Gear: Wet Wading Combos

Michael Gracie dons a pair of Ultimate Propex model boots from the Weinbrenner Shoe Company and the RailRiders Extreme Adventure pants and goes wet wading for a few days. The verdict: non-mainstream brands hold up just fine in the performance department

. “My initial reaction with the pants was one of being impressed – there are reinforcements everywhere, and the toughness is doubly so in the knee, crotch, and back end. I loved the velcro straps at the ankles, and the large belt loops (I tend to rip belt loops when things get exciting, even on the water).”