Hip Boots versus Waders

Curious why so many trappers seem to prefer hip boots over waders for water trapping. I always seems to go to deep when I wear them and end up with a boot filled with water

I'm in and out of the truck 100 times a day and scrambling up and down steep banks a lot. Much easier to do in hip boots.

Both. If I gotta cross and it’s too deep, I got the chesties. Pretty simple…lol
Dryshod boots, then hips, then chesties. I always got em all.

Depends on what/how you are trapping. Chest waders are a must, if beaver trapping. If I can get away with hip waders for rat/mink/coon trapping I will, much faster and easier to get around.

I wear knee boots 90% of the time. Doing beaver ADC work, that is what I need. I do carry hip boots, and if I need them I wear them. But I don’t carry chest waders.
That is just what works for me in my conditions and style of beaver catching.

I just got new Dans hip waders, dry shod boots with waders attached. My last pair lasted about 10 years. Thinking of ordering the Dans waders too..

wws

I usually catch 40-50 beaver a year wearing only Muck boots. Make the beaver come to you.

You darn youngsters will change your ways 40 yrs from now.
I wear Frogg Toggs for trout fishing and nylon waders for beaver.
No sense getting wet for muskrat and coon.

I wear chest waders from November thru March and don't even consider wearing hip boots as i would be severely
handicapped and limited in my location accessibility. They are warmer in cold weather, keep me dryer in wet weather, and can crouch and kneel in the water if need be without getting a wet butt. For sliding down and crawling up muddy banks I don't even hesitate. That's my opinion and my choice for what it's worth.

If I wear hip boots I only get wet from the crotch down. If I wear chest waders I get wet from the armpits down. Seems like I have to work close to the top regardless which one I wear.

I only need waterproof boots for maybe the first five steps from the boat to the beach. Otherwise the hippers are a wind barrier with insulation.

I have gone swimming many times with chest waders. Hardly even get wet if your life vest is cinching down the top.

Where I trap waders are the only way not to get good and wet. I also use them when on the ice trapping rats, because many times one needs to stretch out and lay on the ice to retreve rats from pushups or down the stakes and one does not get wet then.

Bryce

From April till September I skip the middleman and just wear water shoes.

The rest of the year I'm now in neoprene since they keep you warm.

I also got about that number wearing work boots last spring, but it sucked.
It’s nice being able to set the other side of the ditch on a quad trail or road. If they want to steal your visible sets, they gotta get wet. Or sometimes that prefect set requires proper gear. If a guy wants to hammer an area with only one check, it’s no good just lining a dozen sets along the water, or walking around to find a way across.

Chest waders for me.

My dans chest waders are just more comfortable than any hip boots Ive tried. Though I would rather beaver trap in muck type boots if i can help it. If im trappign out of the kayak, definitely back to chest waders

My first muskrat I got excited and while pulling up the stake fell backwards and got a leg full of water. I never wore chest waders but I feel they would be cumbersome.

Dans sure makes some great gear. If I could’ve changed one thing, I would’ve chosen the Dryshod mid height boot for both the hips and chesties.

Some are, soe arent. Lot of it depends on the material. Neoprenes are like wearing a full body stocking that. dans are looser fitting

Hip boots for all my water trapping. They work for footholds with drowning rods or body grips for beaver which are set close to shore.

I do have a pair of hips made by Gator with brush guards and love’em for scouting when all I need to do is just get close to see. That being said though, I only wear waders (Adam Built Breathables or Gator Insulated) when I’m actually water trapping or on ice no matter the depth. I’ve gone through enough times to know I was gladIhad waders on because you NEVER go straight down when you break through ice!! A pretty darn good mink trapper told me years ago that if you’re not getting low down and looking to set up under the long grasses & overhangs, you’re not seriously wanting to trap mink! In order to do this you’ll fill your hips in knee deep water or get a wet butt squatting!

Back around 2000 during those years I worked for MSU we did a preliminary study of canines (coyotes, red, & grey fox) for Dioxin. All of the trapping was done during the respective seasons so I had to wear waders doing the mink trapping on the rivers, I sure as heck wasn’t going to change back & forth during the day from breathable waders to other footwear depending on what traps I was setting/checkingI was using Hodgeman breathables at that time and I found them very comfortable doing double duty throughout the days so I just continued using them after I was done working for MSU and as long as I ran combo lines of my own.