UL gaiters?

Depends on the use, for deep snow I like Outdoor Research (OR)Celestrial gaiters (knee high, 5.8 oz large) which are mostly gore-tex paclite. From your post, I assume you are looking for "general use" gaiters which the Integral Designs eVent shortie gaiters are favored as they are waterproof but highly breathable. If you are bushwacking in spiky, thorny brambles, you may need heavy duty pack-cloth, as the others would be destroyed.

I just bought a pair of Integral Designsshort gaiters made with eVent laminate. They ave very simple, in fact TOO simple in that they have no opening up the back or front. so you have to put 'em on and take 'em off W/ no boots on.

I'm cutting them down the back and sewing Velcro strips on to get around this cheap design/construction. Otherwise the gaiters are sturdily made but still lightweight. They come W/ a small storage sack which is handy when storing them wet.

Eric

Try the Montbell Stretch Gaiters. Made of Schoeller Dynamic and less then two ounces.

try these like a running sock with an apron

I use OR Rocky Mountain low gaiters. They're pretty duruable. 4 oz for the pair I believe. You could also sew the gaiter to your shoe like Ryan Jordan suggested in one of the BPL print issues. That would do away with the strap you mentioned.

Inov-8 make a debris sock and a debris gaiter.

I have the simblissity gaiters, which work well for me, and I have similar needs. They stay in place without an undersole strap, and form a tight seal to keep out the crud. I've even used them snowshoeing and they did a good job keeping my shoes dry. Eventually they will get wet but the DWR is decent. I would imagine with the velcro they are probably easier to get on than most gaiters out there…

I agree with Phil. I have the same gaiters, and they function as they should. 25 miles on the Lost Coast last week and they stayed in place, kept the rocks out, and were easy to get on an off. The only complaint is that the hooks for the laces fit a little loose and slip off during bushwhacking. I think this can be fixed with a pair of pliers.

For your use I pull out my Simblissity gaiters. I otherwise blow right through the keeper straps on rocky terrain. I've used dozens of pairs and I keep coming back to these even for uses they aren't designed for such as snow & mud.

The simblissity ones just kind of work the way they are supposed to.

Ones that I don't recommend REI Desert gaiters.. while they work fantastic at first their keeper strap is crap (lasts about 1/2 of a trip) and they wear out too quickly.

It's hard to find the right balance of breathability vs durability and weather resistance. Once you get one that works well for you, you'll discover that one pair won't handle all conditions so you might end up wanting a different pair for wetter conditions or for colder conditions.

I've got a pair of Dirty Girls (gaiters that is…).

I've had some problems with keeping velcro stuck to the heel of my Inov-8 Flyrocs, but I think I might have found a solution (needs more field use though).

When the Velcro is in place I love the gaiters. They breathe so well and are so light that I forget I have them on. They aren't tight around my leg but don't let anything in either. I also narrowed my choices to the DGs and Leva Gaiters but chose the DGs becaue of the price and the sweet patterns (sweet is subjective I suppose). Since this is my first pair of gaiters I don't have anything to compare them to.

Adam

Edit: Oh yeah, and they only weigh 30 grams for the pair.

One does not normally see the words 'UL' and 'gaiters' in the same sentence here in Australia.

On the other hand, '1000 denier Cordura' goes well with 'gaiters'.

Cheers

I've been using a couple different gaiters for varying conditions. For snow or excessively wet travel I prefer the Montbell Schoeller Dynamic and at 2 oz they're the lighest around. At first I paired them with Keen Targhees and was concerned with their ability to function with low cuts. Well, they worked out just fine for the most part, only pulling up once in a while when post-holing deep snow.

My warm weather gaiters are some light, polyester/spandex kind from REI with a velcro opening and sturdy elastic top and bottom and also stay put on low cuts. With these I'm mostly just trying to keep the dirt out of my shoes and they do the job.

On both of these gaiters I use a short piece of elastic shock cord (1/8 in) going under the instep and this material wears four or five times longer than nylon cord. Maybe more.

yep

I'll second the endorsement of Dirty Girl gaiters for use with running shoes. There is no under foot strap or cord to wear through, they are light and they keep normal trail debris from getting in your shoes while still providing ventilation. I have also used them while kicking steps in snow in my trail running shoes (not recommended) and they kept the snow out and my socks relatively dry. I would not use them for bushwhacking, especially in the southwest, the thorns and brambles would tear them to shreds, but on trail, they can't be beat.

While we are on the subject…

For those of you who have experience with Dirty Girl Gaiters, do you find it best to wear the gaiters everytime you wear the pair of shoes that have velcro adhered to them? When you wear a pair of shoes w/ velcro affixed, but without the gaiters, does the velcro suffer very much (let's assume conditions are dirty and dusty, but generally dry).

I guess I am trying to figure out whether, in some sense, my gaiters require a dedicated pair of shoes that, practically speaking, must always be worn with those gaiters.

Thanks!

James, if you are worried about the velcro, just get a strip of velcro to attach to it while wearing the shoe without the gaiters.

I've been using Dirty Girls for some time now…It doesn't matter (for the shoe velcro's sake) if you're wearing them or not.
I do 75% of my trail running without them, only using them on longer/more technical runs. The velcro stays on your shoe fine. The corners might peel a bit over time, but Chrissy sends you enough velcro to replace it if necessary. I've never had to- I wear out the shoes before the velcro is coming off.

I love these gaiters!

The brand new Montbell gaiters totally ripped to shreds in the 16 day JMT (last 165 mile) hike I did last year.

I find them way too fragile, in sewing around the seams, especially. Also the under-shoe straps wear out, I replaced the straps 3 times on the hike.

I won't be using them again. I am going to try dirty girl gaiters (plain color).

I am SO unhappy that she started doing solid colors. Roleigh, why not get a pair of snakeskin or pink camo gaiters? Atleast go with a pair of DFL's.

Thanks Craig and Roleigh. I think I was overthinking things a little bit! I just received mine in the mail recently, and look forward to putting them to use. I have a pair of the REI Mistral gaiters, and may apply velcro to them as well.

Roleigh, you mention a preference for a plain color, but an argument can be made for something a little, ahem, brighter, in the name of redundant gear function- such as signaling for help in case of emergency, or being visible from space. Just something to think about before you discount the "Fresh" or "GI Jane" patterns…

http://www.dirtygirlgaiters.com/e96.html

James

I've got DFL's…
My next pair is definitely going to include hot pink hearts!

I'm a DFL guy myself. I felt it was an honest badge.

James, I have a PLB to be seen from space. That is good, I guess the DG gaiters can be so outlandish they could be seen from space. LOL.

Based on your comments of needing a UL gaiter to "keep my socks cleaner and have them last longer (less grit/rocks grinding around underfoot) and reduce stops for pebble removal." you should really take a look at Mike's recommendation on checking out the Inov-8 gaiter/sock !!!

JUST 2.5 oz for a sock / gaiter all in one that really work well and come in both coolmax or wool. I have both and really like the wool ones. Really keep the stink factor down and are made from 55% merino wool, 25% acrylic, 18% polymid, and 2% elastane.

Or, for just a simple gaiter you can check out the Inov8 Debris Gaiter 32 at about 1.7 oz

Kevin