 Fortis chest waders….are they any good
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3,136 views
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In reply to Post #18
I agree to an extent . No fabric 'breathes' when the outer surface is soaked. The best performing fabrics are proper Gore-Tex and Patagonia's H2N0. I was sponsored by Arcteryx and Patagonia for over 20yrs and lived in shell fabrics 200days a year.
I have in the past had very expensive Simms, Patagonia and Orvis waders. All priced north of £500. For the money the Fortis are excellent value. On a trip away a couple of years ago I ripped my expensive waders and bought a cheap pair of Trakkers - they were truly awful for me. Maybe I'm just sweaty!!!!
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In reply to Post #16
The biggest design flaws and failure points of modern breathable waders is the internal membrane can be micro-fractured very quickly if waders are constantly rolled up, tightly packed, or compressed and also leads to delamination of the membrane.
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In reply to Post #16
Any claim about “breathable” fabrics from any manufacturer should be taken with a pinch of salt.
“Breathable fabric” is a marketing term.
Fortis don’t state which 3 layer fabric has been used and don’t disclose the RET (Resistance to Evaporative Heat Transfer) values. They also don’t disclose MVTR (Moisture Vapour Transmission Rate).
Breathable fabrics rely entirely on “passive diffusion” driven by two environmental factors:
Heat Differential: Your body heat must create a warm, high-pressure microclimate inside the garment.
Humidity Differential: The air outside the garment must be cooler and drier than the air inside.
I’m not saying they don’t work but breathability has many variables. Also the move away from fluorocarbon DWR treatments means that the new PFC-free DWR treatments wear off incredibly fast. This has lead to most outdoor clothing manufacturers putting pit zips in jackets.
I’ve not had any issue with moisture retention in the Trakker waders. If they appear to be getting clammy then I role them down for 30 seconds.
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Any other worthwhile alternatives for breathable waders (not fly fishing ones) or are these the kiddy?
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In reply to Post #15
the Fortis are breathable and for that fact alone they are good value. The Trakkers like all cheap waders are like wearing a plastic bag.
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I’ve looked at them and there’s no doubt they’re good quality but when I can get 3 pairs of Trakker N2 waders for the same price then they don’t make much sense.
Also, the Trakker N2’s are the lightest waders I could find at 2.3kg, they roll up to a very small pack size, they’re comfortable to wear, roll down easily and are very fast to pull up when you get a take.
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| | | Belch | | Posts: 4643 |  | | MODERATOR | |
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In reply to Post #1
I've had a pair for a couple of months and IMO they need 'breaking in' as the material is thick / 3layer and takes some effort to fold back on itself and expose the top edge of the boots. . .
ATM my old Vass Tex Lightweight jobbies are easier to get on in a rush but only with wader horns to keep the boots themselves open . . .the Fortis boots don't need them
Fortis are def quality - I like the shoulder straps and the mag pocket on the front . . .however for 'proper' river wandering I prefer my not so carpy stocking-foot Bisons which were cheap as chips (waders & boots for just over £100), more breathable and generally comfortable to move about in all day . . .
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In reply to Post #10
That's so last season.. Any Carpy angler worth there sakt these days is sporting a pair of thigh waders, tweed or wax cotton jacket, shirt and tie and a wax cotton or check cloth cheese cutter..tattoos and beards are out..😀😂😎
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In reply to Post #10
🤣 so carpy
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In reply to Post #10
unfortunately not..........I was choked that the braces are just plain black, but at least they have the logo on nice & large!
Personally I always put a nice 'carpy' long sleeve jumper on when in the water holding fish - it makes me look soooooo cool.
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But do they have bright yellow shoulder straps so you can have only one in use and the other dangling down for the water shot with your chunky jumper cuff dripping water?
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In reply to Post #8
Ah right, fair enough. It was just that it makes them even easier to get on, they are already the easiest to get into though! 👍
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In reply to Post #7
iv gone the other way tbh , the shop had sold out of size 10 so i tried the 11 on thinking id just add a big pair of socks but they were massive so tried the 9s on , they were perfect very rare i go down a size
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Yes they are great, I would get a size up though
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In reply to Post #5
thanks bud i tried a pair on yesterday in the tackle shop i was very impressed with the comfort and ease to get in and out , i like them allot, i think i will be returning today to buy a pair after reading your reply ,thanks for comment
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In reply to Post #4
I’ve had a pair since they came out and for the money they are excellent. Over the years I’ve had some very expensive, (£400+), Gore-Tex waders and the Fortis compare favourably.
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how are people getting on with the new fortis waders now after some use,
have they been reliable? thanks
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In reply to Post #1
Moved the thread here, probably get more replies rather than reviews 
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In reply to Post #1
Been using them since they came out, previously had some vass ones. The fortis ones are much more comfortable particularly the boots, I can't comment on the durability however as they have only been used for gentle wading to reach marginal areas and for fish care purposes etc the straps are better and all the pockets are handy although they do need drying properly as there is a level of surface absorption due to the the material whereas rubbery nature of the vass ones means it just runs off but overall I'm very happy with them so far
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As title says, are the fortis chest waders any good?
I'm looking for some new breathable chest waders, will be using them for wandering the rivers as well as lakes.
How durable are these?
Cheers
Paul
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