Everything piece of Skwala gear is purpose built. The RS Wader excels in colder temperatures and offers comfort-focused features like fleece lined hand-warmer pockets, an integrated lumbar support wading belt, and a fully waterproof front zipper. The Carbon Wader delivers superior comfort for warmer weather wading with light, mobile, breathable design and a minimalist aesthetic for agile anglers.
The Backeddy is the workhorse of our wader line; the Carhartt overall of waders. When designing the lower half, we leaned into what has already proven successful in the past. We built the legs from the same bomber 4-layer, breathable waterproof fabric as our award-winning RS Wader, with the same unique fourchette patterning that we used to revolutionize comfort and fit in all our waders. (For more detail on what exactly a “fourchette” is and how makes our waders more comfortable, read this post. Don’t Google it.) We kept the extremely durable and effective gravel gaiters you’ll find in the RS Wader as well as the anatomically patterned 4mm neoprene booties with anti-microbial treated interior jersey. The distinct feature you’ll find in the legs of the Backeddy wader are the removable knee pads. These enhance both comfort and durability, protecting your knees and the wader from abrasion.
The Backeddy really distinguishes itself from anything else in the design of the upper half. Without a front zipper, we were free to lean into the storage capacity and organization. The extra large kangaroo pocket has plenty of space for fly boxes, gloves, and other essential items you want close to hand. Above that pocket, you’ll find a separate, smaller, stash pocket, to keep things organized. Most of us use it for keys or a cell phone, but our founder and CEO, Kevin Sloan, tucks wet flies in there.
We also borrowed the popular underarm side dump pockets from our Sol hoodies and added one to each flank of the Backeddy Wader. Built from durable, stretch-woven material, you can keep essentials close at hand and access them without having to open and close a zipper. Most people use them for fly pucks, tippet spools, or floatant, but they’re also handy for keeping bear spray close to hand, and just the right size to carry a beer (while keeping it upright).
The Backeddy Wader also comes with our popular and comfortable shoulder yoke system, but we had to come up with a removable attachment system so you could get in and out of them. We dislike buckles. They snag fly line and have a tendency to break, especially when cold. So, we came up magnetic shoulder yoke strap attachment clips in the front. They’re rock solid, incredibly easy to put on and take off, and offer a completely clean, flush attachment.
The end result is an extremely durable, highly versatile, incredibly comfortable wader that will excel in just about any situation. Some people might call it a guide wader. We prefer to think if it as an everyone wader that can take you anywhere you want to go.