Running Yukon pants w/o gaiters for sheep hunt in AK?

[robAK]

Here’s the deal. Just bought the Kuiu Yukon pants. Wondering if anyone uses these pants without gaiters for sheep hunt. Have the Yukon gaiters as well but would like to save weight wherever possible. They are long so maybe I can find a strap and clip system to secure them. Your thoughts.

 

[Bearlodge10]

I can not say that I am familiar enough to answer specifically to the Yukon pants. However, I had gaiters on my pack list for a sheep hunt I did in 2014. I scrapped them after a recommendation from my brother-in-law who lives in Alaska and had done multiple sheep hunts. I didn't miss them at all and feel that they would have just added weight and unneeded coverage. We hiked in and had little in the way of knee high undergrowth etc. so it be different in the area you are headed.

 

[Nick Muche]

I leave my gaiters at home anymore, one less thing to carry, worry about and put on/take off each day. Haven't noticed a difference.

That said, the Yukon's are basically a rain paint and I wouldn't wear a gaiter over my rain pant.

Good luck with your sheep hunt!

 

[camelcluch]

Fishing gravel guards or pant keepers work well to manage the length. Both are cheap and can easily be found.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Up until a couple years ago I never wore gaiters and never really thought about it, then about 4 years ago while on a goat hunt with a buddy that was wearing them, I noticed how much drier his boots stayed compared to mine. Since then I've been wearing gaiters even with my rain pants (Chugach and Yukon), and the extra coverage definitely keeps my boots drier. The reason that the gaiters help is because if your hiking through wet grass and brush, 1. the gaiters provide more waterproof coverage over the boot, and 2. the gaiters keep everything pinned down and don't allow the wet stuff to constantly get up underneath your pant legs. Obviously gaiters also help with keeping small scree from getting down into your boots, but that has never been too much of an issue for me and, my main reasons for using them is to reduce the contact of moisture to my boots. Whether or not they come in handy, and are worth bring along on a particular hunt, depends on the conditions of the hunt, which is anybody's guess. I look at carrying gaiters like I look at carrying microspikes. basically if I think there's a decent possibility of getting use out of them, and using them will have a significant impact on my comfort level, be it the ease of getting up a wet slope (as in the case of the spikes), or spending less time wearing wet boots on a really wet hunt, I'll carry them.

 

[robAK]

Thanks guys. Pros and cons. My brother drew the Delta motorized sheep permit so I’ll be doing some summer boots on the ground trips. Make sense to protect and keep dry your boots. I wore mine on a CO above timber muzzy muley hunt and had bone dry boots throughout with rain, sleet and snow everyday. I’ll look into the gravel guards and pant keepers too. Again thanks. Always like others perspective on things. Later.

 

[Akicita]

I don't need Gators with any of my high alpine DWR pants with water proof lowers. They all have integrated gator clips and adjustable cuffs on them to keep out the scrabble and dirt. I run the lace clip if climbing to keep them down over my boots but mostly just cinch the cuff buckle down to keep them tight around the boot upper.

I don't run gators with my Gortex pants but I do run them with non DWR pants in wet grass, snow or marshy areas.

 

[Maverick940]

I don't see any blood stains or scuff marks on any of that gear. Looks fresh out of the box, like a catalog (lol). Anyway, carry on .....

 

[bates]

I don't need Gators with any of my high alpine DWR pants with water proof lowers. They all have integrated gator clips and adjustable cuffs on them to keep out the scrabble and dirt. I run the lace clip if climbing to keep them down over my boots but mostly just cinch the cuff buckle down to keep them tight around

What make and model are these pants??

 

[go4thegusto]

Also consider the new Pnuma gaiter pants.......built in gator bottom with strap as above. The Pnuma items I have bought so far a awesome and they make a tall in everything.

 

[Akicita]

I don't see any blood stains or scuff marks on any of that gear. Looks fresh out of the box, like a catalog (lol). Anyway, carry on .....

They get used and bloody quite a bit. . . They clean up well too

What make and model are these pants??

Haglofs Rugged II Mountain Pants

 

[Maverick940]

Whew, that's good ......

 

[JP100]

I dont wear gaiters at all anymore unless I am in snow.
Depends what conditions you in, here the grass/scrub is knee/waist high so I just wear rain pants, and tape up the bottoms to cross rivers If I need to. As with gaiters I just get wet above them and it soaks down your pants into your boots anyway.

If your going to be in an area with little/no veg then they are good, and for small creeks, but if its proper wet you will be wearing your rain pants anyway.

Only been on one sheep(BC Stone) and I didn't wear them, or felt I needed them.

I don't think you will miss them, and if you don't have save your money for something else