High N Dry Waders (High 'N Dry Outdoors)

Who High 'N Dry is

High 'N Dry Outdoors, Inc. makes chest waders and jackets for hunting, fishing and industrial work. Its site names Brian Terry and Ian McNair as founders and gives the origin story: the products were first developed for the aquaculture industry, where existing waders failed under harsh conditions, and Terry's own experience with leaking seams, failed zippers and weak fabric drove the work. The company later moved into recreational duck hunting and fly and surf fishing. A Mossy Oak article repeats the story, calls the aquaculture line the first commercial-grade wader, and quotes Terry saying the company provides a product it has personally tested and wears year-round. That is the maker speaking, and I report it as such.

The pages I read give no founding year, headquarters or owner beyond the founders, so I won't add any.

What High N Dry makes

The maker's home page lists these wader products.

• Breathable waders. The Mossy Oak article describes a four-layer breathable fabric with limited single-seam construction, multi-layer seam sealing, neoprene-reinforced knees with exterior Kevlar, and boots with 400 g Thinsulate and 55 percent natural rubber.
• Neoprene waders. A 5 mm neoprene body with the same limited single-seam construction and seam sealing, Kevlar knees and a gusseted crotch. (A gusseted crotch is the sort of detail that never makes the hero image and decides your whole day.)
• Stockingfoot waders and waist waders. Listed on the home page with no detail.
• Zippered waders. In 800 g and 1500 g boot versions.
• Neoprene jackets and base layers. The Mossy Oak article describes a 3.5 mm SCR neoprene jacket, windproof and waterproof.

The home page mentions cutting-edge engineering and names no fabrics, so everything above about materials comes from the article. When I say "describes," read it as the maker's claim passed on by a third party.

Why there are no High N Dry products in the table

At our last check (October 2026) we track no High N Dry waders on Amazon US. The maker's site sells them, and doesn't mention Amazon in the pages I read. I won't offer a reason for the absence because I don't have one.

The alternatives in the table were picked by type (waders), by use (only waders the maker or listing puts in hunting, or fishing-and-hunting, use, which is where High N Dry's range sits), by the closest price tier, and by the number of specs the makers confirm. They come from Drake, Banded, Avery and Frogg Toggs and they are not ranked. The overlap with the High N Dry range is real but partial: the table has breathable bootfoot waders with reinforced knees and neoprene bootfoot waders, and it has no stockingfoot or waist wader like the maker's. For that, see wading pants and stockingfoot waders.

Breathable or neoprene

High N Dry sells both, and the maker's sizing guide mentions the difference, so it's the first decision. The breathable pair lets moisture vapor out, which helps on a walk and in changeable weather, and the warmth comes from the boots and your layers. The neoprene pair is warm by itself, and it is heavy and doesn't breathe. The guide linked below goes through the trade-off. My rule of thumb is that anyone who walks in and out of water should lean breathable, and anyone sitting still in cold water can accept the sweat of neoprene.

Read breathable versus neoprene waders, then browse breathable waders and neoprene waders.

Reinforcement: what Kevlar knees do

High N Dry's breathable and neoprene waders list neoprene-reinforced knees with exterior Kevlar. Knees are the first place a hunting wader wears out, because you kneel on gravel, shells and frozen ground to pick up decoys or set up a blind. A reinforcement panel is a second layer of material on the outside of the leg. Look for it in a hunting wader, and expect it to add stiffness. In the table, the reinforced-knees field is marked on the models where the makers state it. The Drake BMF1600 Kevlar wader is the nearest match, and Frogg Toggs and Avery list reinforced knees on some models.

What to compare in the table

Four columns do most of the work in this set.

• Material type. Breathable or neoprene. That decides how the wader behaves on a walk.
• Insulation. For a bootfoot hunting wader, the grams usually refer to the boots, and the 400 g Thinsulate High N Dry lists is lighter than any boot in the table. The table shows 200 g to 1600 g boots on the alternatives. Body insulation is described in words in the "More specs" toggle where makers give it, and Banded gives temperature comfort ratings for some models.
• Fit. The Tall, Stout and King cuts matter for larger or taller builds.
• Warranty. Hunting waders in the table list 1 to 4 years.

The zippered models and the two boot weights

High N Dry's zippered waders come in two versions, named for the boot insulation: 800 g and 1500 g. That naming is useful, because it puts the number most hunters care about in the product name. The 800 g version is the one I'd think about for mild or active days, and the 1500 g version for a frozen marsh. The home page gives no fabric, layer or warranty detail for either, so ask the maker for those before you choose.

The same two-step logic works for any alternative in the table. The Drake Hardline lists 800 g boots, the Frogg Toggs Amphib waders list 200 g and 600 g, and the Guardian Elite, Banded and Avery models list 1600 g. If you currently own a wader and were comfortable in it, check its boot grams and use that as your baseline. It beats a guess about "warm" or "very warm."

Checks before you buy from the maker

• Ask for the fabric and layer details in writing, because the home page names none.
• Ask which models have Kevlar knees, since the description I read covers the breathable and neoprene lines.
• Check the return policy before ordering a size, and use the sizing guide first.
• Confirm the warranty terms before you pay.

Sizing and fit

The High N Dry sizing guide is a practical one, and I'll summarise it without copying a chart.

1. Get the boot right first. The guide says boots generally fit true to size with a thick sock, and the wader fit depends on the boot.
2. Use your last wader size as a starting guess. Brands size differently, so treat it as a guess.
3. Pick a body category. Regular, Tall or Stout. If you are unsure, measure the inseam to a point 2 to 5 inches longer than the jeans you usually wear, and measure waist and chest at the widest point with room for layers.
4. Account for material. Breathable waders are cut larger than neoprene, so a neoprene size may not carry over directly.
5. Adjust if the upper is tight. The guide suggests trying a Stout or Tall cut or sizing up. Half sizes usually mean ordering the next size up, and an insole can add support and take up some room.

If you are between sizes, the maker asks you to contact it for help. The same logic applies to any alternative in the table, and our wader size chart guide explains the measuring. I have no buyer feedback to summarise on High N Dry fit, since we track no listings for it.

Warranty

I could not find High N Dry's warranty terms on the pages I could open. The home page links to a return policy that I couldn't read. Before you buy, ask for the terms in writing. The questions are: what does it cover (seams, zippers, boots), who is covered, how long does it last, and what happens if the wader leaks in the first month. For a sense of what is on offer elsewhere, the alternatives in the table list 1 year (Avery, Frogg Toggs), 2 years (Banded), 3 years (Drake) and 4 years (the Drake BMF1600).

Care and storage

Rinse mud and salt off after each trip. Hang the wader upside down to dry in a shaded place, away from heat. Store it loose, not folded into a tight bundle. These steps apply to every wader, breathable or neoprene, and warranty policies at makers I've read usually exclude damage from improper care. See how to clean waders, how to store waders and how to find a leak.

Wear a belt

Wading is risky even in shallow-looking water. If you fall in moving or deep water, a wader full of water is heavy and hard to move in, and cold water adds its own danger. Wear a snug wading belt over a chest wader, move slowly, use a wading staff in current, and don't wade water you can't see through. A life jacket is the right choice from a boat.

Where to go next

The duck hunting waders page lists every hunting wader we track, and best duck hunting waders applies a fixed rule. For the brands in the table, see Drake, Banded, Avery and Frogg Toggs.