Boot gaiters, what are you using?
Elk
Contributors to this thread:
Do you use boot gaiters and which ones do you prefer?
Always used the back OR ones (outdoor research). They were the best I found. Now I'm gonna order the new Kuiu ones now, they look awesome.
I do not have near the amount of experience that others on here do with gaiters, however I purchased a pair of the Sitka earlier this year at a great price and love them. The problem I could see with them is moving through heavy brush they may be a little loud.
I have the low ones and some tall mtn gaiters- black diamond I think- I use when its raining or very wet is all.
Not a big fan of gaiters all the time- too hot for me.
I've been happy with the Kenetrek.
Most of the gaiters I've seen are designed for open country or snowy weather conditions. Very few work well in brush...for stalking...or where noise is a major problem. I've tried the O.R. Crocodile, KOM, Sleeping Indian (wool), Sitka, and Cabela's GT fleece. The best performing for me are the Cabela's set. They are easy to put on and very secure. Completely waterproof (except for total immersion over time) and best of all, quiet in close-range encounters. I simply have no use for a noisy gaiter...far too irritating.
If your talking about September elk hunting. I think that the low one's are best. I wear them to keep the bottoms of my pants dry, so the water dose not wick down my socks (rain or dew). I also wear them for crossing streams. It helps to keep most of the water out, crossing. I wear short hikers boots.
I have the OR gaitors and the Sleeping Indian. I like the wool Sleeping Indian when deer hunting in the northeast in snow, they are very quite and work well. I have used the OR in September and October and they have worked well. I have an order in for the new Kuiu gaitors to try. If they work good I will use them with the Kuiu clothing and the OR will go with the Sitka Gear. JJ
I really like the Kings Camo brand ones.
I have a pair that Browning makes. I havent needed them elk hunting. I wear a mid top Cabelas hiking boot for hunting. I havent used gaiters elk hunting but use them alot when rifle deer hunting. Deer hunting Im in heavier brush I often wear good rain pants over gaiters.
I must be one of the few that don't wear gators! I've been hunting Wyo and Colo for years. It generally dries out pretty quick around here...especially when the wind blows. If you wear quick drying pants plus boots with gortex you likely won't need them. On wet, rainy, or snowy days I'll have a set of light waterproof pants/jacket in my pack. Do those that wear gators also carry a set of rainpants in their pack? Gators seem like just another item to lug around? I can understand how they may be a little quieter for stalking but other than that don't see a need.
Kentrec are great but only 1 I ever used and it was so I could hunt in shoes in 10" of snow. Like Jims I have never used them in Sept or for elk.
It is very rare I will use them but taking a 2-3 ounce pair in for backpack trips just in case might not be a bad plan.
I am going to get a ultralightweight pair for backpacking what kind do you guys like that are super light?
Not that they don't exist, but I've honestly never heard of an ultralight gaiter...especially something suitable for the abuse of hunting in rough country. I tried to imagine a 2-3 ounce pair, which means one gaiter would weigh 1 or 1.5 ounces. I suspect that's about on par with a liner sock. Anyone....?
I used Day One Wet Grass gaiters last year. Loved how they kept my boot tops/pant bottoms dry, however I got tired of pulling out all the crap at the end of the day. (they're a fleece-type material)
Bought some Kenetrek's and they worked great for spring turkey. Can't wait to wear them this Sept!
Agree with Kevin Dill. I have socks that weigh more than my gaiters.
I use the gaiters TexasHuntCo makes. Good hot weather gaiter. Used em in Australia on my hunt. Quiet, light, and durable. I wear shorts pretty much year round so they get used hard.
Lost Arra's Link
Kevin: I think the ultralights are the trail running gaiters (REI-4oz, OR- 2.7oz). I've never used either.
I use the black OR ones and I swear I wont hike even in summer over a heavily used trail without them, I love them, but
They do make noise, especially when crouching/squatting. Listen closely. I noticed their noise walking in a fresh 3 inch snow while it was snowing when it was really quiet.
I take them off when hunting now, and don't put them on when I don't have a long walk to where I'm hunting.
In 6 inches of snow last year kenetreks worked well
Hey Lost Arra...
Thanks for helping get me up to speed. I did sort of realize the existence of hot-weather and trail-running gaiters, but couldn't imagine them having much use in a hunting situation. I guess I'm always thinking gaiters = 'wet, muddy, snowy, sloppy, dewey, creek crossings, etc'. I mainly wear them to keep my legs dry and pants clean/protected. They are very valuable to me on my Alaska hunts to the interior for moose and caribou.
My Cabela's gaiters are waterproof, so only the outer fleece gets wet. They dry easily and are light enough (compact, too) to please me.
REI also sells a "Desert Gaitor" for grass seeds and rocks rather than for snow and rain. Very lightweight, and in 4 seasons I have been unable to tear a pair up.
Does anyone have a system for keeping the toes dry while walking through wet grass? Gaitors don't cover that part of leather boots, and that's the part where the waterproofing wears off first.
I treat my boots from time to time with Nikwax. I've been wearing my Lowa and Scarpa boots for years and have never had wet feet....even without gaitors!
Kevin I am sure the are not tough but for the weight it seem like a good plan!
For Kentrek, I literally hunted in a hiking shoe, VERY low cut, in 10" of snow wit no problems. I cannot imagine any better test.
KUIU has a new gaitor coming out. Should be available in July I think?? Based on the rest of the clothing they make I imagine these will be top notch. Check out the KUIU blog, there is a video uploaded recently that details the new gaitor.
outdoor research flex tech gaitors. they are shorter but work well and fit tight. love them.
Aubs8's Link
I just bought a pair of Cabelas Ultimate Gators: 31.99.
Mike
Aubs8 that's a really good price on the Cabela's gaiter...same ones that I use. They've never failed me in any way, and I like the quiet fleece outer.
I'm interested in the KUIU model coming, but certainly not enough to guess and spend the money. I'll wait and see what others think, especially since I'm 100% on my current setup.
Don, let us know how the UL gaiters work for you, and if the benefit is significant. I'm interested.
I wonder if the KUIU ones will be able to withstand crampon use. The only ones I had before that could hold up to it were the black OR ones.
I've used the OR Crocodiles for years, they work great in a mountaineering scenario. Maybe a little high for most hunting. I plan on using them in AK this year.
Game Hide makes a decent pair of light weight gators.
They are also fairly quite and affordable.
They are available Realtree and snow camo.
My Kenetrecs work great for the hardcore situations and stay put very well.
I've been using the Cabelas Ultimate gaiters for over 20 years and have no reason to invest in anything else at this point.
I have a pair of Rivers west, best on the market.
Thanks everybody for the replies. Lots of good ideas. I have been using Cabelas Gore tex Gaiters for years, but have been looking for shorter, lighter and more breatherable gaiters that are also quiet.
The REI "scree" and OR Flex will be your best bet for a low cut/low noise gaiter, but they don't do much for keeping heavy water out above the boot line. You can coat them with waterproofing, but that only lasts for a while.
had the cabelas. pretty noisy. got OR crocodiles now. may try kuiu next?
Hi Guys
This is a great discussion. I appreciate your experience.
I am looking for gaiters that are larger in circumference since my calf muscles are quite large from a lifetime of hiking and exercise. Does anyone know where to get such gaiters?
Once, I bought some gaiters marketed by Jim Shockey. The quality was good, but they were too small. Size matters.
Thanks for any ideas that you might have.
Best wishes.
I bought a pair of Ottos on clearance from rei for $10. So far I'm impressed crossed several streams over the toos of the lowas and stayed dry
Are Kuiu anything special in gaiters
KUIU are the only brand I have used and this is the first year I have ever worn gaiters. I had a very wet, snowy first week of an elk hunt this year and they performed flawlessly. Very quiet, kept me dry, and just felt great having them on.
Have had Kenetreks for years. Worked fine after replacing the strap and closures with para cord.
I bought a pair of the short Sitka's. Forget it if you have a 13 foot.
Went to REI and got a pair of their Alpine Lite short gaiters and love them.
summer hiking: merrell low gaiters elk hunting: chigger gaiters by mothwing
these both keep all of the crap out of your boots.
when raining add integral designs event gaiters.
snow: gore tex knee high from cabelas
just bought some neoprene gaiters to try out next time its raining hard
I have the kuiu and like them. I had to go with the XL. The sizing chart is pretty accurate. If you are close, go with the larger size.
I use sitka and REI gaitors for warm weather hiking to keep things out of my socks
OR crocs when the weather is bad
i have a set of cabelas outfitter series goretex gaitors and they work great and i also have a set of sitka gaitors and they are awesome too.
Used the Kuiu and the Sitka gaiters. I don't like the Kuiu gaiters for bowhunting. I was frequently worried about the sound coming from the Velcro closure on the Sitka while closing in on animals. The Sitka zipper makes no sound, and for that reason I'll grab them on my next bowhunt. The Kuiu pair would be great for rifle hunting.
Kenetrek, Quiet, easy on and off, keep me dry
I've used Kenetrek, KUIU, OR and Sitka. Though all work and are very functional, I prefer the Sitka Gaitors. Didn't know if I'd like the zipper at first, but after using the Sitkas, I really like them the best.
For keeping things out of my boots it's firstlite. I just received my new Kuiu's and cant wait to try them (I waited 9months to get them and received them too late for the elk hunt).
Great info guys, thanks! I'm in the market for a pair of gaiters as well, I prefer ones above the calf too.
ElkNut1
I've had the Kuiu gaiters for a couple of years now, I have put them through some really constant wet weather abuse and I still like them. One thing I dislike about gaiters in general is that after days and days of use the wetness seems to creep up a few inches under the gaiter and your boots never dry in that area, it's not really a big deal but you just don't dry out so after awhile you have to find time to take them off during the day.
I had a dumb ass moment recently that I had to laugh at myself, I actually forgot I had my Kuiu gaiters on! It had been a fairly dry day and after waiting out an afternoon rain storm I decided to put my gaiters on so I took my pack off and rummaged through it looking for the gaiters and couldn't find them so I took everything out searching for them but they weren't there and I thought WTF! I must have taken them off somewhere and forgot to put them in my pack so I loaded everything back up, put my pack on and stood up, as I was buckling the waist belt on the pack I found myself staring down at my gaiters comfortably installed around my boots! so I can attest that they are comfortable!!
The only thing I dislike is the velcro, it is not a big deal but when you take them off it is fairly loud
I have the KUIU gaitors and am very impressed with them.
Just an old pair go Mountain Hardware gaiters I got years ago. They are a little noisy but work fine for the heavy rainy days we get here in western Oregon
My Rab Latok knee length gaiters [eVent fabric] work very well
I'm liking the kuiu's more and more. Comparatively quiet, tough, breathable to a degree and do what they are supposed to do. The more I use them the more I like them. Like the Yukon jacket, they seem to be getting quieter as they "break in".
Have a pair of day one fleece that are very quiet. They pickup burrs and stuff pretty good but I don't worry too much about that during the hunt. Main thing is when they do get wet they get heavy. And once wet they stay wet unless you have a place to dry them every night with a wood stove. OK for the one day uses but for day after day not so much....
Mad_Angler's Link
I have several pairs of "tick gaiters". They are extremely light and quiet.
They keep my socks and the tops of my boots dry when walking in wet grass/weeds.
Picked up a pair of Kenetrek last year and love em. Super quiet and fit snug. Got tired of having wet pants from morning dew and rain wicking down to my feet. Colorado has been real wet the last few years.