Gaiters? For rain?

[Pen]

For both ds and me, for PNW much rain, occasional snow, winter use. 

In past years we have had Bog or Muck boots. (And a couple of years SWAT boots). Ds grew out of his and mine have cracks in the feet so no longer waterproof  

 I am wondering about trying something like Altra Lone Peak Neoshell (fairly waterproof) with high waterproof gaiters  (not Altra short debris gaiters).  We already own the Altras and they are comfortable. The question is, do gaiters keep out rain?  Are they too hard to put on for multi times per day use?  

We would also have local farm store type cheap PVC rubber boots for occasional deluge conditions  — but that’s not good for lots of walking.    Nor at this stage of my life am I comfortable walking much in Bogs type boots.

One  thing I really do like in my old Bogs though is easy and fast on /off .  With tops folded down I can step in without my hands and get them off by holding the heel of one with the toes of the other foot. 

Also, has anyone successfully fixed boot cracks with plumbers putty, gorilla glue, or that sort of thing?

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Gaiters work fine to keep out the rain. At least the ones I  am thinking of, which are made out of Gortex.   They are kind of a pain to put on and off, though  

I live in the PNW and honestly most rain isn’t the “soak right through you” kind.   Being a city dweller, I do fine with good quality athletic shoes that have been waterproofed. For hiking I prefer waterproofed hiking boots  

 

Edited October 21, 2018 by Jean in Newcastle
Typo

[Pen]

25 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Gaiters work fine to keep out the rain. At least the ones I  am thinking of, which are made out of Gortex.   They are kind of a pain to put on and off, though  

I live in the PNW and honestly most rain isn’t the “soak right through you” kind.   Being a city dweller, I do fine with good quality athletic shoes that have been waterproofed. For hiking I prefer waterproofed hiking boots  

 

 

We are rural and in a particularly wet area. I hear you though. I think I’ll get one pair gaiters to try before investing in more expensive boots. 

[wintermom]

Yes! They are excellent for that. Heavy-duty gaiters are good. I don't think you need to spend the big bucks. You could even make them yourself.

The gortex ones can be very expensive, and frankly are not really necessary. It's a money grab for what they are. Find some fabric and sew in a strip of velcro right up the front for ease of getting in and out. Fasten something on the bottom to keep them from from riding up the leg, and perhaps something at the top to keep them from sliding down the leg. 

Thrifty Norwegians made and used gaiters for eons. There is no "magic" about them. Heck, they even used birchbark (birchlegs - birkebeiner) in the military long ago. The birkebeiner soldiers skiing with the baby prince over the mountains to save his life, for example. This is the history of the famous Birkebeiner ski race finishing in Lillehammer, Norway. Lots of other places hold their own Birkebeiner ski races.

Edited October 21, 2018 by wintermom

[wintermom]

1 hour ago, Pen said:

Also, has anyone successfully fixed boot cracks with plumbers putty, gorilla glue, or that sort of thing?

Try bringing them to a shoe repair place. They can do wonders, and they're usually very inexpensive compared to the cost of new footwear.

[Rachel]

17 hours ago, wintermom said:

 

Thrifty Norwegians made and used gaiters for eons. There is no "magic" about them. Heck, they even used birchbark (birchlegs - birkebeiner) in the military long ago. The birkebeiner soldiers skiing with the baby prince over the mountains to save his life, for example. This is the history of the famous Birkebeiner ski race finishing in Lillehammer, Norway. Lots of other places hold their own Birkebeiner ski races.

Thanks for this tidbit! I participated in a Birkebeiner race as a kid and knew it had a Norwegian influence but didn’t know the story. 

[wintermom]

5 hours ago, Rachel said:

Thanks for this tidbit! I participated in a Birkebeiner race as a kid and knew it had a Norwegian influence but didn’t know the story. 

I skied the actual Birkebeiner in Norway. It was such a thrill! Well, the first part skiing up the mountain before the crowd had thinned out wasn't fun, but everything else was amazing. There are people who have huts/cabins all along the trail, and they come out to the ski course, make snow benches and set up drink stations and cheer everyone on. It's the best! Then we finished up the the Olympic arena in Lillehammer - that was 1994 right after the Winter Olympics were held in Lillehammer. Talk about a "bucket list" achievement, mostly because I actually finished the full 52km!

Edited October 22, 2018 by wintermom

[KungFuPanda]

I’m just gonna eavesdrop because Maryland has decided to give the PNW a run for it’s money. We’ve had 53+ inches this year. ☹️ I might as well resign myself and get some real boots to keep my socks dry. I’ve been getting by for decades with hiking boots or Lands End Mocs, but they’re not really up to trudging through puddles or snowdrifts while keeping my feet dry and warm. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

34 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

I’m just gonna eavesdrop because Maryland has decided to give the PNW a run for it’s money. We’ve had 53+ inches this year. ☹️ I might as well resign myself and get some real boots to keep my socks dry. I’ve been getting by for decades with hiking boots or Lands End Mocs, but they’re not really up to trudging through puddles or snowdrifts while keeping my feet dry and warm. 

Seattle averages 37.49 inches of rain a year.  So you more than surpassed us.  There is this persistent myth that we get rain all the time which is not true.  It is certainly cloudy a lot but we get tons of days when it is just intermittent showers and those showers are often drizzles.  Not that we don't ever have downpours.  We do get those too.  But just not all the time.

[Targhee]

I love gaiters for moving through wet brush, to keep snow out of my ski boots/socks, but I’d take muck boots for daily PNW work outside because they also insulate and they clean up easier than gaiters 

Edited terrible typing mistakes ?

Edited October 23, 2018 by Targhee