when freezing boots and waders do they need to be wet? My boots are in the freezer right now but they don't seem to be getting cold. last time i did the freezing thing they were wet  and the y got really cold and you could tell cause they were little blocks of ice . I am  going fly fishing in new hampshire  and don't  want to bring the mud snail with us . and i have been told varying amounts of time to freeze them i.e  and ill probably freeze our waders as well do ,they need to be wet to kill snails ? were leaving for new hampshire  on July 1st.Â
I am no expert on this matter, but I think it was Bono??, that told me you shouldn't put your waders etc in the freezer when wet as the expansion of the water when it freezes can damage the waders. Although the fabric doesn't feel cold, when put in the freezer dry, the little snails will be frozen.
Cheers,
Alastair.
PS Does anyone have good tips on "sterlizing" equipment whether it be freezing or otherwise??
-- Edited by AfricanAngler on Wednesday 24th of June 2009 12:58:32 PM
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"Three-fourths of the Earth's surface is water, and one-fourth is land. It is quite clear that the good Lord intended us to spend triple the amount of time fishing as taking care of the lawn." - Anon.
Water over 130ºF for over 10 minutes works too. It doesn't hurt to throw in some 409 to really make sure they are all dead.
Freezing wet gear can be really bad for it. This is why mountaineering boots are often plastic; repeated wet freezing of nylon causes the ice crystals to expand and destroy the small fibers.
