View Full Version : Gaiters / Yea or Nay?
I've done several multiple-day backpacking trips and haven't needed them. I begin my flip flop next week and am still on the fence about whether to include gaiters in my bag. How useful are gaiters on a thru? Thanks for your response.
max patch
05-10-2008, 11:32
I've done several multiple-day backpacking trips and haven't needed them.
You just answered your own question.
yea to mini gaiters... wear them every time i hike, keeps your socks and feet clean, very helpful I think and when it rains it keeps your socks dryer, never tried regular gaiters, happy w/ my minis
Spruce needles in your socks remind you that you are alive.
ofthearth
05-10-2008, 12:33
Maybe gaiters would have helped?
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=19031
Evil Eye
05-10-2008, 12:36
Agree with Gaiter - Short gaiters helped me a lot on my thru last year. Cleaner socks due to less dust, many fewer rocks in shoes, and so cute. Did eventually go without the string/strap under the sole of the shoe - just let the front hook and elastic hold it in place. But - they are much more effective on your feet - than "in my bag."
Somewhat useful, certainly not "necessary." One of the new experiences I had last summer was an infestation of chiggers, hiking in Virginia. It's possible that gaiters might have prevented this.
I tend to hike in shorts when possible. In cool weather, the extra warmth from gaiters is a good thing. In hot weather, it's not. (And of course, there are GoreTex gaiters that breathe...)
max patch
05-10-2008, 13:01
[QUOTE=_terrapin_;619453 (And of course, there are GoreTex gaiters that breathe...)[/QUOTE]
Now thats funny!
notorius tic
05-10-2008, 13:02
I agree with Terrapin Outside of Damascus the Berry prickers are bad..And in Pa, the fields were long an the help to keep the Ticks at bay in high grass.. Plus last year was a extream late winter.. Via Smokies Via Silers Bald Via keep going FREAK weather, So I wore heavy long Gaiters for most of my HIKE..Oreagons to be xact.. Happy Hike all
minnesotasmith
05-10-2008, 14:56
Maybe gaiters would have helped?
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=19031
I use them for hiking in all seasons and all weather. They're well worth having.
I decided against taking them on my section hike in April. By the time I got to Woody Gap, I was covered up to my knees in mud and dirt. When I got to Neels Gap, I bought a pair and LOVE them. They saved me from over ankle deep mud many days on the trail. I would suggest them.
sofaking
05-10-2008, 15:41
i like mine.
A pound on the feet is worth four in the pack.
Or something...
sofaking
05-10-2008, 18:15
two birds in a basket are better than jeb bush if you live in a stone house and wear glasses.
Cabin Fever
05-10-2008, 18:25
My Outdoor Research Gore Tex knee high gaiters are feather light and have little to no impact on the weight of my pack. I would much rather have gaiters on for walking through the dew in the morning and the other sloppy areas and be able to throw them back in the pack. The gaiters are lifesavers in the rain. Feet are the most important thing to protect.
hopefulhiker
05-10-2008, 19:11
I used the long and short gators and no gators at all... My choice for most circumstances on the AT is low gaitors coupled with the trail runners.. I like the long gators because of the protection they afford.. If I were bushwhacking or hiking in snow I would definetly take the long gators..
has anyone tried this i dont use the shoe lace on mine i replaced it with a mini bungie cord with a piece of clear hose on the bungie coed works great
cutman11
05-12-2008, 00:06
Could we turn this into a poll, I would like to see what the consensus is on this, but dont know how to make a poll on this website.
superman
05-12-2008, 11:25
I only had one stretch of trail where I really needed gaitors. I kept getting junk in my hiking boots. On the next town stop I bought a bag of three pairs of short womens stockings. I cut the heel section and the front toe section off leaving a loop to go under my arch. They weighed almost nothing, they cost $1.00 and I didn't cry because they didn't last real long. If anyone thought I was cross dressing they didn't say so.:rolleyes:
envirodiver
05-12-2008, 11:34
Somewhat useful, certainly not "necessary." One of the new experiences I had last summer was an infestation of chiggers, hiking in Virginia. It's possible that gaiters might have prevented this.
I tend to hike in shorts when possible. In cool weather, the extra warmth from gaiters is a good thing. In hot weather, it's not. (And of course, there are GoreTex gaiters that breathe...)
I have had some great misery caused by chiggers. I carry a small bottle of chiggerrid in my 1st aid kit in the summer, for that very reason.
Oh man it's making me itch just thinking about it. You haven't lived till your sleeping bag has been infested with those tiny nasty little red bugs.
I almost never use gaiters. It's a personal preference thing. Yeah, junk falls down in my shoes, so a couple of times a day I take them off, empty out the junk, and air everything out. Works for me.
I've done several multiple-day backpacking trips and haven't needed them. .
As Max Patch said, you answered your own questions It is worth repeating this view. :)
FWIW, I only use gaiters in winter.
Goofy Gaiters...
They are goofy looking and serve no useful purpose
minnesotasmith
05-12-2008, 13:35
Goofy Gaiters...
They are goofy looking and serve no useful purpose
Wear the smart-looking kind that says you're a serious, prepared (e.g., non-UL) hiker like I do. :D
taildragger
05-12-2008, 13:36
I only wear em in the snow, keeping in mind that I do wear zip off pants, if chiggers and ticks are a problem, I just put on the legs and keep trucking (some with briars and other small thornys)
earlylight
05-12-2008, 23:51
has anyone tried this i dont use the shoe lace on mine i replaced it with a mini bungie cord with a piece of clear hose on the bungie coed works great
I'm about to make that exact modification to my low gaiters. I lost the shoe lace someplace.
sofaking
05-12-2008, 23:58
anyone tried weedeater cord ?
Wise Old Owl
05-13-2008, 00:08
Na Na Na
Uncle Tom
05-13-2008, 05:41
I use the high ones with shorts. Mainly for tic control. I spray them periodically with tic poison. They may also help with spiders, briars, wet grass , and an argument might be made that they even might slow down the force of a snake bite, although the chance of that happening is slim. These tics are a force out there, they are already really bad here in Maine , of all places. They also help keep debris out of your hiking shoes.
HighlanderII
05-13-2008, 06:09
I wear full length gaitors in the spring/summer/fall for two main reasons. 1) poison ivy 2) stinging nettles. All of the other reasons are valid but just unintended benefits for me.
jersey joe
05-13-2008, 13:54
NAY for gaiters, just pull your wool socks down over your boots and this will keep the crap out.
Blissful
05-13-2008, 14:11
Don't need them.
88BlueGT
05-29-2008, 20:49
anyone have any good recomendations for mini-gaiters to check out?
yes, dirtygirl gaiters, she makes them for trail runners..
i am looking for the link.
http://www.dirtygirlgaiters.com/
Bare Bear
05-29-2008, 22:08
SUPERMAN, it wasn't the gaiters that made us think you were dressing eh funny..... :)
Seriously, if you like gaiters use em. If not, and I have never seen a need but I have thick ankles so I have never used them. HYOH.
High Life
05-29-2008, 22:18
gaitors are key in vermud ! thank god i had them in VT
thats about it though so mail them to VT
SunnyWalker
05-29-2008, 23:21
I vote for zip off pants/shorts and use bug spray.
Don't expect them to keep your feet dry, but they do help keep out dirt, etc. Since I use low cuts I never had much luck with them, so I gave up. That said, I am going to try these on my next hike:
http://www.simblissity.net/
the goat
06-02-2008, 15:30
gaiters are useless.
mooseboy
06-02-2008, 17:55
Looks like everyone here has a different opinion.
Personally, gaiters kept my socks dry when I hiked through thunderstorms and when I accidentally put my foot into a creek; they kept ticks off my ankles & out of my boots in Pennsylvania; they kept the dirt, plants, bugs & other annoyances out of my boot, and I never was really aware of having them on.
So, I think gaiters are great. But people are free to disagree.
I use Rocky Mountain mini-gaiters, which I bought at Campmor for about $19. I don't think I'd use the full-length kind on anything other than a bushwhacking hike.
Pete Moss
06-02-2008, 18:24
they are called GAY-ters for a reason
Appalachian Tater
06-02-2008, 18:24
they are called GAY-ters for a reasonWhat reason would that be?
Pete Moss
06-02-2008, 18:28
ummmmm.....beacuse......people that wear them are happy (gay) looking?????
they are called GAY-ters for a reason
Unlike chat rooms, our posts on Whiteblaze become a permanent record for the world to see. And like it or not, people will judge us by our posts.
I try to be aware of this, before I click the "submit" button.
MagicSFK
06-02-2008, 21:08
I have a pair of the OR Rocky Mtn low gaiters that I bought because the tops of my socks and my shoelaces would often be full of burrs by the end of the day, and I'd always forget when taking off my boots and stick one of those needle-sharp points into my fingers. The gaiters eliminate that!
Pete Moss
06-02-2008, 21:26
Unlike chat rooms, our posts on Whiteblaze become a permanent record for the world to see. And like it or not, people will judge us by our posts.
I try to be aware of this, before I click the "submit" button.
I said they look happy....what more do you want????
josiblue
06-02-2008, 22:27
they are called GAY-ters for a reason
hate-speech isn't funny
I wish someone would make some gaiters out of a mesh, at least on the ankles, to keep debris out but let the fresh air in. Someone makes a pair for bug protection, but they don't seem very durable. Maybe fabric up to the ankle and mesh above it.
Pete Moss
06-02-2008, 23:42
hate-speech isn't funny
seriously...lighten up. I'm not a hate monger beacuse I describe something as gay. I have homosexual friends that use the word gay in the same form as an adjective. It just means happy or in this case "silly". as in Any more discussion of would be gay.
Pokey2006
06-03-2008, 02:12
Hate speech has hate behind it. Calling them Gay-tors was a joke. I thought it was funny. "Gay" is slang for silly, having nothing to do with sexual orientation. God forbid we use the word "gay" in any context at all. Geez, people. Taking political correctness a bit far, IMHO.
Back to the question of gators, I vote for none. I've never used them. I could see where they would come in handy in the snow, but they're not really necessary otherwise. Then again, I always wear pants, even when it's hot out.
If you've hiked without them and haven't needed them before, chances are you won't all the sudden change your mind.
Perhaps a more appropriate adjective would be "GOOFY"... looking.
But the most "goofy" looking of all is wearing hiking shorts and knee gaiters.
I still feel they serve no useful purpose and cannot justify their accumulated weight, a weight which must be lifted and set down with each step until the wearer's trip is over. I wonder just how much that accumulated weight is going to be for the million(s) of steps the wearer would take on a long trip such as an AT thru-hike?
Besides, I wear sandals and would much prefer to not carry them & just wash my socks out from time to time.
SunnyWalker
06-06-2008, 17:46
Thanks for the info Rambler. Look like they might work, was one to use them. :-)
Pedaling Fool
06-06-2008, 20:12
Agree with Gaiter - Short gaiters helped me a lot on my thru last year. Cleaner socks due to less dust, many fewer rocks in shoes, and so cute. Did eventually go without the string/strap under the sole of the shoe - just let the front hook and elastic hold it in place. But - they are much more effective on your feet - than "in my bag."
That's why I use them, to keep the junk out. I understand, from previous posts, that some don't have this problem of crap getting in one's shoes; for them gaiters are useless, but I can't keep stuff out. I hiked for 1,000 miles without them and was alway cleaning out peebles and what not. I also noticed that my socks stay cleaner longer with gaiters.
I kept cutting that string (under sole of shoe) on rocks up north, so I stopped replacing the string with no subsequent problems.
Pedaling Fool
06-06-2008, 20:16
...cannot justify their accumulated weight, a weight which must be lifted and set down with each step until the wearer's trip is over. I wonder just how much that accumulated weight is going to be for the million(s) of steps the wearer would take on a long trip such as an AT thru-hike?...
That's just plain dumb.
That's just plain dumb.
I really don't see it as "plain dumb" but as a different matter of opinion.
To paraphrase Forest Gump somewhat..."dumb is as dumb does"...particularly in this instance, if weight is of any importance. Some even go so far as to cut off half their toothbrush so as to not lug the extra weight with them.
But upon one's feet, any weight is further compounded because a pound upon the feet is like five (or six, depending on the source) upon the back. I don't know what gaiters weigh but I see their use as a 'heavy' price to pay for cleaner socks at the end of each day. I want wear them. But I don't much care if you feel differently and do, though.
Atlantic Beach is a beautiful place. I go there about once a month to visit my daughter and two grandsons
Pedaling Fool
06-06-2008, 22:45
...Atlantic Beach is a beautiful place. I go there about once a month to visit my daughter and two grandsons
I just hope the ocean doesn't swallow up my house when global warming melts all the ice.:D
River Runner
06-06-2008, 23:32
Back to the question of gators, I vote for none.
Yeah, I don't think much of alligators on the trail either. :p
Now, as for gaiters, they have their uses at times. But I almost alway wear long pants, so I don't find them necessary for the most part. If I wore shorts I'd likely feel differently - especially in the stinging nettles. :eek:
River Runner
06-06-2008, 23:34
I wish someone would make some gaiters out of a mesh, at least on the ankles, to keep debris out but let the fresh air in. Someone makes a pair for bug protection, but they don't seem very durable. Maybe fabric up to the ankle and mesh above it.
The ID shortie eVent gaiters are pretty breathale.
No Belay
06-07-2008, 00:04
seriously...lighten up. I'm not a hate monger beacuse I describe something as gay. I have homosexual friends that use the word gay in the same form as an adjective. It just means happy or in this case "silly". as in Any more discussion of would be gay.
That's peculiar. You sure took exception to it in the gear discussion thread about camera shoulder strap bags. I'm beginning to think you're middle name is Potato and your alter ego might be Tater since you seem to both be showing up in the same threads and discussing "gay". Sometimes the subliminal becomes the apparent.
Have carried and occasionally used them in the past. They are "nice" to have when conditions are wet and muddy.
Since I have gone with a much lighter load these past few years, gaiters didn't make the cut. The only time I carry/use them now is for winter and snowshoeing. Can't say that I've really missed them all that much.