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... had a thought today since I was not able to go tubing yesterday....
...being the novice here I have a question about the proper way to store waders and float tubes after use...
.. after my last trip tubing I washed down my my waders, fins, boots, and the float tube itself...
I hung the waders and the fins up on a hanger.. I left them both to dry.. once the waders were dry on the outside I turned them inside out and let that dry as well.. after a week or so of hanging I turned the waders righ side out.. folded them flat.. and put them in the bag I use to transport them back and forth to the lake...
I laid the tube out on a flat surface and let that dry thoroughly... once it was dry I folded it flat as well..
..right now I have my waders, boots, fins stored in the bag and the float tube is folded and laying flat in the open (on my work bench)..
.. my question is am I doing things correctly to not only keep it all clean but storing it correctly ...if not what should I do to make sure that everything lasts as long as possible and is safely stored until the next time I use it...
MacFly [cool]
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[cool] [#0000ff]Sounds like you are doing everything right for long term storage. The main thing is to get everything clean and dry to prevent mildew and degradation of the materials. Most elements of tubing gear is nonreactive nylon or other tough stuff, but it will still last longer and perform better over time with a little TLC.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I  ly admit that I am not nearly so fastidious. (No longer fast, but still hideous) I do store my gear during the colder months of winter, but my cleanup and storage are much simpler. During the warmer months, when I fish two or more times a week, my stuff is kept in a constant state of readiness, and it may not get a good washing for several trips.[/#0000ff]
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The extra coating of fish slime algae and pond mud has kept my Fat Cat going for 8 years now. LOL
I keep my tubes softly inflated and hang them from the rafters in my basement. I'm not sure repeated folding is good for tubes or waders. My waders hang from coathangers dangling from those same basement rafters.
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... I can say for sure that the waders were hanging to dry for at least three weeks before I folded them and put them in my "ready" bag... as long as the folding after they are completely dry will not hurt them then I am okay with keeping them in the ready bag so to speak...
MacFly [cool]
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You got the right idea Mac. Winter time, I have my big boat inflated (softly) and hanging from the rafters in the garage. The H3 and the Navigators are however, deflated and put in bags. I do a thorough cleaning of the tubes/toons then spray 303 on them and buff. Then store.
Waders and boot, if you have the space to hang them at all time, I think that is the best choice, but I don't think rolling them up in you climate is going to hurt.
I have the bags for waders and boots, but I generally only use them for travel.
Remember, you need to machine wash breathables once in a while to open the pores. Specially if you fish in Mossy or muddy places.
I have the same concern about storing tubes/toons folded, but I am assured from Dave himself, this doesn't hurt the Urethane bladders.
Also, in the spring, summer and fall months, you will find most guides just stow there waders and boots for long periods rolled up. I do know at the lodge however, they did rinse them off everyday.
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... I am so new to all of this I am just making sure that I am doing what I can to prolong the life of my gear.. your mention of basement rafters makes me long again for the midwest where I grew up.. right now I simply dont have the room to leave the waders or tube hanging in my garage...I keep looking for that one little bit of space and have yet to find it.. I just hope my folding them as I do will not lessen the longevity of their use...
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...I did not know about machine washing breathables.. how often should that be done and what is the "procedure" for doing that ??
..you also mentioned "303".. is that something that I should do to my tube (gift from my bro and adopted nephew...>:-) ) and if so how often and how do you do that??
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..another thing I just thought of.. I hang my waders by the straps so the boots hang low.. should I invest in or make myself some type of hanger so the boots are up.. thinkning of it I would think this would be better because then there is no place for any water to accumulate inside the waders???
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You kinda have to be your own judge on the washing thing. Check the web site for the company that makes the wader, cause they all have their own instructions.
With you I would say once a year.
303 is similar to Armoral. It softens and UV protects. You should be able to get it at any BOAT store. I used it on the cloth cover of the H3 cause it does dry. Keeps it pretty a little longer.
Unlike armoral, it won't dry out the material.
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[black][size 3]Don't hang your waders from the suspenders!!![/size][/black]
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[size 3]I did that once, and in the spring, I found that they were sized to fit my 8 foot 6 inch tall older brother.[/size]
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[size 3]And remember, objects made with rubber do not have to be exposed to direct sunlight to be ruined. The best way to store waders for extended periods, is to wash, dry, and store in a cardboard container. In a lifetime of expensive mistakes, I can attest to the fact that light and moisture are killers.[/size]
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oh now you are trying to make me remember who made the waders.. [  ]... dont worry.. I can read the name off the front of them...
.. now on the 303.. is once a year good on my caddis???
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I put it on mine after every other outting. Helps clean it too.
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.... with the few trips I have taken to date I may want to extend that out a bit... [  ]...
also just read on the waders site that they should be hand washed and hung upside down to dry... but may contact them and ask about the handwash cycle on the washer...
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That is why I say look up manufacturer recommendations. Orvis is remove suspenders, hand or machine wash (bootfoot, hand wash). Do not use chlorine bleach. Use POWDER detergent with no harsh additives or bleach ex: Ivory Snow.
Do NOT use liquid detergent or soap.
Rinse material thoroughly and completely air or tumble dry (low Heat and Turn inside out. Do not store damp waders. Store in cool dry place.
That is Orvis and I know Simms has a different cleaning process.
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...Im sorry I did not see your post before.. I double checked with the manufacturer and they state emphatically to turn the waders upside down.. thankfully I have only been using them for a short time so I think the "stretching" problem has been kept to a minimum....
..thank you for the tip on the cardboard container..had not thought of that...
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Nice to put a face to the wisdom Saberfish. I only bought the FARMER picture for...mmmmm, a year////////OKAY TWO YEARS[laugh]
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All the stores I've ever been in store their waders on display right side up. I've never seen any displayed while hanging from the boot. If you have stocking foot waders there is not enough weight in the feet to cause stretch. Boot foot waders would need to be hung from the boots for long term storage as there is considerable weight in the feet of these waders.
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I think Saberfish was originally refering to WET waders. Thay can weigh a lot out of a washer, even after a day in the water.
I hang mine up by the belt at any rate. Doesn't hang that long or I don't have to hang them as high.
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... Ill wait on saberfish to clarify the "wet wader" part.. but what you and smallmouth are saying makes sense.. since my waders are stocking foot (sorry I did not specify that in the beginning) I dont think it will hurt to hang by the suspenders.. but again Ill wait for other comments..
.. I was doing some looking on line for wader hangers and come to think of it every one of the showed boot foot waders... so I am thinking I may be able to get by with a belt or maybe small bungee cords on a hanger.... what do you think.. ??
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[black][size 3]Most of my personal mistakes were made with older style waders, either full rubber, or rubber/canvas. Both had boot feet, and they could be hung upside down without problem.[/size][/black]
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[size 3]I currently wear Simms breathables, and will never go back to rubber or neo. I don't take care for them the way I should, but I do dry them, and then put them back in my "pack", a bag with my waders, boots, socks, fleece pants, etc in. Everything but my boots (Chotas) dry very fast. By the time I beach and load my toon, my waders are dry. (so far it has worked out well, my waders are about 8 yrs old, of course they haven't been used much lately.)[/size]
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