Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Leg gaiters

I like how they keep cold wind from blowing up your pant legs and with ankle-height boots keep your shoe strings from snagging on brush and keep brush and snow from getting on your socks and getting down in the tops of your boots.

Expat

I agree, the Yukon’s are quieter than the Crocs.

The Crocs are tough, but they sound like an all kazoo band when sneaking though the timber….

When the going gets wet I put on my gaiters. As Buckstopper mentions when it’s cold they help to keep my feet warmer.

Yes, gaiters can be a bit of a pain to put on ( especially in a backpack tent with limited light. But worth it. The trend is gaiters with a Velcro front closure which are definitely easier to put on. I’m concerned about entirely relying on Velcro because we all know how it collects weeds, seeds, dog hair, and after a while no longer hold together.

My all time fav gaiters were the Cabela’s Guide gaiters with their Stealth Cloth. Very quiet, plenty waterproof/water resistant. Wish they still were available. Friggin’ BassPro anyway…….

Currently using Kennetreks. They have a little more life in them. When they are done I will probably buy a pair from T&K Hunting. A bit more expensive, but appear to be better quality than most others and 100% made in USA!!

https://tandkhunting.com/products/leg-gaiters

I would almost certainly hook my feet together with those t&k gaiters at the worst possible time!

I have had good luck with the OR crocs, which I still use in the winter. Also the sea to summit quagmire has been working well enough for me. The kennetreks were comfortable, but not very durable. Black diamonds were trash. Most everything from cabelas that I have used was also junk, but it's been a long time since I have bought any of their stuff - maybe it's better now.

Very good point. It only takes a fraction of a second for things go wrong with a heavy pack and rough terrain. Even in good conditions some times it doesn't take much either.

Interesting though, all of the demo pics show the hardware to the inside. The one pic showing in use has hardware to the outside, which hopefully is the correct and designed way to wear them.

Am I reading this right on the T&K gaiters? Do they expect you zip up/close the gaiters from the front and then spin ‘em around so the closure is at the rear?

Casey, the instructions said to do that 'if applicable', whatever that means. They are for sure oddly worded instructions. Maybe some feel it is easier to close the zippers and velcro from the front? I dunno....

In any event, those cable boot straps; even when rubber coated I found they fray on rocks and then you've got sharp cable wire ends stabbing you when handling the boot strap. BTDT with other brands, including the Swazi I currently have. I have yet to find any boot strap that is durable or doesn't have the wire end issue. My Seeping Indian pair has a nylon boot strap, which I tighten around my ankle instead of wrapping beneath my foot arch. It doesn't work as well, but at least it doesn't ball up with wet snow or quickly wear through as it does when used as designed.

Yeah, I have two sets Ice Trekkers foot traction with cables, I’ve sent one pair back for repair when a cable frayed, and the other pair now has a cable that is just starting to fray. Used to be a lifetime warranty, but they got bought out by Yaktrax, now it’s a 90 day warranty…..

I like the synthetic strap on my Yukons and REI gaiters. They don’t collect snow. But I know they will probably be the first thing to wear out.

OR Crocs are the standard for a reason

A piece of tubular nylon over the instep strap will prolong its' life.



mike r

I wonder how much snow it would collect?

But that’s an idea worth considering…..