Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain Low Gaiters

Comments about Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain Low Gaiters:

My first two pair were an earlier model, with a snap closure on the front (next to the hook that attaches to the boot laces). The snaps ripped out soon on both pair, so I exchanged them for two pair of this latest design.

The snap has been replaced with a Velco tab, an improvement. And the cord across the instep (which had to be replaced from time-to-time) is now a "Hypalon" strap and buckle design, an apparent improvement. But here is my experience:

Pair 1: After only one day on the trail, the stitching on the sewn end of one strap failed, and it came apart.

Pair 2: By the 5th day of a 7-day hike, the stitching on the sewn ends of both straps had similarly failed, and the Hypalon instep strap on both had worn completely through.

Comments about Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain Low Gaiters:

I don't hand out 5 star ratings willy nilly, but these gaiters have earned it from me.

Inspite of the first reviewer's experience, mine have held up extremely well over some very technical trails in the GSM.

One thing to note about these, and it's explicitly stated on the packaging, is you need to place the strap in the gap forward of the boot heel. If your shoes don't have a gap and the sole is generally flat, you will wear the gaiter strap out faster than advertised.

Also, I don't wear my socks above the gaiter b/c I think it defeats the purpose. My feet and socks stay dry b/c the water running down my legs from rain can't get past the solid seal created by the elastic gaiter top. And I didn't experience any undue rubbing or chaffing with the top against my bare leg.

My buddy owns the same pair and he has had no complaints either. For the price, and if you use them right, you can't beat this pair of gaiters.

Comments about Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain Low Gaiters:

I purchased these last spring and used them all summer. I probably logged a good 50-60 miles in them and have no complaints thus far. I have not noticed any unusual wear with any of the straps unlike the previous reviewer. The straps are holding up just fine. They breath reasonably well and with a pair of wool socks my legs stay dry. One tip is to pull your socks up just past the top of the gators to keep them from rubbing on your leg.

I've owned some mid length gators in the past and had problems with them being not long enough to stay over the tops of my calf's so they would constantly slide down. These are just the right height for 3 season hiking.

Comments about Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain Low Gaiters:

I've given the pair I've owned hard use hiking, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, and climbing. I'm often wearing a pant with a stretch cuff that pulls over the cuffs of big boots (ski boots, plastic climbing boots) but there are still lots of days each year when I need gaiters over approach shoes or lightweight hiking shoes. I like these gaiters because they're light and non-bulky when stuffed in the pack yet effective in keeping snow or vegetation out when I need them. Unlike the first reviewer's experience, my pair has stood up to plenty of abuse in what I would guess to be 25 or 30 days of use. I've found I prefer short gaiters over tall gaiters most of the year because they let my legs breathe so much better.

Comments about Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain Low Gaiters:

First off, they don't fit like in the picture, at least mine didn't. It seems that OR uses a really strange pattern for making these gaiters. I purchased them thinking they would be a nice, heavier duty alternative my great REI Desert Gaiters. But after trying them on at home I took them back.

The way they fit looks like two black puffballs around the ankles. I can't imagine what the purpose is of all the extra material. I could however imagine them snagging on all kinds of things, plus catching occasionally on the opposite boot heel while walking.

I'm sure if I spent a little time with a pair of scissors and a sewing machine I could fix the problems, but I didn't want go to that trouble.

What OR should do, heck, what REI should do, is make a slightly heavier-fabric gaiter using the same pattern as the Desert Gaiters.

Comments about Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain Low Gaiters:

I own a pair of the Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain Low Gaiters (black, L/XL) and wear them with a pair of Inov-8 RocLite 400 GTX boots. I used them this year for hiking in the mountains of Japan. They worked great all summer. Probably their best success story was coming down the "sand slide" Gotenba trail on Mount Fuji. The trail is nothing but volcanic dirt with nearly beach like consistency and it stretches for several kilometers. You come down the trail pretty aggressively, kind of sliding/riding down the sand. My OR gaiters didn't let in a single pebble the whole way. They also performed well on a number of other hikes in muddy, wet, sandy, rocky and other rainy conditions.

I want to emphasize that I would never wear a gaiter with some hope that it would keep my feet dry. Water will find it's way in and I would rather have a nice breathable product. I wear gaiters to prevent debris from entering my shoe and for no other reason.

That said, the design has a critical flaw. Halfway through a trek across Japan, the rubber coating on the canvas/nylon strap wore off, exposing the strap's fibers. Under the elements of moisture and trail abrasion the straps on both gaiters broke in half. Without this underfoot strap I could find no way, despite some efforts at improvisation, to keep the gaiters below the top of my boot. Debris and rocks entered the boot without this feature and I put them in the bottom of my pack for the rest of the trip.

I really like all other features of the gaiter. The Velcro is super strong and I like the overlapping security. The elastic bands top and bottom are super strong and never loosened. I would recommend a couple other options for the strap. One would be a strong leather strap that could be oiled and waterproofed for resiliency. Another would be a metal wire or metal spring type design that could take some abuse. If they did that I would keep these forever. I made some suggestions on the OR website, but in the meantime this model is going back.

Comments about Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain Low Gaiters:

I bought these for hiking use in warm weather - for protection from dust/rocks and bugs. Although the breathability is not great, they're much cooler than wearing my full-length OR gore-tex croc gaiters. Also the material (though not waterproof) is at least water-resistant (will keep you try in light rain, but not when crossing a river). In general they do everything they're supposed to in terms of performance, but there are a couple drawbacks that are leading me to look for an alternative. First, the elastic band at the top of the gaiters is very tight. I am a very small woman (5'3" 118 lbs) and don't have unusually thick calves, so it is hard for me to imagine these aren't tight on most people. They cut off my circulation and cause swelling in my ankles. One quick fix I discovered is not to fully fasten them all the way up to the top - you can just close the velcro to about 3/4 of the way up, and can usually still use the tab at the top to secure them. The second thing I don't like about these is the straps under the shoes are not well placed for my light hiking shoes. They might be perfectly placed for full-on hiking/backpacking boots, but they fall smack dab in the middle of the heel (not in the space between the heel and the ball of the foot as they are supposed to) and as a result they get dragged in the mud and often come off (slide up the back of my boot). As a result of both these factors I'm going to look for another pair. I just bought the OR Flex Tech gaiters and am hopeful they will do the trick.

Comments about Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain Low Gaiters:

Our scout troop went on a differant type of a campout where we pulled handcarts which were about 800 pounds each. Every night everyone else had to pull stickers and other thing out of their socks and clean the feet from the dirt on them but my feet had minimal dirt on them

Comments about Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain Low Gaiters:

I tried on every gaiter at the store and settled on these OR Rocky Mountain Low Gaiters. They perform wonderfully at keeping my feet dry and free of debris. I never have to stop to shake a rock out of my boot or shoe any more!

These gaiters have seen a lot of abuse over 2 years. I've worn them for hiking and backpacking in snow and mud, through creeks, along the ocean shore, on hot days, and bushwacking off-trail. They still perform.

If you plan to do a lot of mountaineering, I'd suggest getting the crocodiles for the added coverage and durability needed when using crampons.

Comments about Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain Low Gaiters:

What else can i say... "So So" they work well keeping snow out of your boots but they are too short for anything serious. They are comfortable but they slide down your calf a bit. They seem tough but I don't wear them enough to really know. They are mildly water resistant but don't hold up when the going gets real wet. They are cheep and probably worth the money but I don't think they are really worth it unless you like to wear these things with shorts on to keep dirt, mud, pine needles or whatever out of your boot.