Gaiters - worth it?

[AllDownhillFromHere]

Do you find when desert hiking, the extra sweat factor from gaiters is worth keeping the crap out of your shoes?

[Elaikases]

My wife loves them, I'm meh on them.

[fiddlehead]

Reminds me of a time I was doing a hike with an ultra runner.
Every time he got a stone in his shoe, he stopped to take off his shoe and remove the stone.
At the end of the day's hike, I took off my shoe and about 5-8 stones came out.
He saw this and said: "What"?
I told him I just move them to the center of the sole of my foot and keep hiking.
To each his own.

[dervari]

I have flat feet. Doesn't work for me. Lol

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[royalusa]

Though the norm for the PCT seems to perhaps favor wearing DirtyGirl gaiters, we did not wear any. We do hike in long pants, which helps keep some of the debris out. It really was not a big deal. Most of our dirt in the shoe was not from a lack of gaiters but due to the mesh on our trail runners which allows quite a bit of fine dirt to enter the shoe - our Salomons let a lot more in than the New Balance, but then on the other hand, the Salomons probably had more air flow to keep the feet cooler.

We found that the DirtyGirl gaiters, in addition to our long pants, was hotter due to less air flow. But as always, it is HYOH.

[Malto]

Don't leave home with my Dirty Girls! Would Definitely recommend for the PCT. Also, wash your feet at every possible opportunity. Even if you have NEVER had blisters the fine sand will act like 600 grit sandpaper. I had blisters by day 2 after ZERO blister on my training hikes up to 56 mile days. The sand is a killer as is the heat.

[AllDownhillFromHere]

Not sure those would work with my boots. I have an old pair of ORs that I was thinking of using, the classic, loop-of-string-under-the-sole kind.

[nsherry61]

Make certain any gaiters you choose to use are NOT waterproof!
I hate rocks and other debris getting into my shoes, so I almost always wear gaiters, often Dirty Girls.
I even use my Dirty Girl gaiters frequently when snowshoeing. They don't work at all for post-holing, but, on snowshoes, they work pretty well and are awesomely light and breathable.

[norts]

I was wearing out a pair about once a month. So I decided to see if I really needed them . Two of the most annoying weeks on the trail. Dont have to be dirty girl just light ones.

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[Traveler]

For desert hiking in low shoes I have found the Activator gaiters to work well. They ride low on the leg and will protect the shoe from debris. They aren't water proof but do provide a little buffer against dew covered grass. I'm sure there are other gaiters like this but these work exceptionally well for me in hiking shoes or trail runners.

[rocketsocks]

Make certain any gaiters you choose to use are NOT waterproof!
I hate rocks and other debris getting into my shoes, so I almost always wear gaiters, often Dirty Girls.
I even use my Dirty Girl gaiters frequently when snowshoeing. They don't work at all for post-holing, but, on snowshoes, they work pretty well and are awesomely light and breathable.why NOT waterproof?

[swisscross]

I like my DG gaiters.
Never hiked in the desert but I loathe debris in my shoes.
Might be the way I shuffle but I always get stuff in my shoes.

[colorado_rob]

My wife loves her DG gaiters, as most do, and I'm considering them for myself on our PCT quest here soon.... but, there must be some significantly different foot/ankle bone shoe seal geometry differences. So far, I only use gaiters in deep snow, for obvious reasons, but in regular trail conditions, I never seem to get rocks in my hiking shoes. Maybe one little pebble a week or so of continuous hiking.

But still, on the dusty PCT, seems like a good thing to wear, nice and light DG's, I agree, non-waterproof for maximum coolness.

[MuddyWaters]

Dirty girls
Stop and wash feet and socks every 10 miles if wearing mesh trail runners.

Never thought dirty girls were hot...wait..yes I have. But thats another story

Big change from AT where I can leave socks on for a week straight

[garlic08]

...Never thought dirty girls were hot...wait..yes I have. But thats another story...

Hah!

Their value may depend on if you wear long trousers, and if you're a sensitive little flower when you get something in your shoe.

[yaduck9]

Do you find when desert hiking, the extra sweat factor from gaiters is worth keeping the crap out of your shoes?

The value of dirty girl gaiters depends not only how much crap you want to keep out of your shoes but how much crap you want to listen to..............

I have a pair that I wear depending on the situation, but I also have fairly thick skin :rolleyes:

[swisscross]

The value of dirty girl gaiters depends not only how much crap you want to keep out of your shoes but how much crap you want to listen to..............

I have a pair that I wear depending on the situation, but I also have fairly thick skin :rolleyes:

Not the flashy type myself.
DG's do come in a few mundane options.

[yaduck9]

Not the flashy type myself.
DG's do come in a few mundane options.


I found a pair in hunters camouflage, most of the others were the opposite of mundane.

[DuneElliot]

Another +1 for DG gaiters. They don't cause you to sweat any more than you do with socks. But if you have boots you hike in they wouldn't work. They are great for those of us who hike in trail runners.

[Wyoming]

I hike almost exclusively in the desert anymore and always wear the DG gaiters.

It is not just keeping the dirt and rocks out, but they also help tremendously with the little stickers which come off of many kinds of grass out here which get stuck in your socks or go through the sides of your shoes - they are really annoying.

If you wear them you will get lots more wear out of your socks as the fine sand just grinds socks up.

rocketsocks Not waterproof because in the desert that would hold a lot more moisture/heat and help keep your feet wetter/hotter. Which of course promotes blisters. This heat extra moisture retention is one reason I advise folks to avoid Gortex shoes in hot country also.

Because of my formerly broken back I do not take my shoes off during the day at all unless I absolutely have too - it hurts too much. The gaiters help with that too by keeping stuff out of the shoes and preventing the need.

[Malto]

Hah!

Their value may depend on if you wear long trousers, and if you're a sensitive little flower when you get something in your shoe.

I am a big smelly rose! A small grain of sand feels like a boulder.

[Wyoming]

Re iterating Malto above.

If you have never hiked a lot in the desert be forewarned that it is really easy to get blisters when you would not expect it. The PCT in the desert and other desert hikes result in MUCH hotter feet than an equivalent temperature day on say the AT. This is because you are going to be in the sun almost all the time and that means that the actual temperature for your feet is going to be a good 15-20 degrees hotter or more than the shade temperature.

Thus actual boots are asking for trouble as would a waterproof barely breathable shoe be.

[cmoulder]

I have no idea why, but some people seem to never, or very rarely, get rocks/sticks/whatever in their shoes, but without gaiters I can't go 1/8th of a mile without getting something in my trailrunners. I use OR Sparkplug gaiters that are similar to DG.

[Leanthree]

My wife loves them, I'm meh on them.

Same here for both of us. I put them in a hiker box in Independence after using them for 2 days, then bouncing them to Kennedy Meadows. My wife wore them every day of the trail.

[Engine]

Ever had a goathead get in your shoe? Yes on the DG gaiters!

[bigcranky]

My wife loves them, I'm meh on them.

Yeah, this. She loves her Dirty Girl gaiters, won't hike without them. I like eVent gaiters in the winter, but nothing otherwise.

[CalebJ]

I love them any time there's loose debris on the trail to get into the shoes. Sand, gravel, tiny twigs, etc - doesn't really matter. I wear my shoes very loose for both hiking and running, making it a lot easier for things to fall in. Dirty Girls solve that problem and after a minute or two I don't even notice they're there.

[Odd Man Out]

FWIW, I got a pair of Altra Lone Peak 3.0 trail runners for Christmas. I realized just yesterday they have a built in Velcro tab on the heel for securing gaiters like DG. Have not seen this on shoes before

[gwschenk]

Trying to adapt to changing times (not easy for us dinosaurs) I switched to Moab Ventilators for trail hiking. I don't like that they get wet so easily/ I like that they dry out easily. I got 500 miles out of my first pair.

But I think I'm going back to boots. Too much dirt and dust gets in through the mesh. I even got a blister in the San Felipe Hills. I never get blisters. I think the grit and dirt is why you constantly read of the huge blister problems the modern PCT hiker suffers with.

[AllDownhillFromHere]

I blister no matter what, huge double-layer bleeding ones on the sides of my feet, always just a question of degree. So much for goretex "breathing".

[cmoulder]

I blister no matter what, huge double-layer bleeding ones on the sides of my feet, always just a question of degree. So much for goretex "breathing".

Ever thought about trying trail runners, or at least light, breathable mids??

Sounds as if you have some fundamental issues that require professional attention. Constantly having blisters is not acceptable and I wouldn't get on a trail of any length until I had that sorted out. It is possible to NEVER have blisters.

[AllDownhillFromHere]

That sounds like a nice dream, but impossible. I did the whole AT with them, gauze and white medical tape. Weekends in the hills, I come home with them. I have terrible plantar problems, so I need a stiff beefy boot.


Ever thought about trying trail runners, or at least light, breathable mids??

Sounds as if you have some fundamental issues that require professional attention. Constantly having blisters is not acceptable and I wouldn't get on a trail of any length until I had that sorted out. It is possible to NEVER have blisters.

[Wyoming]

That sounds like a nice dream, but impossible. I did the whole AT with them, gauze and white medical tape. Weekends in the hills, I come home with them. I have terrible plantar problems, so I need a stiff beefy boot.

Well no one knows your feet like you and what works best. One would have to say your description is very unusual. It could be the plantar problem you mentioned makes you move your foot in an unusual way that effects how a shoe fits you or prevents a properly fitted shoe from working for you.

Do you have to wear boots in your regular life or what type of shoe do you wear. I wear hiking shoes 100% of the time just to keep my feet particularly tuned into that style of shoe.

cmoulder is on a good point that blisters all the time, especially in the same place all the time implies it can be fixed and that the shoe might not fit you. Feet adapt usually and get really thick calluses to stop that and if that does not eventually happen it is worth figuring out why. Your issue does sound like one where professional expertise is something to seek out. Most of us with high mileage have far more experience than most doctors when it comes to things like blisters, but not something like you are describing.

Re: taping. Have you tried Lukotape? If not I suggest giving it a try. It is leaps and bounds better than regular first aid tape (that white stuff) or duct tape. It is a kind of surgical tape which does not roll on the edge and it (in my experience) is impervious to getting wet and coming off. On the rare occasions I start to get a hot spot I tape it up and leave the tape on for about 3 days. I have a callus underneath when I take it off. I have seen the most horrible blisters treated successfully with it.

If you try it I would suggest taping your bad spot(s) before you even start. Don't wait for them to get the blisters. And see if that helps.

Blisters (absent a medical reason) are caused by heat, friction and moisture. If you can control even two of them pretty well you can almost eliminate them. The only blisters I have had in the last 10,000 miles were when I switched to a new shoe and put too many miles on or by trying thicker socks and getting a much hotter and wetter foot.

Another item to experiment on is different techniques to tying your shoes. A whole host of problems with a poorly fitting shoe or painful feet can be helped just by tying your shoes a different way. Check here for some ideas: http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/lacingmethods.htm a search will find more.

I use a lock lacing technique which makes the shoe fit tightly so it cannot slip at all (but it requires double eyelets at the top of the shoe which I have to have added at the cobblers with most shoes). Others hate this.

Socks are a big deal and there is no right way. I use one pair of the thinnest socks the temps will allow - silk weight or lightweight womens socks. I never wear two pairs as I think that makes blisters not prevents them. Others are the opposite. Lots of experimenting might help. I find the DarnTough socks many love make it more likely to get blisters and the thinner Smartwool far better. Others opposite.

Good luck

[cmoulder]

Sometimes what we think is the solution is in fact the problem.

Your problem is so bad I wouldn't even take a stab at diagnosing it. I'm not a professional anyway, and if you've seen a professional who says nothing can be done then you need a better professional because you're likely dealing with a hack who doesn't know squat about the needs of hikers. Blisters are caused by pressure and friction and those are things that can be addressed with better fitting (perhaps custom or customized) shoes and/or orthotics, etc.

But hey, it's your cross to bear... :o


That sounds like a nice dream, but impossible. I did the whole AT with them, gauze and white medical tape. Weekends in the hills, I come home with them. I have terrible plantar problems, so I need a stiff beefy boot.

[gwschenk]

I blister no matter what, huge double-layer bleeding ones on the sides of my feet, always just a question of degree. So much for goretex "breathing".
I truly dislike Goretex boots.

[Traveler]

I blister no matter what, huge double-layer bleeding ones on the sides of my feet, always just a question of degree. So much for goretex "breathing".

Sounds more like a wicking problem combined with footwear that is ill fitting. Typically the only time I have to "tape up" prior to a hike is because the footgear I am using is worn out and no longer works properly. Prior to that point no tape or bandages are necessary with normal use.

[AllDownhillFromHere]

Sounds more like a wicking problem combined with footwear that is ill fitting.

Yep. My thoughts too. :(

[CarlZ993]

I like Dirty Girl Gaiters. Keeps 'stuff' out of your shoes. Lightweight, stretch lycra material. Cool designs. Gives a 'Seasoned Citizen' hiker some style points. :)

Here's my 'flame to fame.' https://dirtygirlgaiters.com/flames/hottie.html

[ImAfraidOfBears]

I bought the outdoor research gaiters because I got a deal and bought them for $11 as a factory second. Fit is pretty poor, especially around the ankle, it is very loose and requires several pairs of socks to fit correctly (I am a size 14 and bought the L/XL gaiters). Despite never buying dirty girl gaiters, I would think they are better than these poorly made OR gaiters.

[Engine]

I bought the outdoor research gaiters because I got a deal and bought them for $11 as a factory second. Fit is pretty poor, especially around the ankle, it is very loose and requires several pairs of socks to fit correctly (I am a size 14 and bought the L/XL gaiters). Despite never buying dirty girl gaiters, I would think they are better than these poorly made OR gaiters.

I have both the OR and the Dirty Girl gaiters...I wear the Dirty Girls and the OR are somewhere in a box, not missed.