lately as I have been doing lots of wading creek fishing. I've tried old tennis shoes and sometimes I wear old hiking boots with a pair of Smartwool socks. Each has it's ups and downs almost just depends on what I specifically plan on doing that day as to what footwear I choose.

[DaveS]

"Starters" have always worked for me.....

Dave

[Handsome Rob]

Watershoes & fishing shorts for me please! I wear Teva sandals regularly. I prefer the toe protection offered by open sided, but closed toe sandals. Keen are excellent, but I begrudge paying that much for shoes, so I settled on a pair of Tevas I found at BassPro for $40 IIRC. They do let small stones in, but I'd rather stand on the occasional small rock than lose my big toenail against a big one!

Wading boots by themselves are a great, although expensive, option, especially felt soled models.

I personally DETEST wearing any kind of wader, I find them too restrictive, too hot in summer & cold in winter & insanely uncomfortable all the time. I've never tried any really high end versions, but again, I begrudge paying $hundreds for any item of clothing.