Gaitors uses...
I never leave my gaitors at home and this is why...
1. keeps sticks out of your shoes
2. keeps leaves out of your shoes
3. keeps small stones out of your shoes
5. keeps mud off of your socks/legs if you happen to step into depper mud
6. keeps you from getting scratches on your shins in overgrowth sections
7. keeps the bottoms of your pants cleaner
8. "could" help prevent a snake bite from actually contacting skin. Oh boy ..the price to pay for saying that...sigh
9. if worn under your rain pants they help to keep your shoes dry in light to moderate rain...if even for an hour I find it very worth it.
10. keeps water from being splashed into your shoes/on socks if walking through a wet area with puddles.
11. keeps stickers from getting caught on your socks and thus annoying the crap out of you.
12. keeps shoe laces from being untied by getting caught on something.
13. small amount of warmth in winter/cold hiking conditions
the end...