Mountain Hardwear Ascent Gaiter

They still look new. 68 Miles in a month and they are still in Great condition. In rustic terrain and unforgiving conditions they have held their own.

What I enjoy most about these Gaiters: 1) Simplicity. Keeping it simple with an adjustable Synthetic Leather step in strap and lace hook makes putting them on in the dawns early light a cinch. Once you have adjusted the strap to fit your boot it needs no further adjustments. The Velcro on the front is great. There is a lot of bad Velcro out there but not on these! The top strap does move down your leg when you begin hiking, maybe a half an inch or so, but no rubbing or chafing is associated with this as long as I have equipped them.

2) Completely Element proof. I don't plan to use these gaiters for just winter/ rainy weather backpacking trips. A good pair of gaiters should have no problem with keeping your boots dry from snow and mud. I bought them PRIMARILY to keep pesky debris and rocks out of my shoes when I'm hiking. I plan to wear them throughout all four seasons. In other words, you will not see me on the trail without them unless they prove to be completely irrespirable, which I do not suspect.

Bringing me to my next point...

3) Their ability to breath makes them so comfortable. The 3 layer Conduit works great. A good pair of Gaiters should be invisible on your persons. Sure you can feel them on your legs, but what you're not feeling is the most important aspect of equipping yourself with gaiters. Bottom line: No excess sweat or chafing.

You can go with the "fancy" zippered gaiters that allows the hiker to unzip a portion to make them ultra breathable. I find this unnecessary. A good pair of gaiters should breath well and keep your boots and bottom of your pants safe from all elements (not just precipitation). That's just what these gaiters do.

Also I have seen on my buddies Mountain Hardware Ascent Ventigaiter has an issue with the strap being too short and too weak which could be a manufacturer defect.