The advertised weight limit for the charter flight north from Winnipeg into the wilds of northern Manitoba couldn’t have been more clear: “All luggage limited to 60 pounds. Any overweight luggage will be left behind.”
As someone who travels to fish rather frequently, I can attest that this isn’t terribly uncommon. Small charter flights not only have limited space, but they can only carry so much weight safely. While it’s wonderful to be able to hop a commercial jet and maybe end up landing at a regional airport a shuttle ride away from a spacious fishing lodge — and bring along a pair of sturdy waders, heavy-duty boots, a quiver of fly rods for every possible scenario, a bottle of something nice to sip in the cabin, and, in a pinch, a portable fly-tying kit to make up for what I didn’t have time to tie before I left — the reality of adventure travel is often quite a bit different. And when a lodge is absolutely crystal clear about packing weight? Heed the pounds and ounces.
So, the night before my flight left for Winnipeg earlier this summer, I carefully weighed all the luggage I would need to visit a remote pike lodge in the boreal north. Every single item demanded scrutiny. Four fly rods? Hell, no. Two. And only three reels, one extra line, no portable tying kit, no evening elixir, and no unnecessary footwear — flip flops around the lodge, wading boots on the boat.
As I sifted through my duffle, I was suddenly grateful for a very late addition to my pack — a new pair of Simms Flyweight packable waders showed up in the nick of time, and there they were, tucked into a nearly weightless Nylon stuff sack and packed snug against the hard bottom of my rolling duffle. Not only are they compact, but they weigh a grand total of 2.375 pounds.
Packability and function meet
Billed as the ultimate travel wader for backpackers and weight-limited travelers who might be challenged to fit everything they need (not, sadly, everything they want) into a tightly stuffed pack, the new Flyweights are breathable and thoughtfully designed. And, on my trip to Manitoba, they doubled as rain gear and helped ward off most of the chill of an early June visit to the sub-Arctic. And, while their lightweight features do, occasionally, get in the way of traditional breathable wader function, the Flyweights met or exceeded many expectations.
And, also as expected, some of the features are a bit spartan. That, of course, is by design. For instance, gone are the heavy-duty Neoprene booties and equally tough and grabby Neoprene gravel guards that wrap snugly around a wading boot. Instead, the “low-volume” Neoprene booties are light and stretchy and clearly designed for weight economy. Same with the gravel guards. The Flyweight’s gravel guards feature thin micro-ripstop fabric combined with a Nylon/Spandex blend and a stretch hem that’s meant to cling to the wading boots. Again, ounces eventually add up to pounds, and the idea here is simple weight economy.
With that as the ultimate goal, I’d be hard-pressed to be overly critical of any of the waders’ features. But, in the spirit of knowing before buying (and, honestly, the waders’ retail price of $399 is perfectly reasonable after wearing these things around lakes, rivers, float planes and boat docks) here’s the full skinny.
What works
Lightweight mission accomplished
The Flyweight packable waders are aptly named. They are, indeed, wispy-light. As such, I also found them to be quite comfortable (more on that in a bit). But, just as importantly, they’re portable. They pack down to something about twice the size of your average vanity bag — that little add-on to every trip that contains everything from a toothbrush, a razor, prescription meds, those little shampoo bottles, and the like. When I first opened the box, I’ll admit it. I was skeptical. The Flyweights come tightly packed inside the waders spacious chest pocket (and, try as you might, you’ll never replicate that — think of repacking a tent and doing your best just to get it back into the stuff sack you took it out of), and then they’re fitted into a small stuff sack of their own, where they can be strategically placed in the backpack or travel duffle and then, honestly, forgotten until it comes time to gear up. Lightweight? Check. Packable and portable? Check.
Adjustable straps for wader conversion
Just because they come in a small package doesn’t mean they’re without bells and whistles. The Flyweights, thanks to some innovative rubberized chest and shoulder suspenders and a little adjustable cinch, allow the upper third of the waders to slide up or down to meet the elements. On chilly days, you have full chest waders. On summer scorchers on a tailwater river, the straps allow the thin upper layer to slide down, creating something akin to a pair of wading pants.
True to size
I’m a big guy — at 6-foot 5-inches tall, I’m fairly sensitive to fit. The XXL version of the Flyweights fit me perfectly. That said, I did find the loop for the durable wading belt to be a bit low for me, so, as I often do, I simply wore the belt snug around my waist above the designated belt loop (not the first time for, and likely not the last). There was no crotch pressure, and the hips fit well. The light Neoprene booties were ideal for easy on/easy off when it came to the wading boots, and the suspenders, while a bit spartan, worked just fine.
Comfort
All this, of course, plays into overall comfort. I love the lightweight nature of the Flyweights — they’re the ideal wildcard when it comes to waders. Too warm for a full set of heavy-duty chestwaters but a bit too chilly to wade wet? The Flyweights might be the answer. And, a quick confession: I loathe waders. I won’t wear them unless I absolutely have to. Not the Flyweights. I was never overheated thanks to the adjustable suspenders and their overall light profile worked wonders. Keep in mind that, even though these waders are designed to weigh as little as possible and take up the smallest possible footprint, the lower two-thirds are still four-layer breathable material. In cold water, they’ll keep you warmer longer. And, on hot days, you won’t be sweating up a storm.
The chest pocket
It might sound silly, but if the chest pocket can accommodate the entire pair of waders (and it can), It’s going to be spacious enough for the little goodies we like to have on the water, like extra tippet spools, a couple of fly boxes, and some basic tools. It’s roomy and sturdy and it zips closed to protect whatever’s in the pocket.
What doesn’t
Thin booties
As much as I can appreciate the thin Neoprene used to craft the booties in order to reduce weight, we did have one day of icy Arctic weather on our trip to Manitoba, and my feet were the first to feel it. The message? These probably aren’t cold-weather waders. Would I rather have sacrificed the light-weight function of these waders as I packed in order to stay a bit warmer? Nope. But just know that the booties are built for portability, not warmth and plan to layer socks on colder days.
Ripstop gravel guards
Well, it’s the thought that counts. And I suppose the light ripstop fabric Simms uses for the Flyweights’ gravel guards is better than foregoing gravel guards altogether. Every afternoon, after climbing out of the float plane, the first thing I did was dump sand out of my boots. The guards don’t have the same snug fit offered by those found on “normal” Simms” waders. If you spend most of your angling days wading sandy or muck-filled streambottoms, this might end up a point of frustration. If, on the other hand, you wade mostly rocky streams, it likely won’t.
Final Word
For what they’re designed to, I’m hard-pressed to be critical of Simms’ Flyweight Packable Waders. They fit well. They’re comfortable. Most importantly, they’re built well. The freckles on their complexion are a sacrifice for what some might call luxury functionality, but I maintain that there’s a bit of room for improvement, particularly in the booties and gravel guards. I absolutely loved the fact that I could carry a full set of waders on a trip with a hard-and-fast weight limit. I loved that they fold down and squeeze into their own chest pocket and then into a stuff sack that I could compress even further. These waders will be coming with me on many more far-flung trips. Along with that bottle of something nice, of course.
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