Transporting Your Waders in a Wader Bag

Utilizing a wader bag to keep your hunting waders safe and organized, while at the same time keeping wetland mud and water out of your vehicle, home, or hotel is an the ultimate goal for any duck hunter. No matter if it’s your first season in the duck blind or if you are a seasoned waterfowling veteran, a wader bag is the perfect tool for transporting your waders to and from the hunt, and for extended hunting trips.  

What is a Wader Bag?

You could probably get by with using something else as a wader bag, but it wouldn’t be a very good or long-term solution. A quality wader bag is a sturdy waterproof (or water resistant) bag, built large enough to store a pair of insulated foot hunting waders. It makes the task of transporting dirty waders during hunting season cleaner and easier. 

Bags like the Cupped Wader Bag can incorporate a changing mat to stand on and keep your socks clean and dry when you’re changing in and out of your waders in the field or parking lot before and after your hunt. Heavy webbed nylon carry handles and shoulder straps are a must for packing your waders, whether you’re hunting at a local marsh or checking bags at the airport for a dream hunt.

Look for a bag that includes large, heavy built zippers and pulls, and is designed with a wide mouth for loading and unloading your waders. Choosing a bag like the Cupped Wader Bag that is airline approved is the perfect solution for any hunter with destination hunting trips in mind. The addition of accessory pockets for anything from a dry change of clothes to your wallet and cell phone is a great feature for any wader bag to help you keep your things organized and in order. Keep a couple ankle gaitors in these accessory pockets to make dressing even faster and easier. A key feature included in the Cupped Wader Bag is the airflow mesh on top of the bag, designed to allow air flow and prevent detrimental mold on wet waders, anytime you need to leave your waders in the bag over an extended period of time.

Using a Wader Bag To and From the Hunt

Transporting your wet and muddy waders during duck season from the hunt to home, a hotel, or the lodge can be a challenge. Hauling slimy marshland mud from where the ducks live into your vehicle is not ideal, no matter how many ducks you were able to take that morning. Putting your waders, unprotected, in the back of your pickup isn’t much better. Snow, rain, and ice are amazing ingredients when it comes to a successful duck hunt, but not when it comes to hauling your waders in the back of an open truck bed. 

Pulling on cold waders from the truck bed or car trunk when you arrive at your hunting location sure isn’t much fun either. Having the ability to stow your hunting waders in the heated cab of your pickup, car, or SUV on your way to the hunt, while keeping mud and muck contained, is a sure way to start off on the right foot.

Caring for Hunting Waders 

A warm and sturdy pair of quality hunting waders is a critical investment to the success of your season when it comes to the pursuit of ducks over water. Whether you choose neoprene or breathable waders for your hunting season, having a pair of durable waders that keeps you warm and dry during your hunts is key. 

Caring for your wader investment will help to extend their return over many seasons. Simply cleaning your waders with clean water and a soft brush or sponge in between hunts and at the season’s end will go a long way to keeping them waterproof and in tip top shape.

Waders are best stored hanging, generally upside down from the boots, during the off season or during long times of storage. Hanging your waders from the boots will encourage drying of the inside of the waders, and help preserve the elasticity of the shoulder straps. 

While tears and punctures are always a risk when it comes to any type of waterproof material, it sometimes seems like ice, wire fences, submerged sticks, and jagged thorns are out to get you and your waders during the hunt. There’s not too much a hunter can do during the hunt, except be on the lookout for potential snags, but transporting your waders is a different story. Packing your waders away in a bag designed for wader storage during transport will go a long way to avoid snags and tears of your waders to and from your hunts. 

Developing Your Waterfowling System 

From shotguns and shells to waders and decoys, every duck hunter develops a system and set of tools that work best for them. Over time in the field, trials, triumphs, and some failures, you continue to develop a system of gear and tactics that work the best for you, your hunting style, and your hunting situations. Incorporating a wader bag into your waterfowling system is a terrific option on many levels including organization, keeping gear clean, and transportation in the field. Consider putting a wader bag like the Cupped Wader Bag into your waterfowling system for your next hunt.