Let’s talk boot gaiters

[Mitch Chesney]

I need to pull the trigger on gaiters this year. My softshell pants have grommets to act as their own gaiter but I'd feel much better wearing something more protective once the crampons get sharpened. So I have a list of three gaiters from three different manufacturers. I wanted to post my thoughts and hopefully get some of yours' as well.

Outdoor Research Expedition Crocs
Standard gaiter fare – seen everywhere on everyone. 70d body, heavy duty 1000D cordura ankle protection. Nothing special. 343g

Rab Latok Extreme Gaiter
I love Rab, the brand, and these differentiate themselves with the weight savings, at expense of durability. eVent and 500D Cordura ankle protection and DRAWSTRING calf closure. 228g

Hillsound Super Armadillo Nano
This was a very interesting product because they use epoxy beads as flexible 'armor' on the calf. The 'nano' version uses the Schoeller fabric that my trousers have. But a whopping 380g!

[Ian]

I have the OR Verglass gaiters. They are somewhat similar to the Crocs but a bit lighter, I can't replace the strap without sewing a new one on (I believe you can with the Crocs), but they attach the same. Strap's going strong so not a problem for me yet.

Fits fine. Easy to take on and off. Never have to adjust them. Verglas gaiters don't breathe all that well; never a problem during the winter but I wear them when volunteering with SAR and find that I sweat quite a bit under them. Don't know if the Crocodiles are the same in this regard.

Don't know about the other two to say. eVent sounds like a nice feature.

[James Couch]

Crampons will rapidly slice any gaiter! The trick to not slicing your pants/gaiters is to not contact them with your crampons, one way to do that is to make sure the pants or gaiter fit tight against your leg. If your softshell fit snug and keep snow/rocks out of your boots i would not bother with gaiters.

Having said that, there is a reason the crocs are everywhere, they are one of the best gaiters out there, good, relativly snug fit, super durable, reasonable weight bombproof instep strap, and the best upper fastening system of any gaiter on the market. Maybe nothing 'special' but I would say in fact that they are well designed robust and nothing 'gimmicky' just a good basic gaiter, therein lies their strength.

[Roger Caffin]

I use MYOG gaiters in the Dirty Girl style, using a heavy Lycra fabric. I spray them with DWR before use. Then I keep my feet from banging into each other. LIGHT.
And Cheap!

Cheers

[Jeff Jeff]

Look into the standard crocs instead of the expedition ones.

[kristen buckland]

depending on how much you use your crampons you can wear out a pair of gators pretty easily. After one season of ice climbing and couloirs every weekend I really tore up the sides, and duct tape only works for so long…..I'd recommend not investing too much money as you'll be replacing them sooner than you think.

or maybe I just can't walk straight………..

[Mitch Chesney]

If people are tearing up gaiters that scares me even more to not use my REI Acme stirrup system again. And if Cordura can't stand up to a season or two of active use I'm really leaning toward armoring a cheaper pair, similar to what Hillsound does with their epoxy dots.

[Justin Baker]

"I use MYOG gaiters in the Dirty Girl style, using a heavy Lycra fabric. I spray them with DWR before use. Then I keep my feet from banging into each other. LIGHT.
And Cheap!"

You don't use them for walking off trail through brush though, right? Those lycra gaiters don't seem too durable.

[Roger Caffin]

> > "I use MYOG gaiters in the Dirty Girl style, using a heavy Lycra fabric.
> You don't use them for walking off trail through brush though, right? Those lycra gaiters
> don't seem too durable.
You might be surprised just how tough heavy Lycra can be. Perfect for alpine use.

But for serious off-trail scrub-bashing in Australia I use MYOG 500 d Cordura ones. That stuff tends to be a bit indestructable.

Cheers

[Mitch Chesney]

Jeez Roger, at 500d for what I assume the outback to be (merciless scrub brush and rock outcroppings) the OR Crocs are incredibly overkill at 1000d at the ankles. I'm not saying I'm clumsy with crampons… Maybe I'll look for something less tank-like

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Mitch

Well, yes, our scrub can be a little … and the rocks in some places are a bit like broken glass. Slashed a pair of joggers clean open once.

And yes, the Crocs are a shade heavy :-) I dare say they might be just the bees knees for serious ice climbing though.

Cheers

[Adam Kilpatrick]

Note that there are a few brands of full height gaiters available in Australia. Very popular here. Sea to Summit have some good models-they are what I use these days. Also One Planet (another Australian brand) and others make some very tough gaiters. They all pretty much, tend to use 1000d Cordura or similar on the lower halves, sometimes over canvas depending on the model. The S2S ones also have a patch of truck vinyl (or something like it) on the ankle over the top of all that. I've still managed to wear holes in the ankle sections of my gaiters with off track walking here! Rogers 500d I and many others would consider very light and envelope pushing, but then he whips up his own in probably five minutes at a few $ cost, so it doesn't really matter.

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Adam

Yes, I do MYOG, although it takes a little longer than 5 minutes. :-)
But what wears out is not the Cordura fabric but the hook&loop fastening tape – after a few years. So I have replaced the tape several times on some of them.

Cheers

[Will Elliott]

I use trail running gaiters for multiweek mountaineering. Crocs are like Carhartts overalls: great for work but less for athletics. Crampon snags are a minor issue and will go away with experience. You will get by fine with a real cheap gaiter and have more money to spend on something more fun! While it's nice to wear just a cord on your pants I think the weight of gaiters is worth it for keeping ice out of your sleeping bag.

[Will Elliott]

I have also been pleased with nonbreathable coated nylon gaiters, like Mountain Hardwear makes, since breathability is trivial in that area.

To keep your crocs going strong, get a grommet kit from the hardware store when the stirrup wears out and coat the outside in polyurethane roofing sealant when the fabric wears out.

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