Gaiters worth it....?

[Jsunkler]

OR Crocs, you wont be disappointed! Wish I had them last year during my first rifle hunt in CO, every day my socks n pants would be soaked from walking thru sage brush, grass, etc. Came back and ordered them, and have used them a bunch back east. Looking forward to being more comfortable in the mountains with them next time.

 

[b2one]

Another plus to gaiters is that if you are backpacking, you can climb in your tent at night, take off the gaiters, and not have muddy pant legs you have to shove into the bottom of your sleeping bag. I don't go out without them.

 

[jspradley]

They are the tits where i hunt hogs... its super muddy and swampy. I rock the kuiu gaiters and they keep the gunk off my pants and keep me dry

 

[vanish]

Gaiters wouldn't be where I invest my $$ if I was on a tight budget, but they sure can be nice.

 

[cjl32]

I always use gaiters with my rain pants to protect them from knee down. I would hate for a sharp stick or rock to poke a hole in the high dollar lightweight rain paints.

 

[DerkPerk]

I’ll buck the trend here. Unless it’s really wet or snowy, I’d prefer my pants getting a little wet to soaking everything below the knee with sweat under gaiters.

That’s the thing. I don’t think all the pro gaiter comments are from guys wearing them when it’s dry or in low grass with dew. They are an essential when covering ground that is snowy or thick vegetation.

Just because you have them doesn’t mean you need to put them on if the conditions don’t require it.


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[ethan]

I’ve got friends that never wear them and don’t think they’re worth the trouble. Personally, I love mine and use them a lot. They definitely aren’t necessary though.

 

[Jimss]

I've hunted Colo and Wyo for 45 years. Also hunted Alaska off and on for the past 10 years. The only time I bring gators is if I plan on hunting in deep snow. If you have gortex boots plus rainpants you likely won't need them. The sun/wind usually dries things out pretty quick. In snow I always wear rainpants because I spend a lot of time sitting on the ground glassing. I prefer to hunt relatively open country. The grass/brush isn't too terribly tall so my legs don't get that wet...even if there is dew or it's wet outside. I guess a lot depends upon the country and vegetation you'll be hunting. Some gators are super noisy so make sure you get quiet cloth material if you decide to get them.

Another consideration is weight. I'm always looking for ways to cut weight and bulk in my pack. I would rather carry just rain pants rather than rainpants plus gators. I've worn rainpants for years and years in Alaska, Wyo, and Colo without any problem of brush poking holes through them. Even if it did...Sitka has lifetime warrantees! I would much rather invest my $ in top quality rainpants than mediocre rainpants plus gators.

 

[Hawkeye5964]

I tent camp for Colorado elk and the gaiters help keep snow off the bottom of my pants. That in turn helps to keep snow out of my tent. I have been wearing gaiters for 30 plus years and never hunt in snow without them. As many have said, they are not a must have, but they do serve a purpose. Good luck.

 

[5MilesBack]

I used to only use them in snow. But now I use them every archery season. It was hot and bone dry this last week where I hunted and I wore my calf high KUIU's all day every day without issue. They are great for keeping dry stuff out of your boots and burrs off your pants.

The only day I didn't wear them was Friday morning because I was just making a quick jaunt from camp. And I came back with a hole in my pants because they caught on a short broken branch on some deadfall when I was crossing over it. Wouldn't have been an issue with the gaiters on.

 

[Michiganhunter]

Last year was the first time I wore gators and i liked them. I hunt in northern Michigan and it was wet and snowy and they kept my lower pants dry and by doing that it kept the top of my socks dry which in turn helps keep the water from wicking down the socks making the inside of the boots wet. I’m gonna start wearing them on my motorcycle if I get caught in the rain again. I have a pair I bought from cabelas and they seem like they work decent to me but I have no other experience to compare them to.

 

[tracker12]

I started wearing them for the mornings when it is wet with dew but now pretty much wear them all the time to keep dirt and debris from my boots. I have never had a problem with sweating under my Kuiu's.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Mine stay in the truck most of the time here in CO, I hunt open country mostly and it’s usually dry so unless it’s rain/mud or some reasonable amount of snow involved there is no point for me to bring the weight. But the second that heavy snow hits I certainly pack them to avoid snow up my pant cuffs.

 

[Jardo]

I only use gaiters if the ground is wet/snow and below 50 degrees when hunting in the mountains. I always wear them when pheasant hunting because they keep all the grass seeds out of my boots and hitchhikers off my pants.

Where I hunt elk, the grass is tall in the quakies and I normally wear my rain pants if it’s wet or there’s a lot of dew.


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[Michiganhunter]

I also like them when I’m wearing my Solomon boots because they are not very tall so it keeps shit out of them.