What gaiters do you use?

“I'll be gettin a pair soon and want opinions. Conditions will be sloppy southern springs.”

“I am eagerly awaiting all the responses that this thread is bound to generate (this is a backpacking site after all). I'm in the market for them myself.

I'll stay tuned.”

“I don't use them and have never really regreted it. GA, TN, NC on the AT, Smokies, bushwhacking the Sipsey, pretty much the same stuff you do. I don't use boots either.”

“How do you feel about pants though?”

“Mine are a pair of inexpensive Threshold gaiters that Campmor (I think? Maybe STP) had on sale a couple years ago. They have the ballistic 1000D nylon cloth on the part that goes over the boot, and thinner nylon taffeta over the leg. I use them all seasons to keep mud off my legs and to protect against scratches as well.”

“What do you do, DH? Just carve your way through the woods in a jock? :)”

“I'm agin' 'em, at least on womenfolk. Y'all should be wearing skirts when hiking.












JUST KIDDING!”

“I'm currently using a pair EMS Gaiters similar to these:
http://www.ems.com/products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442047551&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=282574488769439&fromTemplate=search%2Fresults.jsp&bmUID=1107293158272
They work fine for me, but I wish they were a little bit larger around because they don’t really fit over my snow paints very well.”

“We use Outdoor Research Crocodiles. They're more of a technical gaiter- really heavy duty- best for backcountry skiing and snowshoeing. They're probably too heavy for warmer, wet weather. They have wide, velcro front closures that won't ice up like zippers do and they go clear up to the knee.”

“If the women are relegated to wearing cute skirts, are you going to carry us through the brambles and mud?”

“I always wear gaiters when I hike in they Adirondacks because the trails are muddy. The gaiters keep most of the mud out of my boots. Also at water crossings, where the water is deeper than the top of my boot, if I step quickly enough and the stream is narrow I can wade across and end up with dry feet.”

“Brambles, yes, mud, no, har har har...”

“Here're mine....


I can't remember how much they were, but they're worth it not having broken zippers.”

“I would suggest not getting gaiters that use zippers. The zippers freeze in the winter and cake with mud the rest of the year.”

“I wear OR, I wouldn't hike without them.when the trail turns to a river of mud, I have dry feet. day two rain = dry feet. Day three rain=dry feet.uphill,downhill, heavy pack, light pack, Dry feet. they work”

“I've never really had a mud problem in the zippers on mine, but I rarely hike through mud more than boot deep.”

“I use the MH nutshell ventigator I think it was called. I like them although they are not big enough for my plastic boots. They have a neat vent that you can open on the back of you r calf to cut down on sweating.
They are more of a 3 season gaiter and I really should get something heavier duty and bigger for winter.”

“I've been using the Mountain Hardware Ventigaiters since X-mas. Two thumbs up so far. You can zip away the calf-muscle portion part to reveal a mesh for ventilation, which I imagine will become handy this summer.”

“I use the vent a gaiters too. The problem is with the vents in the back; I wear gaiters because when I hike in mud, the mud flips off my boots and up the backs of my legs. When I wear the gaiters with the vents open I end up with nice muddy triangles on my legs.”

“The Crocodiles would be too heavy for anything but skiing, etc.”

“TB - close.

I can't think of a place I've been where I really got very wet. When it turns muddy I just am more careful about where I place my feet. There have been many times I was at a disadvantage for a creek crossing, but that was more of a hiking/running shoe versus boot issue than anything.

If I was in the NE or out West with snow, then I'd feel differently.

This past trip at Jericho is was mucho muddy. Maybe 2" of rain fell the day before the trip. My shoes did get muddy and sort of wet. At night I hung my shoes from a tree branch and hung out my socks. I alternated socks each day. No biggie.

Also, this is for 3-4 day trips. For a week I'd likely have a different attitude too.

Currahee - just trying to add different view, not trying to trash your thread.”

“I also have a pair of nutshell gaiters that are nice.”

“I mostly got mine because I got tired of coming home with muddy and scratched-up legs. The Thresholds do a good job of protecting my poor shins.”

“Oh, and they keep stuff out of your boots, too.”

“My stupid A wore shorts for the bushwhacking portion of the Jericho trip. Nice!”

“Dayhiker, I didn't wear them at one point. But given a choice I would leave my rain gear to take them.”

“Wow, strong words Matt. I don't guess the benefit is as strong if you use running shoes?”

“Keeping trail mix out of my hiking shoes and not destroying my pants is my concern. I always end up with loads of debris in my shoes (I hike in trail runners) and I hate to have my pants or bare legs trashed from walking through muddy terrain.”

“I hiked many hundreds of miles, for many years, and thought how stupid they were ... 'til I bought some. I now use them even on ultralite trips. I have those GoreT velcro OR Crocs for winter/cooler rainy conditions. And for better conditions, I picked up a cheaper pair of those half-gaitor kind, that only goes just above the boot. In both cases, they've totally replaced hiking pants.

Those 15-buk Campmore gaitors 'ud do the trick nicely. The Croc's are very, very nice, and I disagree wit aero that they're only for skiing, but wait until they are half off.”

“ape - that's sort of why I'm chimming in. I'm curious about them, but don't think I "need" them, however 2 folks that have been through some crap have written in and said to try them. Also, you do lightweight and flatlander matt considers light to be anything under 50#'s. 2 philosophies, same thoughts on this. Interesting.”

“Drawbacks to the Thresholds:

The drawstring at the tops of the gaiter are like shoestrings. I modified mine and added a couple of cordlocks so I wouldn't have to tie them. I am thinking about modifying them further, and changing the original drawstring to some sort of stretch cord so that they will stay up better.

They come with some cords that you can use to tie onto the grommets and loop under your boots. These are again like shoestrings, and I already broke one. I am still thinking about replacing them, possibly with some kind of steel cable that can take the punishment.”

“I have the same gators aero has. They are nice, but did cost $89 I think. I use them pretty much during all wet conditions, be it rain, snow, creeks...”

“I use OR Expedition Crocodiles, but that's for my snowy winter adventures. If you're just looking for gaiters to keep muck out of your boots down in the south you'll just want some lightweight waterproof breathable ones. But with the existence of the Rockies and the Sierra and the Pacific coast mountains, who would even wanna backpack down south or back east? Blech. How YOU doin'?”

“off topic - Buck - cram it up your cram hole!


On topic - the EMS gaiters are gettin the nod right now. How high are they over the boot?”

“off-topic - it doesn't matter how high they are over your boot if you're hiking in a freaking god-forsaken bog. You'd need a body-gaiter that goes up to your muthuh-lovin' chin.

On-topic, God made the west for backpacking.”

“Buck, that's great and all, but you have to deal with Westerners while hiking out there. Blech”

“Buck, that's great and all, but you have to deal with Westerners while hiking out there. Blech

Agreed, big-boobed bikini girlz get old after a while. I'm getting sick to my stomach just thinking about 'em.”

“C'mon, people, can't we even talk about boot gaiters without it degenerating into another discussion about breasts? This is ridiculous.”

“I guess they all reside in your private photo collection?”

“Mountain Hardware Ventigators...what LtHiker and ARTEX said......on a different tack, try chotaoutdoorgear.com

check out the knee high wading socks...they fit into the trekker boots they sell...

I bought the mukluk light (MK150) for cold weather kayaking, but they will do double duty for knee deep stream crossings and mudding in all but the hot summer and early fall...they also sell a gaiter sock (NS300).”

“So, do they make boob gaiters?”

“I have hated gaiters and didn’t even buy a pair until my first big snow camping trip. I bought a pair of non breathable ones and I might as well have gone with nothing. My legs were soaked. I now have a pair of REI WPB ones that do much better. My pants legs still get damp but not soaked. I think I paid like $24 for them.”

“I always hike with the OR crocs. Anytime the trail is over grown they save me from poison ivy, briars, and those dang leaves that make your legs feel like you've got a thousand paper cuts on them. Irritating as all hell. I'd much rather just strap the jimmies over my boots and be cautious. ;^)”

“got mine at STP on sale...9.99 I think or some rediculous price. Why pay retail ifn ya don't have to?”

“I wear the OR Crocs. I've had them for years. When I lived down south, I even used them spring, summer and fall...I would just push them down past my calves and tighten the top closure to keep them down. They are absolutely perfect for winter. They are really good for spring and fall, too. In many cases, I just wear shorts and my gaiters when it's cool out for hiking.”

“Black Diamond. Absolutely awesome for creek crossing and early morning walks to the deer stand through wet grass. I have used them in snow, but not much.

Very durable, velcro closure, and sexy.”

“I agree Dayhiker, I see your point. On short hikes they are not that big a deal. On most of my short hikes or hiking to a base camp. Were I think they are most effective is while crossing a mountain range, or wilderness area. Were there is no chance of seeing a sole for days. keeping your feet dry is very important. I hiked for years without them. On the rain gear, I don\'t carry it most of the time in weather say 35 or warmer. I wear shorts and gaiters. All this stuff is personal preference if you ask me. If I\'m hot footen say 25 mile days in the mountains. It\'s shorts, gaiters 18lb pack.Boots, I wear light weight waterproof hiking boots, I don\'t have foot problems (thank God).They do fine even with the heavy loads. I\'ve found for me anyway, Keep my feet dry, sleep dry and warm, and have water, everything else including food you don\'t need, It\'s a luxury”

“I don't like gators all that much and never used them in CA but here I use them mostly in winter and very muddy trails. I have taller pairs for winter and a short pair for summer but if the trail is dry I would rather just hike in my tevas.”

“I have seen where Dayhiker hikes. I don't think I would take his recommendation on footware too seriously.”