In some areas snake gaiters like those made by turtle skin and others are worth it for peace of mind. They double as thorn proofing too. Treated heavily with Sawyers spray they can help with ticks and chiggers also.
Have had many encounters with snakes, stepped on, had them curl up next to me on a picnic blanket, had one slide down my back biting into my shirt but not me. The only really aggressive ones I have encountered are Cotton mouth water moccasins, I have had others strike at me but there was always some provoking the Water Moccasins don't seem to need much to react aggressively.
Think about the cost of gaiters as cheap insurance. Snake treatment can cost $5-10,000 depending on severity, add in a helicopter and costs can double.
I'm a big fan of the snake gaiters when I'm working in thick stuff and hiking off trail. I do a lot of weedeating in ditches along my driveway and around a pond, often running a chainsaw and dragging brush in the summer, walking fences in waist high fescue....doing things that I either can't see exactly where my foots going to be or have to focus on what I'm doing not exactly where I'm stepping. The gaiters don't bother me much, protect against a lot of stuff other than snakes (thorns, chips from saws, ticks, weedeater junk). They are cheap insurance and I like the benefits of wearing them even if snakes weren't around....win/win.
In the fall I wear snake proof rubber boots when hunting. Most of the places I hunt aren't that remote but take a fair amount of effort to get to....getting out is mostly downhill so I'd guess that's better than uphill. Several spots get me worried where there are ledges and handholds that are face/chest high....usually I'm only hunting those places in January though.
