July 18, 2023Behind The Design

Kid's Waterfowl Collection & Wader Trade-In Program Launches

It’s hard enough to find quality waterfowl hunting gear for yourself these days, let alone for kids. After setting a new standard for performance and durability with our flagship waders and hunting apparel, we are releasing a new youth collection and launching a one-of-a-kind program that allows children to trade in their waders as they grow. At Chêne, we started the company to create a class of hunting gear they always dreamed of owning but was never available on the market, and that also inspired the new youth collection, which includes Waders, the Over-and-Under Jacket, Hydro-Lok Shell, and Sherpa Fleece Wader Pants.

Quality Kid's Hunting Gear = A Better Experience

“It’s ironic that we inevitably stick the kids with the hand-me-downs and lower quality gear, when they’re the ones who actually need the higher functioning, better performing gear. They’re the ones who we want to have the absolute best possible experience so that they’ll come back again and again, and they’ll bring their friends, and they’ll talk about it at school,” said Field Norris, co-founder of Chêne Gear and father of young hunters. “We saw this as a challenge from day one and set out to fix it.”

Kid's Wader Trade-In Program

Under the youth wader trade-in program, we will offer three sizes of zipper-less waders: ages 6-8 (shoe size 4), 9-11 (shoe size 5), and 12-14 (shoe size 6). As children grow, they can pay $125 to exchange their waders, which must be in good condition and approved by Chêne, for a larger size. Children who outgrow the youth sizes can receive a full-sized pair of waders and be eligible to exchange for a larger size one additional time while they’re still in the program. Children graduate the program once they turn 15.

About Chêne's Kid's Waterfowl Hunting Collection

“We’re introducing a new model for mentors taking kids out into the woods and helping parents with the costs of outfitting children with quality hunting gear,” Norris said. “Children are so impressionable. They want to be whoever you are, and they want to wear what dad is wearing and what grandpa is wearing. That’s what this program is all about.”

Chêne’s new youth collection is a complete system of apparel, identical to the adult versions, that will prepare children for any condition they’ll face in the woods. The Over-and-Under Jacket, lined with sherpa fleece for an ideal blend of warmth and breathability, was built for cold fronts and frigid late-season conditions. The Hydro-Lok Shell is built with 3-layer breathable and waterproof nylon to provide dependable protection against heavy and sustained rains. The Sherpa Fleece Wader Pant was designed to be worn under waders for comfort and warmth, thanks to the 300-gram sherpa bonded fleece and 4-way stretch polyester construction. These products are all available in youth size: Jr, XXS and XS.

If your kids are ready to experience the Chêne difference, check out the new youth gear and learn more about the youth wader program.