Gaiters…seriously don’t know

[Blowdowner]

Thanks for the replies


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I didn't read them all but for you we should be recommending snake proof gaiters.

 

[Wolfshead]

I’m in the northeast, and when I head out in the am it is usually wet.
I wear them to keep my lower leg dry and protected form the stuff that can damage my pants.

 

[MTriplett]

I didn't read them all but for you we should be recommending snake proof gaiters.

True


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[butcherboy]

My real question is how do you guys find a pair that fits ? I have an odd calf side / leg length issue because they are either too tight on the calf or above the knee in height.. neither work and man would I love to use a set in the wet thick nasty bush I hunt moose in.

Most high end gaiters will have multiple sizes to fit your calves. You have to measure the circumference of your calves. Also, the best gaiters are adjustable for size as well. T&K hunting makes gaiters with two different heights as well. I have both as the regular length are a bit long but they work just fine. The shorter version stops right below my knee.

 

[Chris in TN]

When I was a kid on one of our public land tromping-around-in-the-snow-pretending-we-were-hunting-elk trips it snowed about a foot before we got camp set up and we wore cheap walmart nylon(?) woven gaiters all week. They worked great. They were bright blue and looked goofy but worked fine.

Since then I've never even brough them because we've always been in mid-late October weather - but on 3 of those 4 trips we got snow anyway. On two of those trips we both shot our elk before the snow hit. The third was a snowstorm we thought would bring 2" and it dumped a foot and I wish I'd had gaiters, but that was just a camping trip, not hunting.

I'll have more of the cheap ones this fall. They'll sit in the bottom of a pack unless needed. But if you're going to be hunting after maybe October 22-25, yes, you need them, statistically speaking. Even a cheap pair make a huge difference in how dry your pants and legs stay.

 

[jtevanMT]

I use them in the following situations.
1. Snow depth >4”
2. Dew or wet grass/brush
3. prevent ticks from getting inside pants during spring bear hunting
4. Extra warmth is really cold

 

[jtevanMT]

The two best I have found are KUIU or PEAX for multi-year waterproof protection, durability and fit.

 

[Boarmaster]

If MS is like GA then most people are wearing rubber boots with their pants tucked in them. Gaiters have some of that same effect. They protect your pants from water and abrasion but also protect your laces from snags and just generally keep crap out of your boots.

Same in Alabama. My knee high rubber boots are my gaiters. I did wear them when I hunted in the national forest in Ohio. Kept the green briars for ripping my pants to shreds.

 

[LostArra]

Probably not a problem in Mississippi but even wearing shorty gaiters will keep your boots tied when walking in sage brush. Sage has a way of defeating my best boot string ninja tie jobs.

When hunting locally in rubber boots with neoprene uppers I've put my old Kennetrek gaiters over the rubber boots and leave them. No under the sole strap. The gaiter protects the neoprene which usually is shredded quickly by blackberry vine, green briar, locust and barbed wire fencing. This setup can be warm in early season.

 

[Boarmaster]

My real question is how do you guys find a pair that fits ? I have an odd calf side / leg length issue because they are either too tight on the calf or above the knee in height.. neither work and man would I love to use a set in the wet thick nasty bush I hunt moose in.

The only gaiters that ever fit me were Kenetreks. I tried quite a few over the years.

 

[grfox92]

Ive gotten rocks and debris inside my tall Kenetrek mountain Extremes. I wear them when im wearing low or mids to prevent that.

I also wear them if I know I have a bunch of creeks to cross or there is snow on the ground.

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[peterk123]

Your pants and socks act like a wick. I think this is why a lot of people complain and say their boots aren't waterproof. If there is heavy dew on the ground and I'm in long grass or vegetation, gaiters go on. It's a game changer.

 

[Decker9]

Iv packed them a bunch, used them very little.

Ape equipment gators are built to size, worth checking out for anyone having fit issues.

 

[RyoTBC]

Most high end gaiters will have multiple sizes to fit your calves. You have to measure the circumference of your calves. Also, the best gaiters are adjustable for size as well. T&K hunting makes gaiters with two different heights as well. I have both as the regular length are a bit long but they work just fine. The shorter version stops right below my knee.

Fair enough.
I’ve tried Skre kuiu and badlands so far. Each one was a let down for me. If I could find one that ends just under the knee I’d be a happy camper I am ALWAYs soaked knee down and need to change by late morning.

 

[Boarmaster]

Your pants and socks act like a wick. I think this is why a lot of people complain and say their boots aren't waterproof. If there is heavy dew on the ground and I'm in long grass or vegetation, gaiters go on. It's a game changer.

It took me many years to figure this out.

 

[Jalliston]

Dew, PNW rain/mist in the blueberry fields- I aways bring my OR Crocs. Preventing that wicking action into your boots is key. I did a 7-day hunt in Western Washington with rain/mist every day- wore light rain pants with Crocs over the top. Busted brush all day and I was the only one that kept dry feet all week.

 

[PWahlquist]

Have some. Rarely use

 

[87TT]

Wear 'em cuz my wife got tired of sewing up my torn pants and I got tired of tripping when my pants snag on a Staub or branch.

 

[Te Hopo]

I wear the shorty gaiters for a bunch of the listed reasons, stops mud or stones getting down into my boots during creek crossings and slows dew or snow from wetting my socks

 

[BzoneBryan]

I mostly wear gaiters to keep the stickers out of my socks, boots and laces. It's a lot easier to get the stickers off of gaiters than it is to get them out of the socks, boots and laces. There were plenty of times I threw socks in the trash rather than try to get the thousands of stickers out before I started wearing gaiters. To me, they are worth looking like a dork.