I am in the market for some gaiters. I live in western wa and it rains excessively . Iam looking for some for elk hunting near the coast. I have looked at Sitka Thunderhead and Kenetrek gaiters. What do you recommend ?
I used Outdoor Research gaiters for years. I have since moved to the Kuiu Yukon’s. Both have treated me very well. The Yukon’s are a bit heavy. But, I really like them.
Iam ok with heavy if it performs. I will be putting them to the test in the thick wet brush over here. Durability and longevity are my main priorities . thanks for the input
I will second the KUIU Yukons. A bit cumbersome to adjust, maybe, but once adjusted they are set until you change to a heavier or lighter boot. I didn't notice the noise to be "loud".
The Sitka Thunderheads do not want to stay up where they are supposed to and require some monitoring. Sitka's next step up from the thunderheads, I forget the name, are some real noise makers, but would be bullet proof. I would say they were designed for sheep hunting or other pursuits that do not require close quarter hunting such as an archery hunt.
Kennetrek brown and plenty quiet. Heat in snow including wet. Tried and found the camo too fuzzy for my preference. If an area had any seeds, camo was magnetic.
I'm using kenetreks but can't compare them to others as they are they only ones I've ever owned, but no reason to switch. I can wear my lightweight boots with gaiters through creeks and keep dry feet and legs. Not too noisy either.
I bought some Kings Camo XKG gaiterrs from MidwayUSA last year on clearance. My brother has the Kuiu Yukons. They are nearly identical, but the XKG gaiters were half the price. After comparing the Kuiu and Kings I see no reason to get Kuiu.
I've used OR's, Sitka, Mtn. HW, Kenetrek's as well as the Kuiu Yukon. My favorites are the Kuiu Yukons. The main reason for them being my favorite is that the stretchiness of the material helps keep water out of my pants when wading across rivers. The pressure that it puts around my boots and lower pant legs really helps to keep my feet dry compared to the other brands.
I'll throw in another vote for the OR Expedition Crocs. Tough, light, gortex holds up extremely well, you can snug them up well, and the OR Customer service is great in my experience.