eVent Shortie gaiters replaced by Neo(shell) Shortie gaiters
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Just a heads up for anyone else who might have been looking for the eVent Shorties, which have not been in stock at US dealers in a while.
Here is the response to my email inquiry as to the availability of Rab(formerly Integral Designs) eVent Shortie gaiters:
Hi Owen,
Thanks for your interest in Rab products and for reaching out to us. The eVent Shortie gaiters were discontinued as of this Fall and I can tell you that they will not be available again at least through Summer of 2015. As they were replaced with the Neo Shortie Gaiters, I am not sure if they will be brought back into our product line or not. I would recommend checking out the Neo Shortie Gaiters, the Neoshell fabric is also waterproof and much more breathable than eVent.Let me know if you have any further questions.
Cheers,
Roger Huang
Customer Service Representative
Rab USA I Lowe Alpine
I was not even aware that there was such a thing as the Neo Shortie, having neither noticed them on Rab's site or having seen them when previously viewing Rab's lineup online at various dealers.
The price is higher. $50 at all the places I found them advertised on a search.
Regardless, I have a pair on the way, since I liked the eVent ones so much.I've posted this before…. I sewed my own gaiters (11.5" tall, 13g each) made of the lightest ripstop nylon I could find. A simple tube with no hardware top or bottom. Not for snow. Just for 3-season wear to keep the water and mud off my upper boots and lower pants (I sleep in the same pants I hike in). They are tapered: narrower at the top, wider at the bottom. I lined the inside with Tyvek cut from a 9" x 12" envelope. The Tyvek stiffens them just a bit and adds to the waterproofing. They are narrow and stiff enough to stay up, but soft and light enough that I leave them on all the time and don't notice them. No chafing. An easy project and my sewing skills are not good.
These came a couple of days ago, but I haven't had much time to mess with them, since I've been tearing up the OT to make a November trip happen.
First, I see Campsaver now has the Neo Shortie gaiters on sale for $37.46 in both Medium and Large sizes.
Observations/opinions:
-Noticeably absent is the reinforced patch on the inside that the eVent Shorties had.
While these gaiters' material does *appear* to be somewhat more durable than that of the eVent ones, I'd like to have seen the patch of heavier material retained in this high wear area, because it does seem more prone to getting scuffed.-There is a thicker(Cordura?) band around the inside top of the gaiter, with horizontal strips of "silicon grip"(per the product page) inside. The thicker band makes it possible to tighten the top down without it cutting into your leg like the old one did if it was above your sock.
This does not seem to keep the gaiter in place on a pants leg any better than the old ones(they'll slide an inch or two in short order), and I first thought it was a useless feature.
Once I caught on, I realized how wrong I was about that.
The thicker band makes it possible to tighten the top down without it cutting into your leg like the old one did if it was above your sock, so you can more comfortably wear the gaiter with mini or micro length socks. In turn, the silicon holds the gaiter in place on your leg so you can wear shorts. It doesn't pull my leg hair, either.
This is very good! I often went without the eVent gaiters when wearing shorts and/or shorter than crew length socks, because it was uncomfortable. Even with shorts and wearing longer socks sticking out over the top, the sock could then get dirt, mud, come-alongs, etc on it.-There is a small loop of fabric that runs through the cord lock at the top of the gaiters, and holds the lock close to the gaiter.
This is obviously intended to make tightening the shock cord a one-handed operation, but one of mine was missing the stitching on one end, so came out the first time I pulled on the cord. Grrr.-There are also two small cord loops sewn into the underside of that top band at the center rear and outside front of the gaiter.
I have no idea what purpose they serve.-There is a plastic clip that goes under the shoe laces, rather than a downward facing hook like on the previous model.
To get the gaiter off, you have to loosen the gaiter and wrestle with it, flipping the hook forward and upside down to pop the laces out. The old style's clip was on or off instantly. The good news is that the clip rides further down than the old one, so that the gaiter conforms to the shape of your shoe. I think it gives a bit better fit.-There's more hardware.
A grommet replaces the sewn fabric ends where the shock cord goes around the top of the gaiter.
The shock cord has a plastic cord end rather than loose ends tied off in a knot.
Never an issue with the old ones, but it can't come untied…
The shock cord that goes under the shoe has a sliding "lock" for pulling the cord tight so that it doesn't have to be tied off after tightening it down, and you can just feed the excess through the same grommet the cord runs through.
The gaiter also comes with a spare shock cord and sliding lock for the bottom.-Construction.
Stitching is of similar quality to the original Shortie, but there is no seam at the rear, only the front, with the back side being a continuous piece. The fabric ends of the one seam are turned under and stitched in place, which was not the case with the eVent ones. Less seams, no loose ends, no complaints.-Fit.
Rab really nailed this. The gaiters have a contoured shape vs. the boxy one of the older version that will be obvious in the pics.
The gaiters narrow at the ankle, and are rounded on the bottom sides so the gaps between the shoe and gaiter are minimized. The fit is GREAT, in my opinion. I think this will give better protection from snow and briefly splashing through water.-My conclusions, comparing to the old eVent version:
I'd say this is a very good-looking gaiter. The available colors are less likely to clash with clothing(esp. than the yellow!). The material looks good and is much nicer to the touch, and the gaiter has a more streamlined shape.
They fit great, and provide even better protection.
They are more versatile, since they can comfortably be used directly on the skin, making them more practical for wearing with shorts and with short socks-kind of combines the utility of the originals with something like Dirty Girls that are more suited to use with trail runners.Here are some pics. White balance was jacked, but it didn't seem to affect anything but the background.
Shoes are the Garmont Zenith Trail GTX in size 10.
The gaiters are size Medium.
Inside:
With an eVent Shortie:
aMy initial impressions are good after a first use this week.
I accidentally stepped in a hole with water that was actually over the gaiter, splashed through a lot of shallow water, and intentionally(and briefly) stood and walked in water that came over my shoes, and my feet stayed dry.
The ends of the shock cord that use a knot on the other side of a grommet are not secure as received, and had to be retied, but other than that, no complaints.btw, it's hard to beat Savage Gulf for a quick fix when you're in the area.
How's that for a <3 hour stop for "gear testing"? :D
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