Summer Gaiters

Info on gear, conditioning, and preparation for hiking/climbing.
Forum rules
  • This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
  • Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
  • Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
  • Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
Post Reply
User avatar
espressoself
Posts: 128
Joined: 2/17/2020
14ers: 33  1 
13ers: 40 2
Trip Reports (1)
 

Summer Gaiters

Post by espressoself »

I've been holding out for a while, but I'm getting tired of having to empty my shoes of scree and pick stickers out of my socks. I've seen Dirty Girls thrown around here a few times; any of you have any other favorites? I looked at the OR Rocky Mountain Lows, but these seem...excessive for just keeping rocks and debris out.

Thanks!
User avatar
HikerGuy
Posts: 1406
Joined: 5/25/2006
14ers: 58 
13ers: 426 8
Trip Reports (9)
 

Re: Summer Gaiters

Post by HikerGuy »

I like the old Outdoor Research Thru Gaiters, but it looks like they have been updated, now called Ferrosi Thru Gaiters, not sure how they stack up to the past version.
Aphelion
Posts: 166
Joined: 10/22/2017
14ers: 58  17 
13ers: 48
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Summer Gaiters

Post by Aphelion »

I don't have a favorite, but I can recommend against OR trail gaiters. I've had a couple and haven't been impressed with either. The first pair was called 'overdrive', looks like it's been discontinued now. They worked well, but the strap wore through in just a few hikes, with no ability to replace it. I recently picked up a set of the Ferrosi hybrids, and they're not great. The elastic around the calf wore out in less than a mile, and there's no rigidity to the body, so it just sat on top of the shoe and flopped around.
User avatar
brauda02
Posts: 14
Joined: 8/6/2018
14ers: 50  5 
13ers: 41
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Summer Gaiters

Post by brauda02 »

I really like the Dirty Girl gaiters. The adhesive stays well on all of my trail runners (Altra, Hoka, La Sportiva). The ones with the loop on the bottom always break in my experience.
User avatar
bunny256
Posts: 98
Joined: 8/2/2012
14ers: 58  3  4 
13ers: 357 7 1
Trip Reports (0)
 
Contact:

Re: Summer Gaiters

Post by bunny256 »

Yeah, another vote for Dirty Girl. I've used them on thru hikes and really put them through the ringer, the sizing/elastic/adhesive are superior to any others I've tried.
LoJ
IG @i_heart_mountains
User avatar
MUni Rider
Posts: 901
Joined: 7/31/2007
14ers: 51 
13ers: 7
Trip Reports (20)
 
Contact:

Re: Summer Gaiters

Post by MUni Rider »

+1 for Dirty Girl Gators. And the website is fun. Lots of "dirty" play-on-words humor. A page to post your dirty pics, etc... :lol:

I've been using Dirty Girl gators for years. My 1st pair did eventually stretch out after several years, but I may or may not have pulled them over the shoes once or twice or more due to laziness after I had already laced up. (Oops). My 2nd pair are doing fine since I bought them 2 or 3 years ago.

One of the best things about Dirty Girl Gators is the hundreds of patterns and colors to choose from. And if you scroll through the clearance section, you can get a decent deal of pretty cool looking gators. I'm at work now, but can post a pick of my vibrant design of choice later.

I switch back and forth between 8-10 or 20 pair of running shoes, so I had to pick up more velcro. I found gluing it on the back with aquaseal holds better than just the sticky back.
Last edited by MUni Rider on Thu Jul 15, 2021 1:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy course; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat." (Theodore Roosevelt)

"Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit." (Edward Abbey)
User avatar
cougar
Posts: 1181
Joined: 8/9/2007
14ers: 58  2 
13ers: 135 2
Trip Reports (10)
 
Contact:

Re: Summer Gaiters

Post by cougar »

Iguanas are a good alternative
http://www.listsofjohn.com/m/cougar

"If we don't change direction, we'll end up where we're going."
"Bushwhacking is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're gonna get."
"Don't give up on your dreams, stay asleep"
User avatar
espressoself
Posts: 128
Joined: 2/17/2020
14ers: 33  1 
13ers: 40 2
Trip Reports (1)
 

Re: Summer Gaiters

Post by espressoself »

Thanks for the replies!
brauda02 wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 1:16 pm I really like the Dirty Girl gaiters. The adhesive stays well on all of my trail runners (Altra, Hoka, La Sportiva). The ones with the loop on the bottom always break in my experience.
bunny256 wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 1:33 pm Yeah, another vote for Dirty Girl. I've used them on thru hikes and really put them through the ringer, the sizing/elastic/adhesive are superior to any others I've tried.
One of the main things I was hesitant about was the adhesive; my Sportivas don't have the integrated velcro on the heel that Altras and some other trail runners have, so I'm glad to hear this. I figure velcro isn't expensive either, so if I have to replace it at some point, no biggie.
MUni Rider wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 1:41 pm I'm at work now, but can post a pick of my vibrant design of choice later.

I switch back and forth between 8-10 or 20 pair of running shoes, so I had to pick up more velcro. I found gluing it on the back with aquaseal holds better than just the sticky back.
I'd love to see 'em, and thanks for the tip with the aquaseal. I'll try this if the adhesive gives out.
cougar wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 1:54 pm Iguanas are a good alternative
:lol:
User avatar
9patrickmurphy
Posts: 295
Joined: 7/16/2018
14ers: 50  1  2 
13ers: 318 23 2
Trip Reports (1)
 
Contact:

Re: Summer Gaiters

Post by 9patrickmurphy »

Great thread. I think I might try out a pair of dirty girls, in only the best patterns available, of course...
User avatar
bunny256
Posts: 98
Joined: 8/2/2012
14ers: 58  3  4 
13ers: 357 7 1
Trip Reports (0)
 
Contact:

Re: Summer Gaiters

Post by bunny256 »

9patrickmurphy wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 7:51 pm Great thread. I think I might try out a pair of dirty girls, in only the best patterns available, of course...
those are SO you! :wink:
LoJ
IG @i_heart_mountains
rdp32
Posts: 443
Joined: 2/17/2014
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Summer Gaiters

Post by rdp32 »

Another +1 for the dirty girl gaiters. Once you start using them, you'll never go back
User avatar
nyker
Posts: 3231
Joined: 12/5/2007
14ers: 58 
13ers: 25
Trip Reports (69)
 

Re: Summer Gaiters

Post by nyker »

If you wear two pairs of socks, with an outer thicker layer, I've found by pushing that second one down around the neck of your shoe helps prevent pebbles/sand from coming in the shoe pretty effectively, assuming there is a snug fit.
Its efficacy could depend on the shoes you wear but its worked for me with low cut trail hikers.
Post Reply