 OK, I want to buy myself a nice new pair of gaiters. I primarily want them to keep crud out of my boots on hill walks, so I'm looking for scree gaiters rather than great big knee-length things. I've narrowed my choice down to two: Black Diamond Sportee or Outdoor Reseach Flex-Tex. Both cost about the same and seem similar in spec. I'm leaning toward the latter, but can anyone give me any tips, pointers or suggest any other products I might have missed. I've had a look at a couple of other posts on here, but can't see anyone with exactly my wishlist! Here are the criteria I'm taking into account: - Must be able to put on and take off with boots on. - As lightweight and packable as possible. - As breathable as possible. - As durable as possible. - Not for ice/snow or for wading through rivers. Ta. Michael.
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How about the Trekmates Grasmere ankle gaiters, widely available at about £10 and weighing less than 100g? They have front velcro openings, so are easy to put on. The fabric is not as breathable as some, but I've never found this matters much on your ankles. Durability seems fine to me, having dragged them through heather quite a few times, but they're so cheap it hardly seems to matter that much if they do rip.
Or, if breathability is the holy grail, the very similar Windermere ankle gaiters made from Gore-Tex.
I like the Integral Designs eVent short gaiters myself, cos they work well with shoes, but you have to put them on before you don your footwear.
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Trekmate Wasdale gaiters - goretex paclite. Lightweight and very breathable. Wore them on Saturday - in snow as it happens, and crossed an icy cold river without getting my feet wet.
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Both good calls, cheers. I had discounted the Grasmere gaiter as not being breathable enough (my ankles might not get hot, but make a note of the amount of moisture in your boots with and without the gaiters on - you might be surprised), but I'll look into the Windermere and Wasdales. I don't know a lot about Trekmates, but I'll make sure I find out more pronto.
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Spotted the Grasmere gaiters in Cotswold, and was right - they're really crinkly and way too non-breathable. Sweat city. Unfortunately, no sight of the Windermere or Wasdales. Gah.
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.jpg) Had two goes at the trekmates gaiters, both times they lasted one outing , then tried some gortex gloves , same thing , wouldnt touch trekmates with a barge pole . Sorry ,but that has been my experience of them .
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Grasped the nettle (and the credit card) at the weekend and ordered the Flex-Tex gaiters from Lakes Climber.
Ta for everyone's thoughts. I'll report back when I've put them through their paces.
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Gave the Flex-Tex gaiters a good workout in the Cairngorms at the weekend. Pretty horrid conditions at time, and they came through with flying colours. Really impressed - they might look flimsy but I've given them a rinse and they look as good as new. Top stuff.
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Hi Just to back up jonno's comment above on the trekmates but they are simply crap. Bought a pair as all 4 climbing shops just off the Strand stocked them and Ellis Brigs assured me they would be good gaiters and I couldn't get any Rab or Black Diamond. Drove 10 hours up to the Cairngorms this weekend with a great fall of fresh snow. Set off and the first buckle snapped after 3 hours. Quick repair with some medical tape and an hour later the other gaiter broke. Deep snow was then forced up the gaiter to the top of the boot at sub-zero temperatures so since I like my toes the way they are, I turned around and drove all the way home again. So my £32 gaiters actually cost me another £250 in fuel and accommodation costs and I didn't even bag a Munro. Personally, I will never buy TrekMate gear again - badly designed, poor quality materials and potentially dangerous if you do serious mountaineering. I'll now look out for Black Diamond as my last pair were these and they lasted 5 seasons.
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