wateproof gaiter of choice?

[robtattoo]

How do they size gaters? I want to order a pair but have no clue how they size them. Do they go by shoe size, how thick your calves???

Calf size.
Under 16½" = large
Over 16½" = X large

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[Ross]

This pair has over 300 conservative number miles on them you can see the strap is simply wearing out and I have patched two holes. This is my second worn out set. I bought another set that is how good they are

 

[Mike7]

This below is based upon gaiters purchased from each of these companies between 3 and 15 years ago (my son is still wearing OR Crocs I bought around 15 years ago). OR Flextex & Verglas gaiters are my most recent gaiter purchases within the past few years.

OR - Far more durable than Kuiu (both Crocs and Expeditions are much more durable in my experience, and I think even the thin & super light OR Verglas gaiters may be as or nearly as durable as Kuiu gaiters); also OR Crocs and Verglas are more breathable than Kuius it seems for some reason which I can not explain.

Kuius - Quieter and camo. Stretch, but this is not needed in a gaiter.

Kennetrek - quiet and durable; water resistant, definitely not waterproof.


If you want perfect quietness and waterproofness, then in those situations, just pull your pant leg down over the top of your gaiters and seal your gaiters above your socks to bare skin.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I have 3 sets.

Or crocs. - bomb proof. Heirloom quality gaiters. Heavy as construction would suggest. Honestly probably overkill for anything other than really high alpine work with lots of snow. They spend a lot of time in the gear closet.

Kuiu - I bought a set of yukons in brown. They are a great balance of function and weight. Have used them from snow shoing to upland bird hunting. These have become my go to when I wear gaiters.

First lite duraflex type - I bought these to,replace a set of OR stretchy spandex ones. Cheap. Will hold out some rain and light snow. Keeps dirt and rocks and studs out of boots. Cheap but not a full service gaiter. Great for tick proofing your boots and pant legs.

It is nice to have options but to be honest, if I only had the kuius I would probably not suffer.

 

[eagle#eyes]

This pair has over 300 conservative number miles on them you can see the strap is simply wearing out and I have patched two holes. This is my second worn out set. I bought another set that is how good they are

Looks like you put these through the same test as when they loaded a Kuiu backpack and threw it off the cliff

 

[Ross]

Been wearing kuiu gear since day one when they came out. Can't comment about any packs but can say the clothing line is very good. No fan boy here will tell it like it is and abuse it and wear things out. Yes I have gone vertical in kuiu not intentionally and it faired better than my old body

 

[5MilesBack]

If you want perfect quietness and waterproofness, then in those situations, just pull your pant leg down over the top of your gaiters and seal your gaiters above your socks to bare skin.

IMO this defeats my purpose of even wearing gaiters.

I use the KUIU gaiters.

 

[Mike7]

I wear gaiters to keep my feet dry first, and stuff out of my boots second.

For summer/archery hunts, especially day hunts, a pair of short water resistant soft shell gaiters works fine (just cant cross significant streams in them).

For later conditions here, especially overnight trips and if going off trail, and where tall wet brush, deep wet snow, or streams deeper than the gaiters exist, then no gaiters will keep your feet dry when the lower thigh of your pants wets out and wicks down onto your socks. If you wear tall socks, then wearing the gaiters under your pant leg if needed is really not annoying or uncomfortable.

 

[5MilesBack]

I've never really had a problem with wet feet. I wear the gaiters to keep my lower pants dry and free from burrs etc. And in cold snowy conditions to keep my pants dry and unfrozen.

 

[LaHunter]

^^^
This

 

[Mike7]

5Miles -- I don't know if you have no problems hiking in wet boots?...or maybe you live in a climate where hunting/walking through wet brush isn't a potential daily occurence.

Regardless though, for me the most miserable week I ever spent in the wilderness was on an early season elk hunt where we had warm temps along with thunderstorms every afternoon that drenched everything. I forgot my gaiters, as it was 85 degrees and sunny when we left the trailhead for the 9 mile hike into base camp (with horses dropping the gear).

Almost every day we hunted out of base camp, up to 2-3 miles into the surrounding hills. It was too hot to hike/hunt in rain pants (and rain pants wouldn't have held up in the brush anyway). I brought two pairs of boots which were completely soaked the entire time that I was there, as water from wet brush drenched my pants and then filled my boots. Sidehilling on steep slopes with drenched feet and boots is not fun for me, especially as my feet became steadily more trashed over the 10 days I was there despite efforts nightly to dry everything back out.

I hate wet feet. In wet conditions, I would rather be without my pants than without my gaiters.

 

[brownbear]

OR Crocs...

 

[5MilesBack]

5Miles -- I don't know if you have no problems hiking in wet boots?...or maybe you live in a climate where hunting/walking through wet brush isn't a potential daily occurence.

Could be both. It's generally dry here, but in 2013 we got rain for two weeks straight in September (over 15 inches). I hunted those two weeks with only one pair of boots and I don't even remember my feet being an issue or a problem for me. I didn't even bother with rain gear that year because it was so wet. Wet with sweat or wet with rain.......either way I'm wet.

But at the end of the day when I take my boots off, my feet are dry. My merino socks and even boots are damp but my liners and feet are dry.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Or crocs. Love them

 

[zrodwyo]

I just bought a pair of Kuiu Yukon gaiters, a pair of from OR, and Black Diamond Frontpoint. The Kuiu gaiters are on a whole other level.


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[sodaksooner]

I bit the bullet this weekend and picked up a pair of the KUIU's. Had a chance to stop by the mobile showroom and goaded myself into it. I liked the finish of them and they were quiet. I am glad I had a chance to try them as I probably would have ordered the XL as i am right on the edge. got the large. Picked up a ballcap as well and got out of there for about $85 or so. They had everything marked down 10% if you placed an order there. For $63 it was worth it to me to try them out.

 

[PNW_outdoorssman]

The firstlite Brambler gaiters are awesome. Very durable!

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[dplantz]

First lite. OR crocodile have been gold standard for years. This summer, I was in my first lite, wife in her OR, she never sweats, I pour buckets, she was feeling overheated under hers, I couldn't even tell mine were on.

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[dplantz]

The issue I have with Kuiu gaitets is the lack of breathability. My pant cuffs and boots get really damp after a long day of hiking.

Try first lite. See my comments on page 4

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[dplantz]

This below is based upon gaiters purchased from each of these companies between 3 and 15 years ago (my son is still wearing OR Crocs I bought around 15 years ago). OR Flextex & Verglas gaiters are my most recent gaiter purchases within the past few years.

OR - Far more durable than Kuiu (both Crocs and Expeditions are much more durable in my experience, and I think even the thin & super light OR Verglas gaiters may be as or nearly as durable as Kuiu gaiters); also OR Crocs and Verglas are more breathable than Kuius it seems for some reason which I can not explain.

Kuius - Quieter and camo. Stretch, but this is not needed in a gaiter.

Kennetrek - quiet and durable; water resistant, definitely not waterproof.


If you want perfect quietness and waterproofness, then in those situations, just pull your pant leg down over the top of your gaiters and seal your gaiters above your socks to bare skin.

This is damn good advice for dryness. I have over the calf socks, so with gaiters ending just below knee, water from taller brush soaks through pants into top of socks, above gaiters, and then creeps down inside my boots. Will definitely be trying gaiters under pants and socks rolled down under gaiter tops next time . . .

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