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Kai Larson
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Jun 5, 2022
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Sandy, UT
· Joined Jan 2006
· Points: 441
I've got a box of gaiters of all differnt heights and styles. Insulated super gaiters, OR Crocs, short gaiters, etc. The only ones I wear any more are some lightweight short gaiters I pair with my trail running shoes. I haven't used gaiters on mountain boots in quite some time. The combination of elastic boot tops (or even full integrated gaiters on boots) and grommets on my mountain pants that can be used to attach a shockcord "stirrup" to keep my pants snugged down over the boots seems to do it for me in just about every condition. Anyone out there still regularly using gaiters on their mountain boots? If so, in what conditions and why?
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Linnaeus
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Jun 5, 2022
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ID
· Joined Aug 2011
· Points: 0
I still use them sometimes. I'm tall and even when wearing tall inseam pants sometimes it's hard to keep pant cuffs over the tops of my boots so I'll use gaiters to keep snow out. Definitely seems to help when post holing up steep snow. I don't use them with my insulated supergaiter boots, only with LS Nepals and Silver Bullets. Not all my pants have grommets. Sometimes balancing all the trade offs of wearing soft shell pants with ski boots for approach and mtn boots for climbing, means the pants might not have grommets or be a snug fit on top of a mtn boot. I've been trying to leave them behind to skip the weight but they still seems to come out a few times a year when balancing all the pants/footwear choices. I also routinely use a short gaiter with runners when there is fresh snow. I want to get a really light set for running in dry dusty/sandy conditions. I haven't done it yet, but I would consider them for approaches in the summer where dew on the bear grass and vegetation completely soaks my pants on the approach.
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Joseph B
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Jun 6, 2022
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Maine
· Joined Jun 2022
· Points: 0
I have some OR Bugouts I've been using since the tick population exploded.
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Gunkiemike
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Jun 6, 2022
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Jul 2009
· Points: 3,687
I still wear them most of the time if snow is soft and deeper than my boots' height. Even with so-called gaiter boots (I have 2 pair of SCARPAs, Rebel and Phantom series) I like that gaiters keep the snow off the boots, prevent it from going up the pant leg, and add a bit of lower leg/foot insulation.
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ian watson
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Jun 6, 2022
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Sandia park, NM
· Joined Apr 2010
· Points: 240
I wear them only in the deeper snow now. I have an REI pair that goes almost to my knees.
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David K
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Jun 6, 2022
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The Road, Sometimes Chattan…
· Joined Jan 2017
· Points: 424
There was a period where I did enough multi-day hiking that I'd played out most of the AT section hikes and 3-5-day trails within reasonable driving distance of Philadelphia (my base at that time), and was hiking in areas of central PA with pretty high rattlesnake and copperhead population and trails that were often under-traveled enough that underbrush hid your feet frequently. I had enough snake scares that I invested in a pair of snake gaiters. I don't hike as much and I couldn't find the gaiters last time I looked, but if I got back into hiking more I'd probably invest in those again. Treated with permethrin, they're a pretty significant protection from summertime issues. I can't speak to the use of gaiters in winter as it's not something I've done.
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Fail Falling
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Jun 6, 2022
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@failfalling - Oakland, Ca
· Joined Jan 2007
· Points: 916
I use them for the approaches to ice climbing
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Dirt King
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Jun 7, 2022
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AK
· Joined Jun 2018
· Points: 2
I work a seasonal job that involves extensive bush-wacking in all kinds of weather. Gaiters are the only legit way to keep twigs and shit out of my socks. For mountain applications I just wear pants with an integrated gaiter cord like the OR cirque or Patagonia guide. Works well enough for most snow conditions.
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Wictor Dahlström
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Jun 7, 2022
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Stockholm
· Joined Oct 2021
· Points: 0
I try to avoid it, but if the approach is in deep snow, I will use them. Most of the time I use skip straps to hold the plans around my boots. It works well and the feet does not get as wet from sweat.
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Andy Eiter
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Jun 7, 2022
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Madison, WI
· Joined Jul 2014
· Points: 276
I used to do gaiters, but supergaiter boots have improved my experience. Aside from being warmer, they are easier to get on and off, wear loosely until the feet warm up, make adjustments to laces/crampons without undoing everything, and they have so far kept snow out.
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Sam Skovgaard
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Jun 9, 2022
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Port Angeles, WA
· Joined Oct 2017
· Points: 208
I like to backcountry ski/ski tour in skimo race boots. These boots have wide open areas on the shell near the ankle, so if you're in anything other than hard pack, your boots will immediately fill with snow between the shell and the liner. So yeah, gaiters on this style of boot are damn near mandatory. The included thin stretchy ones got torn up relatively quickly, so I ended up making custom ones with special holes in the back to accommodate the rear lock/unlock lever on the boot.
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