Having killed off a pair of Yeti's (which suffered from all of the above) I now have a pair of Paramo - bloomin' excellent I must say, They fit most boots (as do most 'normal gaiters') - which is another down side of the Yeti, you are limited to the style of boot you can wear.
The Paramo gaiter is robust, hard wearing and will no doubt last a life time. IMHO
It also compliments the dryest range of waterproof garments in the universe!
I think I will change my name to 'Paramo man - just dont mention yeti gaiters'
However, Conventional gaiters are almost always useless. And the foot strap on a pair of conventional gaiters will die much quicker than a Yeti rand. Mine has lasted years, and used to be my dads! Finally, the breathability/overheating thing. Any one tried opeing the front vent ehen the Gaiter is not required. It allows more breathability than any membrane could!
I have to admit that before trialling the Paramo gaiters I was very dubious about them. I've always been a GoreTex devotee, and only owned a single item of Paramo kit - and even that, an Explorer pull on, was a non-critical layer.
I'm used to being able to just wade straight through streams and rivers, safe in the knowledge that the combination of GoreTex boots, gaiters and trouserswould keep me dry. Given the stories of Paramo "wetting out" when constant pressure is applied I doubted their ability to cope with such direct crossings. The reality was that I came out the other side of streams as dry as when wearing GoreTex gaiters.
Realistically breathability is not an issue with gaiters, especially as they effectively only cover areas already covered by boots, socks and trousers. Where the Paramo gaiters did excel was in their comfort and design. They're the first gaiters I've ever worn that don't have a single cord, toggle, strap or other protruberence hanging down somewhere just waiting to snag on something. The flexibility of the material also made them more comfortable than gaiters I'd previously used.
