Sitka Gaiters

[Takeem406]

Anyone tried the Stormfront Gaiters? Are they that much better than the Kenatreks?
I sure could have used them today. Started my hike with my Asolos at 4800'. At 6800' I was in two feet of snow in spots!

 

[Steve O]

I have both. The Sitka are heavy duty compared to the Kennetrks. Very form fittiing and sleek with good solid boot straps.

 

[Ross]

The kenetreks are good gaiters and will serve you well in keeping you dry and staying in place. That being said I have gone through 3 pairs in 3 years. They will tear somewhat easily if in dense brush and will develop wear spots fairly easily on the instep. I now have a set of KUIU. Am impressed so far in keeping me dry and staying in place but cannot comment on durability as of yet,but I believe will be a step ahead of the kenetreks. Cannot comment on Sitka brand.

 

[Yellowknife]

I bought a pair of the Sitkas almost exactly two years ago. I use them all winter and a fair amount of the summer/fall. At this point they are totally trashed and I'm about to order replacements.

Pros:

- Under heel strap system is excellent. The free end tucks away under the fabric, which is a great way to do it.
- Fit heavy hunting boots well
- The heavy hypalon lowers handles scree/rock wear very well.
-Zipper closure system worked well for me.

Cons:

- They are heavy compared to most gaiters
- The light gore-tex fabric in the uppers gets trashed in the brush. Mine have a dozen+ holes at this point. I just can't patch them anymore.
- For me, the hypalon lower is so stiff that it bends funny. Kinda sticks out on both sides every time my ankle bends and the fabric creases. This causes the lowers to rub together as I walk, and despite the super heavy fabric, I've nearly worn through both sides.
- They are WAY expensive for a gaiter at current prices. Price has gone up twice since I bought them.


Two years is decent life for a gaiter (for me), so I'll give them an A-. Will be replacing them with OR Crocs though. Lighter, cheaper, and from previous experience I'll get at least the same, if not better, life out of them.

Yk

 

[Takeem406]

Does Sitka warranty the gaiters like the rest of their products? That's the whole reason why I'll buy Sitka. I had a pair of pack lite rain pants that always seeped. Last fall after owning them for three years they replaced them and let me upgrade a model and a size for $150. Way cheaper than buying them out right.
How about the other "non hunting specific brands" like Mountain Hardware?

 

[Yellowknife]

Does Sitka warranty the gaiters like the rest of their products? That's the whole reason why I'll buy Sitka. I had a pair of pack lite rain pants that always seeped. Last fall after owning them for three years they replaced them and let me upgrade a model and a size for $150. Way cheaper than buying them out right.
How about the other "non hunting specific brands" like Mountain Hardware?

Sitka is decent with warranty in my experience also, but won't replace or repair wear and tear damage at all so it has to be a fabric or construction failure. Outdoor Research is supposed to have stellar warranty CS, and Mountain Hardwear isn't bad either from experience.

I'm going back to Outdoor Research because I'm pretty sure that primitive man used Crocodile gaiters to keep the primordial soup off his hairy ankles. In other words they have been around forever and are a known (and very good) quantity. I own lots of Mountain Hardwear stuff also, the outerwear is usually excellent, but sometimes their accessories can be pretty hit or miss on quality. The last pair of expensive gloves I got from them were worthless in fabric, construction, and stitching and got replaced under warranty twice in three months. I'm a bit leery of trying their gaiters after that experience. Maybe somebody else has used them.

Yk

 

[MattB]

The OR are tough to beat, although they are not quiet or camo/neutral color. I used them on a number of hunts and used the Kuiu this past season and I generally liked them. The only downsides I experienced were that one of the rivets for the toe straps pulled through the first day I used them (no real impact to functionality) and the lower ~1/2 of the gaiter where the material is extra thick is not very breathable. The bottom ~4" of my pants would be damp to wet at the end of every day due to feet sweat not being able to escape. They are not as quiet as the Kenetreks, but quieter than the OR. Kuiu is slight cheaper than the OR Crocodile as well.

I have had to use both OR and Kuiu's warranty, and while both are good Kuiu was easier to deal with.

 

[Yellowknife]

Kuiu gaiters look like they are cut for fall hunting clothes and boots. In other words, pretty trim through the calf. That true?

I need something that will fit over tall winter boots and both Sitka and OR both worked nicely with my Schnee pac boots. \

Yk

 

[HellsCanyon]

Kuiu gaiters look like they are cut for fall hunting clothes and boots. In other words, pretty trim through the calf. That true?

I need something that will fit over tall winter boots and both Sitka and OR both worked nicely with my Schnee pac boots. \

Yk

I've been wearing the Kuius for two seasons now. They have plenty of room for my cold weather pants but may be a little tight around the ankles for what you're talking about.

With that said, this past week hunting I had a rivet pop on the toe lace hook, a buckle brake, and the velcro isn't sticking near as good as it used to. Granted they probably have 300+ miles on them in all sorts of terrain... these are the original chugach material gaitors. Been really happy with them until now.

My hunting partner has the newer Yukon material gaitors and he had some stitching pull on the heel strap buckle area and also popped a rivet on the toe hook.

I'm not too worried though, Kuiu has pretty good CS and I expect they'll take care of us.

Mike

 

[Matt W.]

I did not know KUIU made a gaiter prior to the Yukon. ?? Interesting. My Yukon have been pretty decent, only ran this year. They seem to run a bit tight, I'd just go a size up and you should be good to go. Ran OR Crocs for years before that. They make some military ones you can get in Coyote.

I think the Crocs are the Gaiters that everyone is trying to beat. Yukons seem on par so far, but only time will tell. Buddy runs the Kennetreks and they seem ok, but I prefer the OR and the Yukon over them as the fabric of the Kennetreks seems to hold water and get heavy. Cannot comment on the Sitka, but I think you got pretty good feedback above on them. The few times I have used Sitka's warranty they have been great.