User Review: Outdoor Research Men's Crocodiles

I probably wore these gaiters for over 900 hours. During that time, I beat the hell out of them, testing them in a wide variety of conditions in every season.

I first bought these gaiters to wear them while I worked in the bush. Let me tell you, their fit is increadible. I didn't realise how well their gaiters fit until I tried to replace them. I wore them with Sorel winter boots, steel toe work boots, but mostly with Gronell Elaho backpacking boots.

When worn with shorts, on a hot day, these gaiters provide enough protection to keep your lower legs looking pretty (no matter what you are trapsing through), while being light enough to minimise the amount your legs will sweat. Not too heavy, not too light. Almost everything about these gaitars is class A.

However, they don't get a five stars. These gaiter claim to be 'bomb-proof', yet they are laying in shreds in a dump somewhere. I was extremely hard on them (wore them for two seasons of tree planting, among other things). Here is the order of their destruction:

- The seams around the velcro on the front all broke. This was inevitable, but they could have lasted longer. I re-sewed them with fishing line (that broke too, eventually).

- The straps that go under the boot wore through and broke. If you're wearing these in any season other than winter, slide some climbing webbing over the straps.

- Sharp sticks tore through the top. The material was tough, but a little too light for what I was putting it through.

Eventually, both gaiters were in tatters. For normal use (ie. hiking, trekking, winter, etc) I think they would hold up.