View Full Version : Gaiter's vs Snakes ....
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
10-29-2008, 17:24
You can spray gaiters with Permethrin which will help a little against ticks. Against rattlesnakes, maybe not so much....
wrongway_08
10-29-2008, 17:24
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
10-29-2008, 17:29
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?:D
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
10-29-2008, 17:34
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.
Cabelas sells a thicker canvas knee length gaiters for protection vs. snakes.
Footslogger
10-29-2008, 18:00
[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
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 ?
I wear 6' DIA. stove pipes. Works well except they rust when it rains. :D
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
10-29-2008, 18:56
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.
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
10-29-2008, 19:45
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
10-29-2008, 20:50
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
Would they lose there breathabilty if sprayed with a water sealant ?Someone told me that gaiters are for packsniffers. :rolleyes::eek::p 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
10-29-2008, 21:08
No.
hopefulhiker
10-29-2008, 21:17
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
10-29-2008, 22:32
cowboys never used gaitors, the cowboy boots come up high enough and besides that, they just use leather chaps (sometimes)
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
Cabelas sells a thicker canvas knee length gaiters for protection vs. snakes.
They also once sold Kevlar "snake proof" gaiters.
Might be good around the ranch in west TX.
m0rpheu5
10-30-2008, 16:21
yes, cowboys did wear chaps to protect their legs when riding. My point was that they didnt use gaitors.
SouthMark
10-30-2008, 19:42
According to the ATC there have been only two reported snake bites on the AT in the last 18 years and and neither died.
trouthunter
10-30-2008, 20:55
I read an article a couple years ago that stated most snakebites occur on the heel or side of the foot.
As mentioned in an earlier post, pay attention to your surroundings. Contrary to old wives tales, snakes will not chase or hunt you, given a chance they will get out of your way.
What you wish to avoid is stepping on or very near one, just pay attention and you will be fine.
Where I live we have Cottonmouths galore, even they will rattle their tail as a warning, even though they have no rattles.
It is common to see Copperheads in sunny spots on trails (where there is a break in the canopy) early in the day, just walk around, no big deal.
Rattlers tend to hide in wood piles, along downed trees, and under rocks, they will sun themselves, but I have seen many more Coppers doing that on the trail in the East.
1. I use gaiters: stretchy ones made out of flimsy swimsuit Spandex. They keep my socks clean and keep trash out of the shoes. Don't like to hike without them.
2. No, they won't stop snakes, but the timber rattlers on the AT are docile, amusing, interesting critters that are fundamentally helpless. I've lifted them off the trail with my pole without them bothering to rattle. I once watched several hikes walk right by a nest of them sunning on a rock at waist height. No one got bit. No one rattled. The snakes just lounged around watching the humans take their pictures.
3. Timber rattlers don't usually rattle and curl up unless they are in yellow phase before they shed their skin. They are blind until they shed, and that makes them a mite touchy, so they coil and rattle like car alarms when anyone comes close. Then they can be found in unfortunate places such as the middle of the trail, coiled and buzzing ominously. The best approach seems to be to nudge them gently until they run away (figuratively speaking, of course).
4. The only time you have to worry about a timber rattler is if you step on it. I did that once while clambering through a blow-down. It felt like a branch had whacked me on the back of the calf. I paid no attention until several days later when the site started to itch and would no heal. A week later it still had not healed, so I poked around on it and a fang slipped out. The snake had probably been about to shed. They shed fangs at the same time they shed skin. Timber rattlers are less prone (sorry) to inject venom than other species, anyway.
5. don't worry about timber rattlers. enjoy them.
6. Copperheads are about the same. They rely on camouflage for protection, so you will pass many more than you seen. I've been struck on the shoes (running shoes) by copperheads without any damage. My mother-in-law got bit on the ankle by a very large one. We called her doctor who said to have her sit up and keep the leg low, and if the swelling went above the knee to go to the ER. Her leg swelled a bit to the knee. In the morning we took her in for a tetnus shot. Big deal.
MagicSFK
11-06-2008, 22:05
For real snakebite protection (gaiters, chaps, etc) check out http://www.turtleskin.com/Hunting-Clothing.aspx but be forewarned, they are expensive!
garlic08
11-06-2008, 22:36
I don't use gaiters either. You should be fine on the AT without them.
Any self-respecting rattlesnake would bite you above the gaiters. They sense heat, I heard. But everyone's right, it's nothing to worry about, especially on the AT.
Blue Jay
11-07-2008, 06:47
Since most snake bites are to the hands and involve alcohol, people should wear gaitors on their hands while drinking. That said, if gaitors can free you of anxiety about snakes, wear them. It may be be an illusion but if it works, it works. Also wear gaitors if you are afraid of bears or man eating plants.
stranger
11-08-2008, 00:34
Snakes win, no contest
Does anyone know of a pack that has a cage that fits over your head in case a tree falls on you?
I had been in the "always use gaiters" camp, but this year I found that while in limited situations they kept parts of me a little cleaner, for the most part they were more hassle than benefit --- and for the few rattlesnakes I had close encounters with, I wouldn't have wanted to wear hot and heavy enough gaiters to help any. I'm now more of a "doesn't use gaiters" kind of guy. I think it's a very individual decision, as well as situational.
For example, if I don't have a sleeping bag liner (or even if I do), when it's rainy and kind of muddy/gritty, my pant leg bottoms get really dirty, and I sleep in my clothes. A gaiter is kind of nice then. What I do instead is zip off the pant leg bottoms at night if the pant cuffs are really filthy.
I wear trail runners, and the ones I use (Golites) tend to tear out in the fabric on the toe. For up to half the lifetime of the shoe (250 - 300 miles worth) I've got big enough holes in the fabric that it feels kind of pointless to wear a gaiter for the purpose of keeping sticks and gravel out of the shoe. And it's nice at a short break to have one less thing to take off and then put back on in order to air out my feet.
Similarly, if I'm walking in snow with these trail runners, I realize that I need to retain warmth via wool socks and possibly goretex socks, gaiters don't do much good. But if I'm doing a short and/or more extreme weather trip with deep snow, boots on my feet, maybe rain pants --- then gaiters can be excellent.
In rainy weather where the vegetation is all wet and the rain just doesn't stop, if it's not too cold out, I'm happiest wearing shorts, and gaiters are useless --- for the sock and footwear combination that I favor. Ditto when there are stream crossings to deal with, a gaiter serves only to slow down the rate at which things dry out.
Very much an individual decision, as well as situational.
Brian Lewis
http://postholer.com/brianle
REI sells the desert gaiter, which is a short, breathable gaiter. I've used them for a couple years and love them because they keep the junk out of my shoes and my socks stay a little cleaner. Allows me to wear low-top shoes and still crawl through the nastiness without filling up my shoes. Twigs and rocks in my shoes drive me nuts.
superman
11-09-2008, 18:25
If we're still talking about the AT, they aren't needed. It's a trail that is all but groomed. If you want to wear them and they look kind of hikerish, well by all means. It's less effort to pick a very occasional pebble from you shoe than haul the gators along. IMO
Won't help you with Copperheads, Cottonmouths or rattlesnakes, but would help with coral snakes. Of course, not likely you'll be bite either way. As I use trail runners I wear a low cut pair for twigs & stuff.
No.
Yes...
http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_pages/Products.asp?mi=27741&itemnum=23092&redir=Y
Use 2,000 denier nylon, sew your own ;-)
Scotch65
09-24-2015, 11:40
According to the ATC there have been only two reported snake bites on the AT in the last 18 years and and neither died.
Oh...i guarantee - if a snake bites me ...it is going to die.
Another Kevin
09-24-2015, 13:44
The foot and ankle are a distant second in the site of snakebites. The overwhelming majority of snakebites occur on the hand and forearm. Reportedly, the last thing most people say before being bitten is, "Hey, hold my beer for me!"
Sarcasm the elf
09-24-2015, 13:49
The foot and ankle are a distant second in the site of snakebites. The overwhelming majority of snakebites occur on the hand and forearm. Reportedly, the last thing most people say before being bitten is, "Hey, hold my beer for me!"
That's why if I ever get bit in the arm I'm going to swear it happened while I was tying my shoes. :D
Casey & Gina
09-24-2015, 15:14
If your gaiters look like this, they might offer reasonable snake protection:
32094
:bse
LIhikers
09-28-2015, 00:39
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.
For me the reason to wear high gaiters is to keep winter cold and snow off my lower legs. I find them very good when snow shoeing.
rocketsocks
09-28-2015, 07:18
If your gaiters look like this, they might offer reasonable snake protection:
32094
:bseI'd sure hate to squat behind those boots to take care of business.
cneill13
09-28-2015, 08:26
The chance of being bit by a poisonous snake while hiking are about the same as getting struck by lightening, being attacked by a bear, or having a tree fall on you, near zero.
You just can't worry about such things. I used to be nervous about bears and snakes. Now I reverse it and tell myself that I WANT to encounter a bear or snake.
And guess what? It never happens.