I'm a gaiter man. Gaiters are standard equipment for me when day hiking or backpacking. Why? Because they keep dust, grit, debris, sand, snow, and (to some extent) water out of my shoes. My feet stay a lot cleaner, my shoe laces don't become untied or trip me, and I rarely need to stop and remove grit from my shoes.
How do gaiters keep water out? Well, if I quickly cross a shallow stream, tight-fitting gaiters minimize the amount of water that gets into my shoes. My shoes and socks get damp, but they're not very wet. Conversely, this technique works better with waterproof shoes or boots.
Ultralight gaiters are, as the name implies, the lightest ones; weighing less than 2.5 oz (71 g) per pair. For an ultralight backpacker the drive to decrease weight is easy to justify. We intentionally choose lightweight footwear because it not only saves energy but also frees our ankles making us feel more nimble and liberated. Wearing heavy gaiters would go against that mindset. If we wear gaiters at all we want them to be ultralight. As with any other item in an ultralight gear kit, the benefits need to be worth the weight.
Caption 600: Backpacking off-trail in the alpine tundra through rock and snow. Ultralight gaiters are standard equipment for me. Shown are the Mountain Hardwear Scree Gaiters.
To weigh less than 2.5 oz (71 g) per pair, one would expect to find gaiters that are minimalist and fragile. That's not true; it's surprising how much can be included within that weight. Read on to get the entire picture.
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- Introduction
- Ultralight Gaiters - What to Look For
- UltraLight Gaiter Roundup
- Testing Conditions
- Evaluation Criteria
- Ratings Chart for Ultralight Gaiters
- Highlights
- Comments by Evaluation Criteria
- Author's Favorites
- Reviews of Individual Gaiters
- Dirty Girl Gaiters (Dark Grey "Scree")
- Specifications and Review Summary
- Montbell Stretch Semi-Long Spats
- Specifications and Review Summary
- Mountain Hardwear Scree Gaiter
- Specifications and Review Summary
- Mountain Hardwear Seta Strapless Running Gaiter
- Specifications and Review Summary
- Outdoor Research Stamina Gaiter
- Specifications and Review Summary
- Rab eVent Shortie Gaiter
- Specifications and Review Summary
- Rab Scree Gaiter
- Specifications and Review Summary
- Simblissity LevaGaiter
- Specifications and Review Summary
- Dirty Girl Gaiters (Dark Grey "Scree")
# WORDS: 6870
# PHOTOS: 13
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Companion forum thread to:
Ultralight Gaiters: State of the Market Report 2013
Agree on the sizing down on the Dirty Girls, got mine per the website sizing, and they are a little loose.
There is an easy way to get something to hold down the gaiter at the instep: Screws.
The screws I used are no. 6 x 3/4" panhead sheet metal. Works great.
Regarding velcro attachment, try hot glue. Very strong, very sticky. Fast.
Often enough, the insides of my shoes brush each other, if I just mis-step, or am in a tight area, and I wonder if these screws could snag against each other?
I wonder if you could attach metal snaps to the back and sides of your shoes and the gaiters. That would be a lot more secure than velcro.
I havent found a gaiter that works well with minimalist shoes and walking through dense chapparal. The dirty girls are the only ones that fit and im considering wearing nylon gaiters over them for scrub. I plan on trying the belleville minimalist boots which are high top and very light wieght at less than 1lb each and function as scrub gaiters if you blouse them with your plants.
Adding a positive plug too for dirty girl gaiters, for the intended purpose and limitations Will sets out in the article they are very durable. I have used one pair for well over 300 miles hiking, trail running, and packing – on trail mostly but rough trail, rocky for sure and probably 20% off trail. They are still going strong – no loss of the velcro patch on either of my shoes (note the other comments about securing this with some stronger adhesives if you are having issues). And for $20 get a couple pair!
Another thing I like about the dirty girl gaiters is that they don't rub your ankles raw. The fabric is soft and so the top openings of the gaiters around an bare ankle, if you wear low socks trail running or hiking, does not bother you against the skin. That was not the case for the Simbliscity gaiters which rubbed by ankels raw during a 12 mile day hike.
Good review Will – gaiters are a small item but the right ones make a big difference in a workable hiking system.
Hasn't happened to me. Well, actually I have tripped from time to time, but not because of the screws. I don't think it's possible because of the shoe shape.
I have a question for the author. How much and what kind of brush did you walk through to test the gaiters?
The video shows you walking through weeds for 40 seconds. That can't be the actual test. Did you walk through sharp branches? Bushes? Prickly weeds?
Whatever it was, it definitely qualified Will to be a finalist in the annual "Above and Beyond" awards competition. (Judging by the state of his shins).
Tiny powerful rare-earth magnets. Shoe manufacturers could embed tiny powerful rare-earth magnets for gaiter attachment! If it works for iPads, it could work for gaiters. They are almost the same thing.
Why wait for manufacturers? Gentlemen, start your glue guns!
A friend of mine tried something like that once, with nearly tragic consequences. He wound up sticking out the side of a garbage truck that had passed him too nearly, and didn't dare try to get out of his shoes until the truck reached the garbage dump, a fifteen mile walk back to the trail-head.
Justin, you asked –
"Did you walk through sharp branches? Bushes? Prickly weeds?"
…aahhhh…. I'd guess the answer is "Yes". And I'm also guessing that Will probably felt that a 10 minute video (per gaiter) would get a little boring.
If Will said he tested them in brush, take his word for it. He's pretty thorough.
Thank you Will for another report and review. Just wanted to ask:
1) How would you best summarize the difference between the Montbell Stretch Semi-Long Spats and Mountain Hardware Scree? Which is cooler for summer use in the sun?
2) For folks with average size calves, do you recommend ordering the Montbell Stretch Semi-Long Spats one size up so they aren't too tight?
Hi EJ, The Montbell spats and MH Scree are quite different. The Montbell fits tight and I would definitely size up. Both are made of stretch fabric, but the Montbell fabric is a stiffer stretch. The Montbell's would be a bit hotter in hot weather because of the heavier dark colored fabric and tighter fit. The MH Scree is a lighter color and looser fit. Best regards, Will
Diane, all of the gaiters in this article (except the Simblissity) will also work with light hikers. The Simblissity is specific to trail runners. Better to size up on the Montbell Spats because they fit tight. Will
Wil,
Great review…and timely since I am looking at gaitors now. I appreciate that you had separated trail vs other conditions since it does seem to make a difference.
Please keep these coming!
Tom
I have thousands of miles of use with the Simblissity LevaGaiter. On trail. Off trail. Snow. Rivers. Blackberry bushes. Ferns. Cactus. Desert brush. Forest undergrowth. Rain forest undergrowth. Rocks. Mountains. Shale. Scree. Love them. Had ZERO problems with them.
The velcro on the heal of the shoe works great when you wear the gaiters. It is a disaster all the other times you wear the shoe without the gaiters. Catches on pant legs and tears them apart. Catches on socks and pulls threads out. Ruined many a pair of nice socks with that "feature." Has to be a better way. Will give Jim Milstein's suggestions of the screw in the side of the shoe a try. Otherwise will pick a gaiter with a strap under the shoe and deal with replacing inexpensive straps vice expensive socks and pants.
"The velcro on the heel of the shoe works great when you wear the gaiters. It is a disaster all the other times you wear the shoe without the gaiters. Catches on pant legs and tears them apart. Catches on socks and pulls threads out…."
Easy solution to the velcro problem above. Put the hook patch on the gaiter and the loop patch on the shoe heel. When the gaiter is not in use, it can be rolled up and the hooks are out of the way. The loop patches on the heels are no more dangerous than a plush toy. They may pick up a few burs when the shoes are used without gaiters, but picking burs off a couple of square inches is no big deal.
Hello. I wear Vibram Five Fingers and haven't used gaiters. I see that Dirty Girl makes gaiters compatible with Vibram FF. How effective are gaiters with this type of shoe?
Thank you.
"I'm a gaiter man."
Great opening line (especially if you imagine it being said with a drawl). :)
Vibram Five Fingers kinda fit like socks and close around the top. Even if you do get a pebble, it will be pressed tightly against the shoe and your foot, making it easy to stick a finger in there and pull it out.
If you really want gaiters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXRfXYJWQpE
I'm going to try attaching some sew on metal snaps to my MH scree gaiters and my vivobarefoot neo trails. I think this should work really well. I might need a really thick needle and a hammer for the shoes though…
I just let my gaiters hang loose.
Doesn't work as good for lower shoes. Or if I'm sinking into show.
"I just let my gaiters hang loose."
Jerry, isn't that just the same as wearing long pants?
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