Hiking gaiters - anyone use them?

HomerJ

HomerJ

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Jan 19, 2012
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I was thinking about getting some hiking gaiters (dust gaiters) to help keep dust and dirt out of my shoes while hiking/backpacking. Has anyone on here used them? Recommendations?

Thanks!
 
I was reading a link the other day about not being 'stupid light'. I think Dan had liked it or commented on it or something so it came up in my FB feed. Anyway, the author said not having gaiters was being stupid light and it really made me wonder about them. I've never really used them and don't really get what the BFD is. I guess it's just the terrain? I totally see why they'd rule if you were walking through a ton of grass, esp wet grass, but I'm otherwise unfamiliar with the benefits. Looking forward to hearing what others have to say.
 
i wear 'em every mile i hike. they kick ass. especially if you wear shoes and are prone to getting dirt and dust in your socks. especially if you hike multiple days. people who hike only a day or two at a time don't seem to get blisters as much as a result, but if you are out for a week or more, you want to keep your feet in good condition - and gaiters keep the crap out of your shoes. means no blisters. also great for wading streams (i never take off my shoes - i just plow through whatever is on the trail. i HATE gore-tex shoes and I can not stand boots, but taller boots get less crap in them, same with goretex.)

i love dirty girl gaiters, i have all sorts of absurd pairs. they are awesome.

crappy photo- but here i am in some dirty girls.
Elkhart-12.jpg
 
btw - you don't wear them for wet grass. most "backpacking" gaiters aren't even waterproof, they are highly breathable, not to be confused with "hardshell" gaiters that are used for snow and such.

a lot of the lightweight crowd wears trail runners, hence why they like gaiters.
 
Awesome! Thanks Dan! I'm done with high-top boots too. I prefer the mid to low-tops. This reminds me of a 50-60 year old guy we met in the Windrivers a few years ago. We were getting ready to cross Pole Creek (just above Pole Creek Lake) when this guy came trucking along and just forged right through the creek without missing a beat. He had on light breathable shoes with dust gaiters. We asked him about them and he said the water drains right out and they'll be dry in a few minutes. He said he had came in at the Green River Lakes, hiked all the way south to the Cirque of the Towers and hiked back north to Pole Creek and was headed out to Elkhart Park. I don't remember how many days he did it in, but it's somewhere over 100 miles he traveled!!!
 
I wear the Dirty Girls with my low top hiking shoes. Especially when wearing shorts. Nice in the desert for keeping all the dirt and crap out.

Never bother with them when wearing mids though - mids keep crap out pretty well by themselves. And I'm usually wearing long pants with mids, which also helps with keeping the crap out.

- DAA
 
Yup......I always wear my desert gaitors when exploring in shorts. Think I got mine at REI. Penicillin for cheatgrass and goats head........
 
I've got a pair of OR Rocky Mtn. Low Gaitors that I use when hiking in low or mid shoes when I'm in shorts. I use them a lot more in the desert than in the mountains because I'm usually wearing pants in the mountains. They are really nice when you are going through sage brush or other similiar terrain and really sandy areas as well. I also have a pair of waterproof gaitors that go up to just under my knee. I don't use them a lot but when hiking in the desert in the winter where there is snow every once in a while or when going through brush that has melted frost on it they are very nice. A couple years ago I was in Cedar Mesa in January and we had to hike out of a canyon up a trail less, snow covered slope. I was very glad I had my tall gaitors on then.
 
I always use gaiters (day hikes, backpacking, mountaineering...). I like that they keep small rocks, dirt, twigs, etc. out. Also good for those times when your crossing a stream and you accidentally dunk a foot. Also keeps the snow out if you come across soft snow and start to post-hole. Glissading..helpful there, too. I've owned OR ones and REI ones. The OR ones had a snap that was too tight and broke when unsnapping (2 pair). The mini REI ones I had were sized really small. One bad thing about gaiters is that the strap/string that goes underneath your shoe always breaks and needs replacement. Let us know if you get some and what you think.
 
Man, what is up with those loud funky color patterns on those Dirty Girl Gaiters?
 
hahaha. they are designed to irritate the less interesting folks on the trail, saves a lot of otherwise tedious conversations with REI yuppies, horsepackers, sheep herders, boy scout leaders and the like.

the entertaining folks though, they ALWAYS comment. i had a hilarious encounter with a group of 8 people in the winds last week. i was setting up the tenkara after a fly had been trashed by fish, and this group walks up "ermahgerd, look at dem wadin' shoes that ain't tha same color!" i gave them a blank stare and asked "wading shoes?" they followed that up closely with a "i never seen a fishing pole that didn't have no reel!" and "you really think there's fish in that pool? how'd they get there, there's a waterfall right there!"

i joked around with them for a few minutes, brought in another fish, and told them to google "dirty girls" when they get home. good times.
 
It's funny that you mentioned gaitors. I've been eyeing them up lately. They seem like they'd be great for a variety of situations, but particularly stream crossings. The Amethyst Basin backpack is when I first started thinking about it. I saw a woman on the trail wearing them and wished I had a pair because walking through wet grass soaked my shoes in a hurry. I since bought a pair of waterproof shoes, but the uppers aren't waterproof, so I was thinking gaitors could help complete my water resistance in wet conditions.
 
I ended up picking me up some Outdoor Research hiking gaiters from Amazon. I ordered the size L (8-11 shoe) and I wear a size 10 low top. The gaiters showed up yesterday so I decided to hike Deep Canyon on the Wellsvilles after work that same day!

Here's what they look like
718%2Bap3bpyL._AA1500_.jpg



Verdict: They worked awesome! :twothumbs: I hardly even noticed I had them on! I think I'm sticking with them (gonna try them a few more times before I'm 100% sold)! The only downside I can see is on longer hikes, I liked to take my shoes off and air out my feet/shoes and having to take the gaiters off would add a little time, but then again you're not having to stop and take your shoe off to get that pebble that fell in.

Deep Canyon is very overgrown in places with lots of grass and bushes that have those annoying seeds that always seem to find my socks. The gaiters kept everything out! Also, the Forest Service has also done a lot of work in some areas and the trail was very dusty in these areas. Although the gaiters got quite dusty, they kept most of the shoes, and my socks and legs (up to where the gaiters stopped) clean!
 
Sweet...looks like you're converted. I actually recently ordered a pair of OR gaiters (Rocky Mountain Low I think) from Amazon, too. I received them in the mail but there were kids' size. Oops. But, it was actually a good thing because I did not like the fact that once that 'strap' breaks (the part underneath the shoe), you can't replace it (since it's sewn in). I'm going to go with something like this REI gator where you can replace the strap/string as often as you need. (I've had that particular REI gaiter before and it seems to run small, but otherwise I liked it). Anyhow, I'd be curious to see how that strap holds up on your OR gaiter. Report back sometime if you think about it.
 
HomerJ said:
I ended up picking me up some Outdoor Research hiking gaiters from Amazon. I ordered the size L (8-11 shoe) and I wear a size 10 low top. The gaiters showed up yesterday so I decided to hike Deep Canyon on the Wellsvilles after work that same day!
Click to expand...

I also like Outdoor Research products :) I have one of their hats and their goretex gaiters !
 
Follow up:

I am totally sold on the hiking gaiters! I wore them on my Wind Rivers trip on the hike in and out and my shoes and socks stayed clean!! I didn't wear them on our day hike up to Titcomb Basin and regretted it as my shoes got dirt in them and my socks were dirty with grass seeds and dirt.
 
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