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DARK TAUPE

REI Desert Gaiters

$12.83
$26.50^*

REDUCED PRICE You Save 51%

(20)

Item # 803452

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The low-cut REI Desert gaiters ensure protection from debris while you hike, trek or run in the heat of summer.

Designed to fit trail-running shoes, light hiking boots and outdoor cross-training shoes
Lightweight, breathable nylon fabric has a soft, supple hand
Fabric provides UPF 30 sun protection, shielding skin from harmful ultraviolet rays
Overlapping rip-and-stick front closures allow quick, easy adjustments
Elastic at top and bottom openings provides a comfortable, flexible fit
REI Desert gaiters have lace hooks and instep cords to secure the gaiters in place

Gaiter sizes fit U.S. boot sizes as follows:

Small/Medium fits men's sizes 5 - 9 and women's sizes 6.5 - 10
Large/X Large fits men's sizes 9 - 14 and women's sizes 10 and up

Imported.

Item 803452

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REI Desert Gaiters Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

REI Desert Gaiters

2.9

(based on 20 reviews)

55%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Lightweight (16)
Breathable (12)
Versatile (6)
Durable (5)
Good size/fit (5)

Cons

Poor fit (10)
Wears out quickly (3)

Best Uses

- Sizing:
- Feels too small
  
  76%
  (13 reviews)
  Feels true to size
  
  Feels too large

- Reviewer Profile:
- Avid adventurer (12), Casual/ recreational (5)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (16)

Reviewed by 20 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-10

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Jun

2013

1.0

Great Concept - Poor Execution

By DJBQBWB

from Twin Cities, MN

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Lightweight

Cons

Poor Fit
Wears Out Quickly

Best Uses

Comments about REI Desert Gaiters:

Bought these for MN tick season. I wear them over hiking pants. The top is very tight - I bought the large. The hook broke off of one of them on the 4th wear and the shoelace that goes under your boot is gone after the 5th. Not REI quality.

Comment on this review

Jun

2013

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Does It's Job

By CatchNRelease

from Southern California

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Durable
Lightweight
Versatile

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about REI Desert Gaiters:

These gaiters do a great job at keeping dirt/rocks from getting into my boot and prickly weeds from getting stuck into my hiking socks. The gaiters go on easy and stay in place. I haven't had to use the instep cords to keep the gaiters from riding up. Like others have mentioned they seem to run small in size. I tried a similar product on at my local REI so I knew the L/XL would work for me before I ordered them. I can see these not working or being very difficult to put on if you are at the high end of the shoe size range for the L/XL sizing.

Does a great job for the price.

Comment on this review

Dec

2012

1.0

Horrible Fit

By Xixonhiker

from Washington DC

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Cons

Poor Fit

Best Uses

Comments about REI Desert Gaiters:

I oowned these Gaitewrs for 5 minutes. Had the Large size and did not fit. They run extremely small. So if you are a tall/big hiker skip it.

Comment on this review

Dec

2012

(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Work for me

By Ralph Bogus

from Louisville, CO

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Keep Stuff Out
Lightweight
Versatile

Cons

Best Uses

Hiking

Comments about REI Desert Gaiters:

I wear these perhaps 200 times/year. On my 2nd pair, which lasts me perhaps 3 years. This version is better than the ones a few years ago, albeit a little hotter. I use them for hiking, trail running and mtn biking. The instep tie wears out (much better than the old version) over time, so I just use vinyl coated steel wire as a replacement. I wear these over low tops, so no fitting problems.

Comment on this review

Jun

2012

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

2.0

Quality product, horrible fit

By Vernal hiker

from Vernal, UT

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Lightweight

Cons

Poor Fit

Best Uses

Comments about REI Desert Gaiters:

This was my first attempt at using light weight gators for summer hiking and I was extremely excited when I purchased them. They were quality made, light weight, and breathable, all the qualities I was looking for. However, when I got them home and tried to put them on I realized that the top does not fit. Even when I slid the top down to the skinniest part of my ankle (I am an average sized guy) I could still barely snap the button at the top and they squeezed my ankle a lot. I am unable to use them without cutting off circulation in my feet. REI needs to make a bigger size.

Comment on this review

Jun

2012

(5 of 5 customers found this review helpful)

3.0

Does the job, but.......

By John S 5280

from Denver CO

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Lightweight
Versatile

Cons

Poor fit and finish
Unnecessary parts

Best Uses

HikingBackpacking

Comments about REI Desert Gaiters:

For years, I have been kicking dirt and rocks down the back of boots...Not anymore!! Usually, I am pulling my boots off every hour and dumping debris out of them; now, even after 9-10 hours hours of hiking, I am not nor am I dealing with untied shoe laces (added bonus). Also, the price is perfect, and I got them to work with a pair of Vibram Five Fingers as well ;).

However, these are the typical imported garbage when it comes to certain aspects of the product. Like many other reviewers have said, they run small and bunch up. Unlike other reviewers, I was able to make them work with my size 13 feet and big calves. The key was to muscle them a little and cinch them low about the sock just above the ankle. Sure it was bunched up like that, but it still kept the crud out of my boots. They need to make them more fit friendly to those with bigger feet and just retool the cut so they aren't so bunchy.

Just looking at them, I knew the laces weren't going to last and I immediately threw them out (extra weight if you are an ultrlighter anyways). After a 50 mile trip, they never ran up and still worked on both the boots and the VFFs. Rei can save a few cents, ditch the laces and the metal grommets (more weight).

Bottom line: They get 3 stars. They certainly could be improved massively to be a great product, but they do the job and that's the most important thing. So, if you want a lightweight, breathable, and fair priced gaiter for summer hiking, this is your ticket.

Comment on this review

Apr

2012

1.0

REI needs to reevaluate this product

By TroopOneNine

from Fort Wayne, Indiana

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Cons

Poor Fit

Best Uses

Comments about REI Desert Gaiters:

Picked these up for my Philmont adventure. Immediately realized they are waay too small. I am average guy, size 11 shoes, not a large ankle/calf. They were so small that I could barely get the velcro to connect. Not sure what REi is think here. perhaps these should be children's sizes :) Returned to store for refund and another brand.

Comment on this review

Apr

2012

2.0

Nice but runs small

By toddfedak

from Smithfield, Pa

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Lightweight
Simple

Cons

Lace grommet location
LXL too small
Needs snaps at both ends
Poor Fit

Best Uses

Comments about REI Desert Gaiters:

I bought these to replace an order model where the REI label became gummy, and I made a mess of trying to remove the remainder. My older ones fit fine, but these would barely fit over the tops of my Keen Targhee II boots. I had to keep the gaiter less than an inch from the top and they frequently popped over even with the lacing under the boot. The lacing grommets are too close to the front, The hook will keep the front down, the back is where they tend to ride up.

I did like the front velcro as opposed a back entry, it's simpler when you aren't looking for the weather protection back entry offers. Even the top of the gaiter would barely go over my ankle with pants underneath. A snap up top would have helped take the stress off the velcro. The lace hook is opposite of every other pair of gaiters I have had in the past, not a major issue, and the under lace method is undoubtedly more secure (had I been able to get the hook down far enough)

I bought these mainly to keep debris out of my boots on steep slopes, and for protection from evil ticks.

With more reasonable sizing, moving the grommets back, and possibly a snap at the top these would be fantastic.

For the record my ankle circumference is 10" (bare nekkid) and the top of my boot is 15" while it would require about 18" to be at a usual gaiter placement.

Comment on this review

Apr

2012

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

2.0

Not Durable Enough, Poor Design Elements

By minnichds

from San Diego, CA

About Me Professional/Guide

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Lightweight
Protects Bootlaces

Cons

Design Flaws
Wears Out Quickly

Best Uses

Comments about REI Desert Gaiters:

BACKSTORY: I am a field biologist working in chaparral/coastal sage scrub/deserts of southern California. Daily I spend several hours at work hiking, usually off trail, usually strenuous bushwacking.

I went into my local REI store this weekend looking for a solution to what has recently become the bane of my existence everyday at work, constantly having my shoelaces untied. While these absolutely did the trick and my laces were still tied at the end of the day with significantly less debris (not free, but pretty good) in my boots I found them performing less than awesome in other areas.

Within the first hour of day one with these, the REI logos completely came off of both gaiters in the pair, which is not something I am at all concerned with, but an anecdote to their construction and something that the marketers at corporate might care about. By the end of day 1, I had a few small holes in the gaitors where seed pods had pierced the fabric, a thread seam coming undone on the sides, and the "shoelaces" adhering them to the bottom of the boot had long come undone. Nooooooo!

its now day 3 and I have lost/misplaced both of those laces, but this hasn't been a problem for me yet in terms of having the gaitors "ride up" as the elastic along the bottom seems to be pretty tight and theres a hook to your bootlaces near your toes. I say good riddance to those laces, as they seem like they would've worn out and snapped pretty fast anyway on the bottom of my boots from grinding away at gravel, stone, and brush.

Another design flaw I see with these gaitors is the velcro closure system in the front. for me the material bunches up in the front (probably due to poor sizing/fit -too tight on my calves, see other commenters reviews-) causing the velcro strips to spread apart and open. I see problems happening with zippers too, so maybe a snap button system in addition to velcro would be better? REI design team, Don't forget to also work on replacing those laces with something more durable.

I think these would be fine for casual desert hikers, and that's probably who they were intended for, but definitely didn't work for me, so i will be taking them back this week.

Comment on this review

Feb

2012

(2 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

2.0

light duty only!

By rm901

from Laurel, MD

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Good Fit
Lightweight

Cons

Wears Out Quickly

Best Uses

Casual Wear

Comments about REI Desert Gaiters:

These gaiters are fine for light duty, but they don't hold up to bushwhacking. These gaiters wear out quickly in woods. The material tears easily in briars. The hook snags on briars. The cord breaks after a few trips.

If you want low gaiters that hold up and fit well, get the OR Bugout gaiters.