Hey all.

I'm about to buy my first pair of waders and will likely be going with an Orvis Sonic Silver chest model. (welded seam, no stitches)

http://www.orvis.com/store/product_dire ... 41&scrdr=1

What I'm hung up on is the choice between the packable and convertible.

Packable comes with a compression sack, compacts down quite a bit for travel. "In a pinch" they fold down to waist high but this means undoing the suspenders.

Convertible can be folded down to waist highs but the suspenders are still attached.

Thoughts? Have you used one or both of these? How much bulkier and heavier are the non-packables to store and travel with?

I have been using the packable sonic seam waders as my primary guide waders for almost 2 years now. They are great. That being said, I just ordered the new Silver Label Sonic Seam waders. The Packables are designed for expedition travel, they are a barebones wader with only a small internal pocket, very minimalist.

With over 350 fishing days in my packable sonic seam waders, no seam has blown out or leaked. The neoprene gravel guards are beginning to show some wear and there are several holes I have patched from punctures in the fabric but that is pretty normal wear and tear. I am surprised at how well they have held up to hard use.

The compression bag that comes with the packable waders is just a medium size compression bag. I have used other compression bags in the past with my other waders. Compression bags can be purchased at places like REI. They are really nice for travel because some waders are pretty bulky and the bags help make them more manageable in size for packing.

The new waders are freaking awesome, I had a chance to spend time with some of the guys from Orvis during the Outdoor Retailer show last month and they went over every detail of the new wader. This is one of the most advanced wader designs I have ever seen.

The new Silver Label Sonic Waders are way more feature laden and cheaper than the packables. In my mind it is pretty much a no-brainer. I ordered the new Silver Labels.

John

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Tenkara Guides LLC

Thanks for that John. That's exactly the type of information I was looking for.

I hadn't thought of the "bonus features" of the deluxe model - I'll be using a chest pack for all my added gear - but the fold down front is a big selling point. I'll just pick up a compression sack for it and call it good.

Again, many thanks.

EDIT - I ended up with Simms RiverTek BOA boots. I tried the Orvis Easy-On Brogue model but found it heavy and stiff. The Simms were lighter and more flexible and the BOA metal lacing was easier to tighten.