Detachable Upper Section on Gaiters… Make Sense?

[Eddie Rivera]

So I've got a pair Outdoor Research Flex-Tex Gaiters that I use predominantly for trail runs to avoid mud and light snow (although not much snow in Texas…). I'm considering making gaiters (similar to the ones in the BPL article) to use for bushwacking during adventure races.

To make it as simple as possible, I'm considering adding a section of Cordura (or similar) to my Flex Tex gaiters. To make them as functional as possible, I figure it would be possible to have that upper section detachable.

If I go this detachable route… what would be the best method for durability? The first thoughts that come to mind would be snaps or some hook and loop. Or am I simply crazy to think that this would hold up off-trail brush and thorns?

[Tohru Ohnuki]

If you're following Roger Caffin's design, then it probably makes sense to leave it full height. For durability he put the seam at the back and I would imagine that having an extra seam all the way around would make it less durable and more fiddly.

[Eddie Rivera]

The more I think about it, the more I don't particularly like the idea of detachable uppers. The most sensible config would have the seam down the front to match the ORs but I like the design with it in the rear.

A big driver for that idea was minimizing cost and material needed. Is there equivalent fabrics for uncoated Corodura or breathable, durable fabric? The 500D I'm finding is ~$15/yd before shipping…

[Roger Caffin]

> The 500D I'm finding is ~$15/yd before shipping…
That's pretty good. You won't need much fabric for one pair, so 1 yd will last for several MYOG pairs – MANY years. very cost effective.

Actually, for some very strange reason, the gaiters I make myself using 500 denier Cordura seems to outlast commercial gaiters by a factor of 3 – 5 or more. That's leaves me to wonder what is the rubbish some of them are made out of?

I don't like the idea of a detachable upper myself, fwiiw.
I have recently switched from 20 mm Velcro tape at the back to a #10 zipper, with a large snap at the bottom. Seems to last better than the Velcro.

cheers

[Eddie Rivera]

Appreciate the suggestions guys.

+1 on the zipper. My teammates have orienteering gaiters with zippers in the rear, and some padding/plastic insert in the front. To minimize the weight, I think I'll steer clear of that particular feature.

I did manage to find 1000D Cordura on ebay pretty cheap ~$13/yd. Still pokin around for durable, breathable fabric for the uppers.

[Paul McLaughlin]

OWF has uncoated 330d cordura, and The Rain Shed has uncoated 160d cordura. Oddly enough there is very little difference in weight between these two fabrics – I've used both on packs and they are very tough – both are around 4.5-5 oz/yd. OWF also has uncoated 1100d cordura if you want the max.

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