Snake gaiter recommendation

[SDHunter44]

I have an early season mule deer hunt coming up, what does everyone recommend for snake gaiters? Preferably as quiet as possible but I’m sure just the nature of snake bite proof material isn’t super quiet.


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[Billinsd]

Turtle skins aren't very quiet, but they are lightweight and comfortable.

 

[ArmyAg97]

Second on the Turtle Skins. They do get a little quieter with wear. Also work wonders against cactus and mesquite thorns. Don't pull tops tight and I use some bailing wire to secure it under my boot.

 

[Bcleck90]

Turtle skins for me too. Lightweight but not exactly quiet. I haven’t looked at snake gaiters in awhile but from I remember that’s the best option I could find.

 

[Rokwiia]

Agree with everyone above that TurtleSkin snake gaiters are the way to go. I have a pair and they're excellent.

https://turtleskin.com/default/snake-gaiters.html

 

[Seth]

We use turtle skin at work and they are more comfortable than most other options. Depending on terrain, a well broken in pair of snake boots can be a better option

 

[Mosby]

If you are going to be consistently hunting around snakes, I would recommend getting a pair of snake boots. I bought Russell's.

Gaiters work fine if you are wearing them but when it is hot it is easy to leave them in the truck.
I used to live and hunt in Texas on a lease and everybody had gaiters but most guys didn't wear them on a regular basis.

I prefer the boots. Put them on and done for the day.

 

[Yates]

I've found my hiking boots with turtle skins are a much more comfortable option than any snake boot I've ever worn. And for the snake boots that claim to be waterproof, they're not.

 

[Mosby]

I've found my hiking boots with turtle skins are a much more comfortable option than any snake boot I've ever worn. And for the snake boots that claim to be waterproof, they're not.

My Russell's are pretty comfortable but I got them for warm weather and pretty flat terrain, where you don't get a lot of rain. If I needed something for steep terrain and/or possibly wet weather, your combination would make much more sense. They do make rubber snake boots that work well in swampy areas but I wouldn't want to wear them everywhere.

I live in NW Arkansas on 5 acres next to a lake. We have a lot of water moccasins, copperheads and pygmy rattlesnakes. I wear rubber snake boots around the property when I am hunting, mowing and cutting firewood. They work great and my feet stay dry. Also helps with chiggers and ticks. I think you have to match the boot to the area, weather and type of terrain or go with gaiters.

I think the Turtle skins are probably the best option for a gaiter. I just found myself leaving them in the truck more than I should, so I went to a different solution.

 

[Muley Buck]

A few questions for all of you who are suggesting the Turtle Skins, have any of you been bit while wearing them? If so how did they perform? Any punctures? Any pain? What was the experience like?

 

[ArmyAg97]

I haven't been struck yet (have come closer than I'd like a couple times though) but as mentioned above i have stumbled into just about every type of cactus you can imagine in the dark. Many that would normally go straight through a boot (even the sole sometimes if you step on them right) and they have been magnificent. They have been well worth the price just for this.

I like the gaiters specifically because you can take them off, snake boots are way too hot for me. I'm in Texas so if blind hunting, when I get to the blind I just unzip them. I think they are also the best option for kids. When my son was younger they would get halfway up his thigh providing way more coverage against the Western Diamondbacks that can hit much higher than a kids boot ever would.

 

[Courtlandfarms]

Turtle skins without a doubt. We wear them at work and they are by far the most comfortable and actually stay down. They claim to be rated for diamondback rattler strikes

 

[gumbl3]

I tried to poke a 25g hypodermic through my turtle skins and it just bent the needle... I'm sure I could 'drill' and stronger needle through but just jabbing it like a bite would, wouldn't go through

 

[Huntindog45]

where are you guys hunting that you have to give snakes that much attention? I hunt in some of the snakiest places I can think of and I hardly even acknowledge the fact they are there. I see them now and then and they generally let you know there are there and give you plenty of time to avoid them.

 

[Muley Buck]

I have ran into more rattlesnakes than I ever want to. I was sliding down a steep embankment once and fell on one all coiled up. Scared the shit outta me! Pretty much face to face with a coiled up rattlesnake that was the worst personal experience I've had, he was a big boy too. I've had many other encounters that were less than delightful too, all in California. Yes, most of the time if you are at least halfway careful you will never have a problem with them. I ended up with a pair of the Crackshot Snake Guardz because if I was going to put a pair of gaiters on I didn't want any question whether they'd work. I've never been struck while wearing them, so no personal experience there, and I'm not wanting either.

This is the video that sold me on them.

 

[gwalker]

I hunt in an area where I usually run into them once or twice a year early in the season. I wear the turtle skins but put them under my pants, very quiet, got struck by a rattler a few years ago, didn't give me a rattle, just struck me as I walked by. No puncture wounds in the gaiters, ended up killing it with some shot shell from my 40 cal pistol.

 

[Rokwiia]

Twice this year I've come upon them. The first time, a friend and I were hiking back to our cars and it recoiled as my friend walked past it. No advance rattle warning and I ended up in the strike zone. It was agitated but did not strike.

Three weeks later I came across one stretched out on the trail. Impossible to see as it looked like a thousand other tree roots encountered that day. It did give adequate warning.

Upon reflecting of both encounters, it was clear they did not want to strike. It was also clear that had my friend walked three inches to the left, or I walking faster as I usually do, we might have stepped on the Timber Rattler. That would have ended badly for us.

Now I will never hike in that area without the Turtleskins.

 

[Djw442]

Another vote for turtle skins. Mine are about 4 years old and need to be replaced. The have about a 2” rip in them from briars I assume. They are comfortable and give me piece of mind when encountering snakes. No idea how they will perform with an actual strike.

 

[semasko]

Turtle skins are great and lightweight, but they tend to spin around a lot and ride up if you have skinny legs. Whitewater makes a good pair that I've abused for the past 6 years. A friend of mine was struck by an eastern diamondback in turtleskins and they didn't go through. They say they're tested to this, but that was a good endorsement as that species has the largest fangs.

I wanted to make a thread but since this one is here I'll ask: are any of the common hunting brand (FL, Kuiu, Kryptek, etc.) gaiters snake proof? I've noticed some have thicker gaiters that are more for brush as opposed to water, and I wonder if they are snake proof even though they don't say - I assume for liability reasons.

 

[Ens Entium]

I have ran into more rattlesnakes than I ever want to. I was sliding down a steep embankment once and fell on one all coiled up. Scared the shit outta me! Pretty much face to face with a coiled up rattlesnake that was the worst personal experience I've had, he was a big boy too. I've had many other encounters that were less than delightful too, all in California. Yes, most of the time if you are at least halfway careful you will never have a problem with them. I ended up with a pair of the Crackshot Snake Guardz because if I was going to put a pair of gaiters on I didn't want any question whether they'd work. I've never been struck while wearing them, so no personal experience there, and I'm not wanting either.

This is the video that sold me on them.

Have you had any issues with the webbing for the buckles wearing through at the fold points of the gaiters?

I have had mine for a couple years and that seems to be a design issue for me as I had the webbing completely eat through from the bend point.