Guide on keeping ankles dry! (Gaiters - General)

Member Name: helendavis83

Product:	Gaiters - General
Date:	14/04/01 (1082 review reads)
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There are so many brands of products available in the outdoors market today, that often is extremely hard to know what to look for, especially in the case of gaiters, which are seldom covered in outdoors magazines.

Having decided that you wish to purchase some gaiters, which are really an essential item if you want to do any serious walking, it is a good idea to look for certain features in a pair of gaiters. I therefore propose the following guide, drawing on examples taken from my experience both as a hillwalker and a Blacks sales assistant.

Firstly, there is the style of the gaiter. Generally there are two types: those which consist of a band going under the boot (e.g. Karrimor KSB) and those which are like a sock that goes over the whole boot forming a completely waterproof seal (e.g. Berghaus Yeti Attack). To be honest, the former, which are by far the cheapest, are adequate for most purposes, and I have used nothing else. Most water is prevented from entering, however they will not withstand water for long periods, for example crossing a river or wading, when Yeti gaiters are more appropriate.

Secondly, you should consider whether zip, poppers or Velcro joins are best for your purposes. My first pair of gaiters were Velcro, which I found annoying because twigs got stuck in the Velcro and they didn't stick together properly, and it was difficult to match the sides together. So I changed to a zip join, just to discover more problems. Mud got caught in and hardened in the zip, so that it was then totally impossible to do up. I have never tried poppers, they may well be the answer, but the problem with poppers generally on outdoor equipment is that if you are at high altidudes where the temperature is freezing, water gets into the hole and freezes, so that you can't undo them again.

Lastly, the material of the gaiter is important. My first pair of gaiters got very torn. The solution to this is to buy gaiters whi
ch are made of ripstop nylon (identifiable by the square patterning of the fabric).

As you may have found if you have ever bought a non-breathable cagoule, doing exercise in non-breathable equipment builds up much perspiration on the inside of the fabric. Getting gaiters which have a breathable lining such as Gore-Tex or Lowe Alpine's Triplepoint make for a much more comfortable walk.

It is important to note that you must re-waterproof your gaiters periodically so that they retain their effectiveness. If you have breathable gaiters, the waterproofing you use must not be silicon-based, as this blocks the pores which give them the breathability. I recommend Grangers Proofer Spray, it is quite expensive but easy to use and it works.

Gaiters usually range in price from about £10 to £50, increasing in price according to breathability, fabric, and how much the brand is charging for the fact that they have a good name.

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