FWIW, Sam's Club (a Costco like discount store), 135th & Aurora N. in Seattle has Stearns breathable waders for $69.95. These are the Stearns Model S139, made from a fairly heavy-duty 3 layer fabric, with tight-fitting neoprene booties and integral gravel guard and reinforced knees. According to Stearns customer service, these are essentially identical to the waders they market under the FlyTech label - same materials and construction but with slightly different features and detailing (for instance no neoprene kneepad inserts are included with the Stearns version). Same 2 year warranty as the FlyTech models. I bought a pair last week and the only complaint I have is the neoprene booties are *very* tight fitting, indeed. With two pairs of socks, I found them somewhat difficult to take off. The customer service reps were surprised to hear this. According to them, the entire Stearns/FlyTech line was redesigned last year to incorporate 'tighter fitting ankles' in response to customer feedback. Oh well, maybe I just have fat ankles. Anyhow, they seem to be a well designed, quality product and at $70 with the Stearns name behind them, worth the gamble. BTW, if past experience is any indicator, these waders are likely also available at Costco. At either location, they will probably not last long, since these stores seem to pretty quickly cycle their seasonal items and rarely repeat the same product from year to year. -Wes Wes Neuenschwander Seattle, WA USA
