Use of Gaiters on the AT??

[Crestview_hiker]

In planning my hike scheduled for a 2014 NOBO leaving April1, is it recommended to use Gaiters or or they just a luxury item?

[CarlZ993]

It is a personal preference item. I like using them to keep crap out of my shoes/boots. I used Dirty Girl gaiters & was very pleased w/ them on my thru-hike.

[max patch]

Yep, personal preference item. I'm of the opinion that they are totally unnecessary for 3 season hiking on the AT.

[slbirdnerd]

It is a personal preference item. I like using them to keep crap out of my shoes/boots. I used Dirty Girl gaiters & was very pleased w/ them on my thru-hike.
I'm about to order some Dirty Girl gaiters for this summer. This winter I have been using for the first time tall (OR) gaiters and they've been great. Personally have found them worth the trouble, and if you're wearing them they're not weight on your back. I think the Dirty Girl gaiters weigh next to nothing and don't look bulky.

[Slo-go'en]

They can be a big help in the early spring when the trail is still real wet and muddy.

[DeerPath]

A friend who Thru Hiked the AT in 2012 wore them to keep wet grass & bushes, mud, snow, dirt, water and tics off.
Happy Trails

[Rain Man]

Yep, personal preference item. I'm of the opinion that they are totally unnecessary for 3 season hiking on the AT.

I agree with Max Patch that they are a personal preference item. However, my preference is to wear them any time I set foot on the AT. Another example of HYOH.

The keep all sorts of things out of my shoes, off my socks, and from crawling up my legs too. I treat with Permethrin.

Rain:sunMan

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[bamboo bob]

I have used gaiters and dirty girls are good. But you must adhere the velcro to the back of your shoe so you need to remember to take the supply kit because you'll need to do it each time you get new shoes. My personal preference is to skip them. I know they're the hip cool thing to do but I don't think they are needed very much to prevent that once a day pebble in shoe. But like the man said. Personal Preference item.

[Nooga]

I agree with others….personal preference. I only wear them in the winter.

[Dogwood]

AT gaiters - sometimes, rarely, very light wt ones, in winter or when hiking on ice in snow, or possibly in The Whites at anytime w/ low cut trail runners

[punkin pie]

I wore them on my 2013 thru hike. They kept the snow out of my boots the first month or so. After that I wore them after a heavy rain to keep the mud and crap off of my legs. When you get to Vermont, they will be invaluable. You'll be hiking in mud and slop forever. They're not heavy, and when I didn't use them, I kept them in a stuff sack with my rain gear.

[Lady Grey]

I wore them for most of my hike last year and found them invaluable. As others have said, they do a great job in keeping snow, mud, dirt, small sticks, and pebbles out of your shoes. That said, I wouldn't have liked high gaiters... I wore the low Flex-Tex gaiters by OR and they were perfect. As I got further north and it became hot and dry I wouldn't bother, but would pull them back out during inclement weather. I had a problem with the strap cracking, two different times, and both times OR replaced them for free. The first time happened near Daleville, VA and the outfitter there gave me a new pair for no charge. Same issue happened further north, and my spouse contacted OR and they sent me a new pair in Maine. Needless to say, great customer service on OR's part!

[wookinpanub]

I agree with most everyone's assessment that gaiters are a personal preference. That being said, I wore them every day on my thru-hike many years ago. I wore gaiters that were referred to as "combo-gaiters". They had a cordura lower half and the upper half was made of a thinner water-proof material. They came up to just below my knee, so they were much higher than dirty girls, but could be pushed down around the ankles depending on the need. They weren't the Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain High Gaiters with the leather foot strap, which are much heavier and (in my opinion) overkill.
Some of the advantages and ways that I used the combo-gaiters:
1) Kept dirt, rocks, and trash out of my boot and allowed my sock to stay clean longer.
2) On warm summer days during rain storms, I would pull them up to my knees and just wear my rain jacket. This kept my feet reasonable dry, though if it rained all day dry was a pipe dream.
3) On cold mornings, pulled to the knee they would add warmth. As the day warmed I could just push them down.
4) On mornings when the dew was on the grass they gave excellent protection against wet socks.
5) In places where the trail was overgrown, they gave good protection against shin scratches.
6) I started in the snow and they kept the snow out of my boots.

It's a personal preference, but I wouldn't leave home without mine. (By the way, Crestview_hiker, I grew up in DeFuniak Springs)

[squeezebox]

I remember the post from someone with tall gaiters who cut his pants down to knickers, no wadding up and doubling up over his calfs.
I would use a 1 inch band, mostly like a waist band and velcro closure, an appropriate size gusset. Elastic just might compress some important blood vessels near the surface in that area.

[QiWiz]

In planning my hike scheduled for a 2014 NOBO leaving April1, is it recommended to use Gaiters or or they just a luxury item?

I like gaiters to keep debris out of my low cut trail runners. Dirty Girl gaiters are very light and do this well.

[LAF]

personal preference, I will be wearing a pair of dirty girl gaiters; hate little things in my shoes and at 1.1 oz for the pair, well worth it for me.

[michaelosborne]

Another vote for the Dirty Girl Gaiters. I'll be using them on my upcoming thru.

[rhjanes]

I only have orienteering type gaitors, see lots of talk of Dirty Girls.
Anyone have input on Dirty Girl versus these (click this) (http://www.simblissity.net/) ??

[Ox97GaMe]

My preference is to wear high gators (just below knee). There are several reasons:
a) prevents small sticks/stones from getting into my boots
b) prevents water (grassess and other vegatation) from getting in my boots/socks
c) reduces likelihood of getting ticks in the summertime

Ive heard (not tested) that they can also help against snakebite.

I wear hightop boots when I am hiking (weak ankles from years of basketball) and my OR gators form a nice waterproof seal at both the boot level and my high calf level. I have waded through knee deep water and not gotten water in my boots. There are no crossings like this on the AT, except in Maine. and Im not guaranteeing the gators will keep you dry. Just stating that they seem to work that way for me.

[wornoutboots]

Agreed, personal preference. I wear short ones in the Spring, Summer & Fall & knee high in Winter.

[nu2hike]

Dirty Girls! I never hike without them!

[ocourse]

I use the OR brand, very minimal and short. Certainly not a necessary item, but pretty useful. As mentioned, they keep pebbles and twigs out of your boots. Also they keep your shoe laces tied (they are covered up by gaiters), they keep your feet much warmer in cold weather, and if it's raining you can wear shorts and still keep your socks and boots pretty much dry. They keep wet trailside vegetation off your lower legs.

[Deadeye]

It's a personal preference, but I can't stand 'em... they make my legs sweat and I wind up with heat rash.

[Josh Calhoun]

i wont hike without them. to me they were a must.

[rafe]

Never heard of Dirty Girls. I've used gaiters in the past, then quit using 'em. Probably should have used 'em in Virginia -- might have kept the chiggers at bay.

[Starchild]

... and if you're wearing them they're not weight on your back. ....

Carrying objects on your feet requires more energy then on your back, unless perhaps you are just standing there and not going anywhere, but they you would not need a pack or gators, and if you had a pack you could just place it on the ground at your feet, and could take off your gators and store them inside you pack, which wouldn't matter since the pack is on the ground.

[Dogwood]

I have my Permethrin treated Dirty Girl gaiters on right now as I sit at this library computer in Arkansas. They have worked great keeping the debris and pollen(lots of pollen from the pines and oaks right now in Arkansas) out of my low cut trail runners as well as keeping the ticks and chiggers manageable. They have also helped minimize the briar and wild rose thorn scratches that seem to always catch right at ankle height.

If you hit mud, ice, snow early on in your AT hike in April while wearing low cut trail runners/hikers it might be nice to have a pr of shortie Event or Schoeller fabric(EMS, REI, OR, etc make shortie versions) gaiters.

I've also used my shortie Dirty Girl gaiters on the southern PCT and recently on the Arizona and Grand Enchantment Trails to keep the sand out.

A system that has worked for me to stay reasonably dry in cooler weather light to mild rainy hiking conditions when I'm hiking at a more moderate pace is wearing light wt mid cut WP hikers and shortie Event or Schoeller fabric gaiters and rain pants over the gaiters w rain jacket.

[Dogwood]

BTW, Dirty Girl shortie minimalist Gaiters are extremely light wt made out of lycra. They are not WP. Breathe extremely well and attach to the outside heel of your hiking shoe via a piece of velcro. They are excellent for hot weather and keeping things UL. They were designed by a marathoner. Mine take up the space of a ping pong ball and add some colorful splash to the hiking ensemble.

[lemon b]

When I did my first long hike on the AT Beginnin to Front Royal and than in 1982 Ft. Royal to he lady I don't think they were invented. Never really noticed them until the 90's. So I put them into the new stuff class. The new stuff class I try and keep an open mind on. Like going from external to internal pack was a very smart move. Same with tent type,and boots.

[shakey_snake]

Do you hike faster with them on or not?

Some say yes, because they don't have to stop and empty trail junk out of their shoes, which in turn prevents blisters.

Some say no, because they have to put them on everyday and they're unnecessary weight and they never kick trail junk in their shoes that often to begin with.

[theatiger]

OR wrapid gaiters, short and water resist. Love em

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

[Giuseppe]

Used low cut gaiters for the entire trail because I do not like anything in my boots/ shoes or on my socks which then fall off into my footwear. Works well for me. There are some made with cloth impregnated with Permethrin to be a barrier for ticks. Guiseppe

[hagatflute]

I have hiked without gatiers but tired of the detritus that would collect at the ankles. I purchased OR high gaiters and find it much more comfortable hiking with them on. If I had known of Dirty Girl first, I might have ordered them, but am quite happy with my OR gaiters.

[Corsac]

I love my Dirty Girls! I wear Low cut minimum shoes, without gaiters they fill up constantly.

[Kookork]

I only have orienteering type gaitors, see lots of talk of Dirty Girls.
Anyone have input on Dirty Girl versus these (click this) (http://www.simblissity.net/) ??
here is a link to compare these two:
http://sub-10.blogspot.ca/2013/04/dirty-girl-gaiters-vs-simblissity.html

[peakbagger]

I find that in warm weather they make my feet hot.

[rafe]

I find that in warm weather they make my feet hot.

They have to be breathable, for sure. But GoreTex gaiters have been around for at least 25 years now.

[squeezebox]

Do you need to bring extra velcro strips in case the strips on your shoes get clogged up ?

[Dogwood]

Do you need to bring extra velcro strips in case the strips on your shoes get clogged up ?

I thought that would happen too but it hasn't with much use in dryer weather and when wearing crossing streams umpteen times. Any velcro will replace the velcro strips that come with a purchase of Dirty Girls. One thing I have done is McNetts Seam Grip my velcro strips onto the back of the heel of CLEAN trail runners. No problema w/ the velcro coming loose that way. The Dirty Girls breathe extreeemly well(so less need to take the gaiters off and put back on to air out sweasty ankles!) and I forget I even have them on they weigh so little.

[stranger]

In planning my hike scheduled for a 2014 NOBO leaving April1, is it recommended to use Gaiters or or they just a luxury item?

I would highly recommend the Montbell gaiters and as far as necessity or luxury? Ever hear of Lyme Disease? Covering shoes and gaiters in Pemethrin monthly would be considered a good decision along the AT for most people, and it's nice to keep dirt, rocks and sticks out of your shoes.

[Que Sera]

How does sizing work with gaiters? I'm looking at some on Amazon and I have no idea what size I would be? I'm female but have thick calves...would I choose the size based on that?