Does anyone rub anything on hip waders in off season to keep from drying cracking out in future years?

Right or wrong I rub armarol on mine, then hang them up
so there not folded.

I don't rub anything on my waders but I have a procedure that keeps them in really good shape. I use my waders hard in fresh, brackish and salt water, and I have had good luck keeping them usable. I have 3 pair of chest waders, 2 hip boots and a handful of knee boots and all of them are a few seasons old.

1) I clean them with soap and warm water, to include the inside. I make sure every bit of mud and dirt is removed.

2) They get placed on a boot dryer until the insides are dry.

3) I store them in my house, not in the garage as to keep them in a controlled environment.

Sunlight and heat your biggest enemy. Dried mud will crack waders too.

During hunting and trapping season I try to wash them when I'm been in brackish or salt water after each use. Every night the boots I've worn go on the boot dryer. I make repairs as they happen.

I don't rub anything on them. I do hang them in an indoor closet by one of those "S" hook coat hangers made for them

How do you repair cuts and tears in them?

Keep them clean and dry after use. I use mine all year long here. Sometimes they last, but, a sharp stick gets them sometimes.
I would think a spray used on tents and such wouldn't hurt.
Sarge

I use ArmourAll, inside and out, right out of the box brand new, keep them hanging in the basement when not in use. I also only buy the ones with the canvas outers, they last a long time.

Just hang mine upside down so there are no folds or creases.

Round tire patches on rubber or aqua seal on about anything.Keep aqua seal in freezer between uses as the shelf life isn’t great.

I've had my hip boots patched several times at a local garage/ mechanic shop.

hang them on boot hangers in cedar closet in my basement; LaCrosse for me but thats my opinion and can repair with a tire patch.

Heat is your biggest concern for anything rubber. I've often wondered myself if a healthy coating of Vaseline would prevent dry rotting in the off season but I have yet to try it.

Second is folding them. I've had neoprene waders for almost a decade (Duck hunting pair, Never seen briars) to only loose them to the glue separating at top of boot and neoprene line. This was the result of leaving them folded on a self in the garage instead of hanging them upside down in a wader rack. The garage is climate controlled.

Recently I broke down and purchased a "Brush buster Coon hunting" pair that I hope to withstand the abuse I seem to dish out.

Tire patches for rubber and aqua seal for neoprene. My experience though is once the stitching starts to go on neoprene they don't hold up much longer no matter how much TLC you givem.

Also, I've had good luck at times when the snap on belt straps break using a fabric bungee cord cut to length. Just make a loop and run belt through it. Your mileage will vary but it's one little trick to get every dollar outta a piece of gear longer.

Hope this helps.

I coat them with Armourall inside and out right out of the box, brand new.

I dont think you wanna use vaseline on the rubber. Im pretty sure its the same as weatherstripping on a car and vaseline or any petroleum product eats the rubber