There is a new duck hunting wader in town. In 2018, the sale of breathable insulated waders (BIW), that's a wader with a lightweight breathable upper and an insulating liner, completely blew the neoprene wader off the map. We did not see that one coming!! Adding to the surprise was the relative lack of interest for the BIW in the previous 2 seasons. In 2016 and 2017 we featured a BIW by Lacrosse and Drake with virtually no interest what so ever. As well as being a new concept, the BIW was substantially more expensive than a compatible neoprene wader. And, based on sales - or lack of - we came to the end of 2017 with little hope for an increase in sales or interest of breathable insulated waders in 2018. Boy were we wrong and did we ever miss the impact that a new 2018 wader would have on BIWs.

Introducing the Frogg Toggs Grand Refuge 2.0 BIW. Perhaps this wader and its REMOVABLE insulating liner knocked the wall down between the BIW and the wetlands. Or perhaps, adding an insulated liner to a comfortable, lightweight, breathable wader was just a great idea that finally got someone's attention. We doubt that hunters suddenly recognized and advantage to the insulated wader and began buying this style rather than neoprene. Because in 2019 Drake will drop there Guardian wader with a fixed liner - you will find our remaining stock on sale - and introduce what we predict will be a wildly popular BIW - the new Drake Guardian Elite Breathable Insulated Wader with the new "Tear-out Liner". Yep, Drake got the message from Frogg Togg instant success with the Grand Refuge 2.0 and made the move to a removable liner style wader. Furthermore, Frogg Togg has other BIWs that were not anywhere near as popular as the Grand Refuge 2.0. Is it because the liner in these styles is fixed like that of the 2018 Drake BIW? We think so. But, price is also a consideration. The FT Grand Refuge had a Texas Fowlers introductory price of $ 199.99 and by far the least expensive BIW in our online catalog . There will be a price increase in 2019.

The almost instant popularity of the breathable insulated wader would make one wonder if this is a trend or just a fad. But, when you consider the massive collapse in neoprene wader sales, we are betting that this is only the beginning. The breathable insulated wader, especially the models with removable linings which provide flexibility of early season or late season hunting, is a comfortable, dependable alternative to the the neoprene wader and quite possibly will continue to grow in popularity and sales.