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Review of Toko Textile Proof for Waterproofing Waders
It's been a long standing tradition in the fishing and hunting world, that well worn equipment is best; it's that "authentic", used fishing hat with stains and old flies hung on the brim that implies years of experience on the stream and in
the field. I've fly fished for over 30 years, and throughout those years I've watched scores of fisherman use their waders like a mechanic's coveralls. The more stained and patched they were, the more pride the fisherman had in them, showing their days and weeks spent chasing big fish.
But the fact is, dirty, leaky waders are uncomfortable. And waders are expensive, running several hundred dollars a pair. For this kind of investment in high-tech materials, we should expect premium performance to go along with a premium price. I purchased a pair of Patagonia Rio Gallegos waders 2 years ago, expecting the highest performance under demanding conditions. I took them on a 2 week canoe trip to Victoria Islands last summer, and wore them non-stop in the high Canadian Arctic. After my return I noticed they seemed to become deeply soaked while using them in local intermountain trout waters.
For years I've used the high performance ski waxes made by Toko of Switzerland. Throughout my career as an Olympic Biathlete I've known that premium equipment, from skis, boots and poles and rifles, can be compromised by slow skis, meaning poor waxing on the ski bases. The same World Cup and Olympic performance that Toko brings to ski technology is now available for high tech fabrics of Gore Tex and other breathable fabrics like my Patagonia waders.
The Field Test:
The Toko Textile Care products are simple to use. First I washed my waders using Eco Wash according to instructions on the bottle. After thoroughly drying them inside and out, I sprayed on Textile Proof, only on the left half of the exterior of the waders. Then it was time for a field test. Fishing the S. Fork of the Snake River the other evening with friends I jumped out of the boat and headed into a nearby riffle to chase some big rainbow trout. I waded past my knees, mid thigh, and stood in the deep current for almost 10 minutes while casting to rising fish. At this point I turned and waded back to the boat, with a friend snapping the attached photo.
The results were astonishing! As I waded into ankle deep water I looked down and watched water bead off my left leg, and observed the waders almost completely dry, compared with the untreated right leg. Amazing! I waded the rest of the evening and time after time the results were the same. The Textile Proof had sealed the waders and performed perfectly under demanding real fishing conditions.
I'll continue to test the Toko Textile products on all my technical rain gear, tents and fishing waders for my family.
A dry fisherman is a happy fisherman, and Toko has created another world-class, easy to use product that makes my outdoor experience even more enjoyable.
Erich Wilbrecht
Jackson, WY
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