Patagonia's toughest all-season wader. Their words: lighter, stronger, smarter — our toughest all-season waders work more efficiently, fish harder and function better in all performance benchmarks.
The thing that actually separates the Expedition from everything else in the line is the two-weight build. The upper body uses the same light 5.6 oz, 50-denier shell as the Traverse, but from the waist down it switches to a 9.4 oz, 100-denier fabric. That is where waders die — knees on gravel, shins through willows, brush on the walk in — and it is reinforced without making the whole garment heavy.
Fabric: 4-layer H2No, 100% recycled PET polyester in both weights, waterproof and breathable, DWR made without intentionally added PFAS. Fair Trade Certified factory. 1,550 g.
Features
- Submersible YKK front zipper — a step up from the Traverse's waterproof zip
- Fully adjustable quick-release suspenders; converts chest-high to waist-high; Secure Stretch wading belt included
- Removable foam kneepads — the feature guides talk about most
- Two handwarmer pockets with zip flaps, plus two vertical-zippered chest pockets
- Inside: drop-in pocket, zippered stretch pocket, and a removable, fully submersible TRU Zip waterproof pocket for your phone and keys
- Anatomical low-volume booties; heavy-duty ankle scuff guards; tool dock, pack loops, center-back net loop
Who this is for: guides, people who fish through a Colorado winter, and anyone who wears waders more than about thirty days a year. If you fish mostly in warm months and want less bulk, the Traverse is the lighter sibling and we stock it too — same shell, no reinforced lower, no kneepads.
Zip or no zip? We carry the Expedition both ways. The non-zip version is 50 g lighter and has one fewer thing that can ever fail; the zip version is dramatically more civilized on a long day and for anyone who layers heavily. Most people who try the zip do not go back.
Honest note: these are not insulated. All-season means durable and breathable in a wide temperature range — warmth comes from your layers underneath, and the Expedition's fit leaves room for them.
The size code, decoded
Patagonia sizes waders on three axes and the three-letter code confuses nearly everyone:
- First letter — body: S, M, L, X (XL), 2 (2XL), 3 (3XL)
- Second letter — length: X extra short, S short, R regular, L long, K king (extra girth)
- Third letter — bootie: S (about 6–8), M (about 9–11), L (about 12–14)
LRM is a large body, regular length, medium bootie. Bootie size is the one people get wrong, and it wrecks your wading boot fit as well as your comfort.
Get fitted rather than guessing. Call 970-964-9991 or stop by the shop — we will measure you, match the bootie to your boot, and order in any code that is not on the selector. Waders are the single worst thing to buy blind online, and this is exactly what a real shop is for.
Guarantee: Patagonia's Ironclad Guarantee, no time limit — repair, replacement, or refund if they do not perform to your satisfaction. Patagonia repairs waders rather than tossing them where they can, and their own guidance is that a Tenacious Tape field patch does not void anything. Bring them in and we will handle the claim.
Ed's Fly Shop, 432 E Main St, downtown Montrose, Colorado.
