Gaiters - looking for pointers

[T3clay]

Hi all,

I drew my first elk tag for Co 1st season this fall, 10,000ish ft in northern 1/3 of the state. Will be packing in and staying in backcountry.

I’m thinking I’ll need a set of gaiters, but I’m not really sure where to start. Any pointers on picking out first pair? I have read a few reviews and done some searching and still feeling a little lost. Any specific features I should look for? Materials to seek or avoid?

Main purpose to keep my pant bottoms and boots dry in the morning and of course if we end up with any snow.

This is my first backcountry/ hike in and camp hunt and I have a fair amount of equipment to buy yet so Id like to be budget minded when selecting gaiters.

I have been looking through the classifieds here also - hopefully a nice deal will present itself!

Boot size is 9.5

Thank you for taking the time to read my post!

 

[Q_Sertorius]

There is an older post by Form about the gear he uses. It’s worth searching for that one and reading through it.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

 

[ozyclint]

The gaiters from TUSX went really well for me in NZ last year.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Hi all,

I drew my first elk tag for Co 1st season this fall, 10,000ish ft in northern 1/3 of the state. Will be packing in and staying in backcountry.

I’m thinking I’ll need a set of gaiters, but I’m not really sure where to start. Any pointers on picking out first pair? I have read a few reviews and done some searching and still feeling a little lost. Any specific features I should look for? Materials to seek or avoid?

Main purpose to keep my pant bottoms and boots dry in the morning and of course if we end up with any snow.

This is my first backcountry/ hike in and camp hunt and I have a fair amount of equipment to buy yet so Id like to be budget minded when selecting gaiters.

I have been looking through the classifieds here also - hopefully a nice deal will present itself!

Boot size is 9.5

Thank you for taking the time to read my post!

Thread 'My gear/pack layout from base layers to binos'

Feb 17, 2024

I have gotten 20-30 requests for a full gear post of what I use over the last year or two. I have not done so as certain gear brings out emotions more than which cartridge and bullets threads, and there is an element of personal preference. I also don’t solely or even generally base most of my choices on what I like, but rather from observing and noting what works the best/optimum for as many people as possible for the given conditions.
When it is personal preference that is driving my choices, I will state so. Otherwise, agree or not- there is an element of objectivity about the...

• Formidilosus
• Replies: 559
• Forum: Gear

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[Bump79]

I like my Kuiu Yukon gaiters. Some other brands are too loud, some catch burrs like crazy, some aren't durable, some don't flex, some don't breathe.

These do all that well enough. Great balance. That's my recommendation anyway.

 

[rayporter]

some thoughts

gaiters are handy and do a good job of keeping legs dry or clean.

the strap under the boot is a pain, i have quit using it

breathable is unnecessary, they breath enough out the top

velcro is your friend, zip if you with but i prefer to just slap the velcro and go. so what if they come loose, just press it back.

quiet? i make enough noise that i doubt the swish of gaiters is a problem but you will learn not to make noise if you wish.

 

[WeiserBucks]

I've used several different ones and basically stopped using them unless I'm going to be in constantly wet veg or 6"+ of snow. I wouldn't bring them for CO 1st season personally.

 

[Poser]

breathable is unnecessary, they breath enough out the top

Shiiiiiiit. The unbreathable gaiters are hot AF.

 

[Trogon]

Gaiters are a good piece of kit, but. Chances of them being critical to have in first season is pretty low. I wouldn’t bother with them. If you must have the black diamond front point or OR croc classic are solid.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

Kuiu Yukon gaiters are my favorite

 

[sodaksooner]

KUIU yukons here as well. Have had them many years. We hunt pretty wet areas so they are nice to have and have saved me a bunch of times on creek crossings, wet grass. etc....

 

[kpk]

another vote for the Kuiu Yukons. I've been very happy with them.

 

[Hickory1991]

Kuiu Yukons here as well. Kuiu had a sale on three pair in 2022. My son, son in law, and myself each got a set. Course I ended up buying them.

 

[ThorM465]

I blouse my boots like I did in the Corps and run Crispi Hunters during rifle season. It doesn't protect against the more extreme conditions that gaiters do, but it does about 80% as well.

 

[Bump79]

breathable is unnecessary, they breath enough out the top

I couldn't disagree with this more.. I've had unbreathable and my legs were very sweaty.

 

[sndmn11]

I wear gaiters year round, anytime I'm off the lawn.
These are where I am at now, and I have another 4 sets in the gear box that I've used before but came up a little short in one way or another.

Reflex Gaiters

Ideal for early season scouting and mild-weather hunts, the Reflex Gaiters feature an adjustable elastic top and a low-profile buckle, creating a snug seal around your calf that reduces noise from fabric friction, repels moisture, and keeps rocks, dirt, and debris on the ground where they...

www.stoneglacier.com

Super Armadillo Nano™ Gaiters [US]

Super Armadillo Nano is a top-of-the-line gaiter with a thermoregulation and self-cleaning feature embedded in the upper section. The material adjusts to your temperature - keeps you warm or cools you off as needed and no water or dirt gets absorbed by the material. The upper section is paired...

hillsound.com

Breathability has been high on the list, followed by hydrophobic material use.

 

[ozyclint]

Replace the under boot strap with steel cable.
Custom fit it with crimps like fishing trace.

 

[TaperPin]

Most days in October aren’t all that bad, and even if it snows, it depends on how soon you put waterproof shell pants on. Often gaiters aren’t really keeping the moisture out as much as keeping snow out of the bottom of your rain pants by keeping them in place. If you have wet grass or something like that the amount of water transfer isn’t that much. Quite literally most hunters don’t even own gaiters.

Of what I’ve seen on the market these are close to ideal. The fabric isn’t really noisy, they don’t weigh a lot, and the shape does a good job of keeping bulk down for use with thin rain pants. They should be sized to fit over your long John’s, pants and rain gear. They are listed for moderate temperature use, because true hardcore winter models like OR Crocodiles are more roomy and cover more of the boot.

No one pair of gaiters works for everything. The short OR Insect proof gaiters are 420 denier nylon, but it’s not coated so it’s soft and flexible. Works great in the summer with shorts to keep grass seeds and rocks out of the boots, and in the fall it keeps the majority of wet plants off your pants. As the name implies, they also seal off the bottom of pants if mosquitos are thick earlier in the fall. If I only had one pair I’d get these shorties for 90% of uses. Without snow on the ground, I tend to question hunters wearing tall gaiters.

 

[LongWayAround]

I have the Kuiu Yukon and Kutana. I like them both for different reasons.

The Kutana would be my choice for your situation.

 

[lil' bear]

I'll throw a vote for the peax gaiters. They don't soak through like my kenetreks did. And the bottom has Cordura and a rubber kick pad. So they are much more durable as well.