Lower leg coverings that aren't pants?

Hey Derek

I carry OR Sun Legs in the summer. They weigh ~5oz in large. They are held up by friction and tension of A band that has silicone on the inner part. I don’t find the band too tight if I find the sweet spot. The leg section is not compression, more like a form fit with no pressure from the fabric. I can pull them on and off without having to remove shoes because of its zippered ankle section. I keep them in a hipbelt pocket for quick deployment

I hike in “the green tunnels” of Maine and put on the sun legs when I get above treeline for over-exposed sections.

another option if you DIY would be to cut the legs off a super light base layer (like Patagonia LW capilene) and install light shock cord, or something, into hem of upper section.  This would weigh ~2oz or less probably

I have used these to protect the thin skin on my forearms but can be resized and used for the lower leg as well.

I’ve used knee-high socks when going through overgrown parts of trails.

Sun protection sleeves for arms and legs are pretty easy to find at bike shops.  Most rely on some sort of grippy silicon band to anchor in place.  They are not compression garments but do fit trimly.  Sometimes you can find them in colors other than white.  Here is an example of a common product:  https://www.pearlizumi.com/US/en/shop/unisex/warmers/mountain/sun_legs/p/14371835

Why not use chaps? Use a rain chap pattern but make in an uncoated fabric, just make them a bit shorter in the upper leg section. But for this type of use I normally wear knee high gaiters

I guess I’m with Edward on this one. Chaps would be my 2nd choice because you would be very aware of their presence.  Gaiters on the other hand would go more unnoticed once you got used to them. And you could use any fabric to suit. My 2 cents.

how about pants with side ventilation zips ?

I have a pair like that, they keep bugs out but let air in.

Those socky solutions look great for sun protection but weak for surviving brush.  Gaiters would be great for both, but then they’re generally heavy and thick when they’re knee-high.

I use a tan for sun protection :-) and wear zip-offs when I know I’ll be spending time in gnarly brush.  For regular brush I just tolerate a few scratches.

I cut the legs off a pair of pants, threaded some elastic cord through a channel in the top and bottom and made leg gaiters. They’re pretty good for brushy trail or sun protection. Look a little silly but it’s a hike, not a fashion show. Once I lent them to a lady on a Sierra Club hike who was getting all scratched up and she was raving about how much they helped her. I have also cut the legs off a pair of leggings that I’m too fat in the upper portion to wear. I have been wearing them for warmth. They would work for hiking but I think burrs and things would stick to them on brushy trail.

I’ll echo Franco here and suggest trying a pair of Railriders Echo Mesh pants in a light color.  They are open and airy when unzipped – they can’t quite match the openness of shorts, but they come close.  I think they would be less intrusive than most anything else.  Tall gaiters would be hot, chaps, even if made out of a breathable fabric just seem like they’d be an annoyance. The Echo Mesh pants also have some elastic in the waist so if you lose weight on your thru- they should still fit.

My 2011 Echo Mesh pants weigh 9.8oz without the belt if you end up carrying them in your pack at times.

My other suggestion would be some really lightweight light colored baselayer bottoms (Cap Lightweight?) under your shorts.

As a cyclist I’m very familiar with leg warmers/sleeves, but I wouldn’t recommend them for hiking.  It’s not just the gripper on the sleeve that keeps them up, but also the gripper on the lycra shorts.  I would expect to have trouble with creep and sag throughout the day.  I’ve also found the longevity of the elastic gripper is a big factor.  Once they get old/broken in, they creep even more.

I think the best option is sticking with pants and getting something like the Montbell Dynamo Wind Pants.  Easy to wear right over shorts.  Super light (lighter than most  leg warmers in fact), pack small (literally in your pocket), comfortable to wear.  Best solution to hiking in shorts with occasional sun protection that I’ve found.  I also carry them in the event of rain…not as a shell, but as something dry to sleep in after wetting out my shorts.

I would 2nd Wisner’s comments about leg warmers, I’m also a cyclist and I’ve tried them hiking.

I have a pair of Arc’teryx Stradium Pants that I use for over shorts, for bushwacking and warmth. The full zips are awesome for getting them off and on. They seem like they may get ripped eventually, but they just function so well over shorts that I’m taking that chance. They are not nearly as light as a wind pant though.

The only problem I have with the wind pants idea is that you generally only see them in black.   If you are using them for sun protection, I find black to be too hot in a lot of instances and would suggest a lighter color.

. Men’s Copperfield Wind Pants Custom .

Most of my gaiters are indeed heavy canvas or heavy Goretex and front opening because I mainly use them in winter and deep wet snow however I can see in my head a gaiter made side opening like the old pattern US army legging but with the rear sections in an open trucking mesh. They would be both robust and very cool to wear. Perhaps stiffened in the front with a poly stave

I’m also hiking in shorts all 3 Seasons. 4th Season, knickerbockers. I used to wear knee high gaiters which in all general sense worked out great. However, they always held in quite a bit of heat especially down by the ankles making my feet overly hot and my legs clammy. On super hot days this was considerably worse. So stopped wearing them during the Summer and then all together due to the extra added weight. I moved on to knee high ski boot socks. They are fairly well ventilated around the calf area, but with the extra padding in the shins and feet they become overly hot during the summer time. Then I tried out knee high compression socks with synthetic toe socks and I don’t sweat. Much. Ventilates very well and they don’t compress much more excessive than the ski socks did. I’m okay with compression though, as I’ll also pair these with compression knee sleeves for my bad knees. The knee sleeves do and will creep. Which is annoying! I switched to trail running non-waterproof ankle gaiters to still keep debris out. Since the fabric is highly breathable, that maintains good airflow at the ankles, helping keep my feet drier. Next Spring I’m experimenting going with shorts + 3/4 length compression bottoms paired with the knee high compression sock+5toe sock and ankle gaiters. Hopefully eliminating the need for compression knee sleeves and my Underoos. Complicated. But it makes me happy. Keeps the debris out and the brush off me. And I stay cool and ventilated. Hike your own hike as they say. Maybe some of this will help.

Here’s Rambling Hemlock’s solution to the problem:

DIY tall gaiters

If you haunt used stores, you might be able to find nylon hiking pants for cheap that you can hack.