Author Topic: Gaiters - worn under or over your trousers?  (Read 9626 times)

gunwharfman

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10255
Re: Gaiters - worn under or over your trousers?
« Reply #15 on: 10:47:23, 19/09/17 »
I think my conclusions about equipment these days, is that, rather than think of single items to purchase I now think in terms of the purchase of group items. So for example, the bottom half is about trousers, waterproofs or rain skirts, gaiters, socks and boots. If you get them right and they harmonise together the hiking experience is so much better. We know this about the torso layer systems, baselayer, middle layer, gloves, hat or hood and the waterproof outer, etc and I, for a long time tended to concentrate on this without considering much else. But I then gave a lot more  thought about my sleeping gear, because in my early hiking days I was often cold. I learned that product harmony here also matters, groundsheet or footprint, tent base material, matress, sleeping bag or quilt, when the products work well together then I am well. In a smaller way I also found that even my underwear and baselayer needed thinking about, I hated it when a skin gap occurred between m the bottom of the baselayer and the top of the underpants elastic. I now always buy long products that can tuck in or overlap and will not ride up as I walk.

When I first started 'proper' hiking I underestimated this harmony link but nowadays (after a few purchase blunders) I think I have now got it, just about right. What I have never moved onto is hiking and camping in extremely cold areas and with prolonged periods of darkness, if I did I'm sure I would have to have a rethink.

jimbob

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2503
Re: Gaiters - worn under or over your trousers?
« Reply #16 on: 19:06:01, 19/09/17 »
GWM Good thoughts there. Never thought about it deeply but you have got me thinking now. Thank you.
Too little, too late, too bad......

Dyffryn Ardudwy

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2578
Re: Gaiters - worn under or over your trousers?
« Reply #17 on: 19:48:18, 19/09/17 »
Alway's over the trousers, so as to keep your clothing free of as much mud and filth, they may still get wet, depending on how poor the conditions are, but at least gaiters protect your lower legs from the wet and mud.
Ive still got my Berghaus Yeti gaiters somewhere, and they were fabulous things, but you needed 4season stiff boots to get the benefit of them, and the gaiter enclosed the entire boot.
Not sure if Berghaus make them anymore, but they were good.

PeterDevon

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 26
Re: Gaiters - worn under or over your trousers?
« Reply #18 on: 08:25:06, 20/09/17 »
Not sure if Berghaus make them anymore, but they were good.
They still make them, I saw them in Taunton Leisure the other day.

Owen

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1760
Re: Gaiters - worn under or over your trousers?
« Reply #19 on: 13:09:59, 20/09/17 »

Ive still got my Berghaus Yeti gaiters somewhere, and they were fabulous things, but you needed 4season stiff boots to get the benefit of them, and the gaiter enclosed the entire boot.
Not sure if Berghaus make them anymore, but they were good.


Always found these kept your boots, socks, feet damp as they didn't let anything dry out.  I believe that's why they went out of favour or should that be fashion. The trick with bendy boots was to put double sided carpet tape on the boot rand before putting the gaiters on. 

mow1701

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 217
Re: Gaiters - worn under or over your trousers?
« Reply #20 on: 16:58:44, 20/09/17 »
I wear rab gaiters. I always wear over trousers or over over- trousers as they keep all leg wear clean. Gaiters are easier to cleaner especially rab as machine washable. I use a 15 minutes cycles with 30 degrees water and no detergent. Come out like new and leave to drip dry.

Deolman

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 254
Re: Gaiters - worn under or over your trousers?
« Reply #21 on: 12:42:55, 23/09/17 »
I always used to wear my gaiters over my waterproof trousers until I walked the C2C a couple of years back. Torrential rain running down the w/p trousers went inside the gaiters and straight into my boot.  Since then I have always worn them under my waterproofs and had no further problem.

sussamb

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8011
Re: Gaiters - worn under or over your trousers?
« Reply #22 on: 12:55:41, 23/09/17 »
As previously said waterproof overtrousers should go outside gaiters  O0
Where there's a will ...

jontea

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3492
Re: Gaiters - worn under or over your trousers?
« Reply #23 on: 07:06:59, 24/09/17 »
I've always worn gaiters over my trousers. If it's not raining they keep my trousers clean and also dry if walking through wet foliage.  If it's raining overtrousers outside the gaiters.  Always worked for me  O0


+ 1 I'm the same  O0
Walking is the world’s oldest exercise and today’s modern medicine.

https://www.johntrowsdaleart.com/

Instagram  jontea62

Stube

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 499
Re: Gaiters - worn under or over your trousers?
« Reply #24 on: 22:46:25, 24/09/17 »
I fail to see what purpose gaiters serve if you're wearing waterproof overtrousers - perhaps someone can enlighten me. ::)

ninthace

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11822
Re: Gaiters - worn under or over your trousers?
« Reply #25 on: 00:08:28, 25/09/17 »
I fail to see what purpose gaiters serve if you're wearing waterproof overtrousers - perhaps someone can enlighten me. ::)


1. Even when wearing waterproof trousers, gaiters provide further protection to your boots - unless of course you love undoing mud soaked laces. Decent gaiters will also slow down the ingress of water into your boot if you step into a deep bit of bog or stream. I know this from personal experience having been saved a wet foot on more than one occasion.


2.  Gaiters are usually worn over your ordinary trousers when you think you are going to need them. Why on earth would you take then off when it starts raining? Unless of course you have the kind of overtrousers that necessitate you taking your boots off in order to put them on; in which case, you probably need to get some better overtrousers.
Solvitur Ambulando

gunwharfman

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10255
Re: Gaiters - worn under or over your trousers?
« Reply #26 on: 09:31:56, 25/09/17 »
I must admit that back in the day when I wore waterproof trousers, it never occurred to me to keep my gaiters on, either under, or over the waterproof material. Mind you, when its prolonged rain and I'm wearing my Marmot Precip I often also wear my poncho over the top as a double layer protection.

Ridge

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9691
Re: Gaiters - worn under or over your trousers?
« Reply #27 on: 09:42:09, 25/09/17 »
I accidentally left my gaiters on a hill years ago now, didn't miss them and so never replaced them.
FOR ME the advantages of having them don't outweigh the carrying, taking on or off, having hot legs. If I am walking through wet grass/bracken then, with modern fabrics, I will soon be dry once I am out of them and they only protect up to the knee anyway when bracken is often nipple high. If it is raining then my waterproof trousers come well down over the top of my boots so I've never had rain in. I don't think that I am any more careful now than I was crossing streams and bog, even when I wore gaiters I tried to avoid anything going over boot level.

 

Terms of Use     Privacy Policy