Gaiter's vs Snakes ....

[darkage]

Other than keeping debris outta boots ...

Will a set of gaiter's help stop a snake bite?

And are they overrated, or something someone who hikes long distances should consider ... Seen a OR pair but not really sold on there function.

My socks are normally just fine shaken off ... now here in the NE there's a serious tick issue during prime season, I'd imagine they'd help keep the little guys outta your ankles ...

More or less the snake question ... only things in the woods that i'd like to never get more than 10 feet in front of .... I'd rather confront a grizzly. =0

"Not really, But my choice of the two is close" .. lmao

[bigcranky]

You can spray gaiters with Permethrin which will help a little against ticks. Against rattlesnakes, maybe not so much....

[wrongway_08]

Nope, they are too thin. I am sure there are some 6 pound leather things that would help with snake bites but for the average gaitors, they wont.

[Homer&Marje]

Just bought a set of mountain hardwear gators and I love them for keepin crap out of my boots but there is no way they would block a snake bite, from a snake that mattered at least. Most rattlesnakes have 1"-1 1/2" fangs that are like needle points. Can you sew nylon?

[darkage]

I figured, thought i'd ask ....

So the number 1 reasons to wear gaiter's is simply to extend the life of the boot/socks and add a layer of rain protection against the ankle and help prevent ticks from entering the boot/sock?

Which are all valid reasons for carrying a 3oz pair ... i'm just curious.

[Homer&Marje]

If nice and tight they can keep a lot of water out of your boots, but even a little stick inside your boot that you don't notice, or are too tired to care about will cause hell for your foot. I don't think mine weigh any where near 32 oz. Maybe 12 oz for the pair. Mountain hardwear.com is claiming 9 0z pairs on most of their newer products. I bought mine second hand here on WB.

[Rambler]

Cabelas sells a thicker canvas knee length gaiters for protection vs. snakes.

[Footslogger]

[quote=darkage;716998]Other than keeping debris outta boots ...

Will a set of gaiter's help stop a snake bite?

==============================

Just remember ...you are walking (or should be) on a blazed trail. Rattlesnakes generally give you plenty of warning when you voilate their space.

I wore both high and low gaiters at different times on my thru but honestly never thought of them in terms of snake protection ...and I saw dozens (literally) of snakes.

'Slogger

[darkage]

Not so much rattlesnake, its the copperheads that worry me ...

I'm realizing this was sorta a stupid question ... had i looked at a few before had i'd clearly have known .... but hey, someone will search sooner or later on WB and might have been clueless ... lol

I'm just thinking of a pair like these here ...

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___14235

Would they lose there breathabilty if sprayed with a water sealant ?

[Lugnut]

I wear 6' DIA. stove pipes. Works well except they rust when it rains.

[Egads]

Don't worry about the snakes. Pay attention to where you step and your surroundings.

I've used low cut gaiters for snow, but my feet got wet anyway.

[Old Grouse]

Funny thing - once I saw my first rattler it really reduced my vague anxiety. Not that I wouldn't probably levitate the next time, but meanwhile I'm no longer worried.

[Bob S]

Wouldn’t leather gators protect you from snakes? In today’s world we make a lot of things out of synthetic materials (nylon and the like) but I would hazard a guess that back in the cowboy-day’s leather was used and I would think it would stop a snake bite?

[Blissful]

Gaiters are basically useless, IMO. I started with them, got a ton of blisters as they kept my feet too hot and sent them home. At breaks I would take off my runners, let my feet air and my insoles dry and emptied out the debris. Worked out fine.

Snakebites are so rare. Just watch for them.

[SoonerTex]

Don't the Gaitors get mad when you wrap them around your ankles and do Crocs work just as well? Sorry I couldn't resist. I will go back to my own little world now. SoonerTex

[Hooch]

Would they lose there breathabilty if sprayed with a water sealant ?

Someone told me that gaiters are for packsniffers. Seriously though, I had a pair of those same gaiters. When I was on my first AT section hike, I left them at the first shelter I came to. All they did for me was hold in heat, even untreated, and made my feet very uncomfortable. IMO, a waste of money, but to each their own, hike your own hike, etc.

[Wise Old Owl]

No.

[hopefulhiker]

After I switched to trail runners, I used the short gaitors for the whole trail. They help keep the water and snow out of your shoes as well as dirt. They provide a little bit of warmth too and help keep your socks a little cleaner. This helps if you wear the same pair for a week... I think that the long gore tex version of the OR gaitors might help against snakes.. The short ones probably wouldn't help at all..

[m0rpheu5]

cowboys never used gaitors, the cowboy boots come up high enough and besides that, they just use leather chaps (sometimes)

[Wags]

i'm pretty sure cowboys wore chaps to protect their legs while riding through prairies (from thorns and such). i wouldn't bet my life on leather boots or chaps protecting myself from snakebite. i'm pretty sure it'd go through chaps with ease (most chaps are pretty soft and supple) and most hiking boots (not nearly as strong of leather as work boots) probably wouldn't stop it either. good news is that there's something like 6 fatalities a year from snakebite in the US. nothing to worry about

on the topic of gaiters for protection from debris/water i have nothing to add. i don't use them