For those of you who wear hikers with gaiters what works best a mid or higher boot. I am leaning towards this setup for more foot support because of my bone spurs. I do not want to give up my running and gunning. Thanks
I wear ankle boots with mine.
I wear a 8" boot with mine.
Been wearing gaiters with ankle high boots for 10 years. Not every day though. Only when it is wet, seems some wear them every day now, I do not see the need most of the time.
I have First Lite gaiters. Don't wear em too crazy often, but wore em today after damn near stepping on a coral snake. But I wear first lite gaiters with Kennetrek boots. They are nice and quiet and comfortable. I honestly forget they are there.
Wore Kennetrek gaiters with 6" boot last year for first time, worked great, didn't notice them at all. I'm sold on gaitors now but will using 8" boots this year. I need the ankle support going up and down hills.
Quote from: Dtrkyman on March 19, 2023, 03:25:28 PM
Been wearing gaiters with ankle high boots for 10 years. Not every day though. Only when it is wet, seems some wear them every day now, I do not see the need most of the time.
I've never done gaiters for turkey hunting just western big game. But I feel this is the mentality needed. I wrestle with wearing them but I don't have many deep creeks and very few fields that I hunt. In those situations I've got my rubber boots on. But I do prefer the comfort of a hiker.
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Quote from: TurkeyReaper69 on March 19, 2023, 04:01:56 PM
I have First Lite gaiters. Don't wear em too crazy often, but wore em today after damn near stepping on a coral snake. But I wear first lite gaiters with Kennetrek boots. They are nice and quiet and comfortable. I honestly forget they are there.
look like a nice gaiter but their not snake proof are they? I hunt a place at times that has timber rattlers but have only seen 2 over the years. Must of woke you up quick!
I wear a snake gaiter over my 8 inch danners .
Baseline snake guards .. they also aid in keeping your Lower legs dry from wet grass etc.
I keep them sprayed with tick repellent and silicon spray .
Quote from: Howieg on March 19, 2023, 10:12:51 PM
I wear a snake gaiter over my 8 inch danners .
:agreed:
Sprayed with Sawyers too.
8" hiker with knee high Gore Tex gaiter in black. Very unfashionable but effective in wet grass etc. No snakes where I hunt so I happily skip them when the woods are dry.
Quote from: Old Timer on March 19, 2023, 05:53:39 PM
Quote from: TurkeyReaper69 on March 19, 2023, 04:01:56 PM
I have First Lite gaiters. Don't wear em too crazy often, but wore em today after damn near stepping on a coral snake. But I wear first lite gaiters with Kennetrek boots. They are nice and quiet and comfortable. I honestly forget they are there.
look like a nice gaiter but their not snake proof are they? I hunt a place at times that has timber rattlers but have only seen 2 over the years. Must of woke you up quick!
Not snake gaiters unfortunately. Still gives me a little more peace of mind. Definitely looking into picking up a pair of snake gaiters in future.
This will be my 3rd year with mid-height hikers and Snake Guard by Crackshot. I actually find them more comfortable than knee high snake boots. They are lightweight and are easy on and off. I am paranoid with regards to snakes but I have seen a couple rattlers here in WV while hunting to add to the fear. Too late once bitten,
I hunt in areas with alot of greenbriars and get tires of my boot laces caught. So i wear my gaiters almost everytime I'm hunting. Now sometimes late season if its really hot i will leave them in the truck but not very often. I wore my crispy summits every day last year and they are an 8" boot. Ive also wore them with a pair of low top ariat hikers and never had a problem wearing gaiters with them as well.
Second season with 6" hikers and gaiters. I have a cheap amazon pair "Freelaxy" and found kenetreks on sale. I like them both equally.
Keeps you dry, adds a layer of briar protection, keeps your pants from getting muddy and frayed, and honestly adds a bit of a wind brake to your lower legs to keep you warm. I noticed this immediately yesterday while wearing them during a 3D shoot with a thin pair of pants in the cold wind.
Gaiters work pretty well with any height boots, just wear what is most comfortable for you.
When turkey hunting I tend to wear knee boots and sometimes snake boots (for peace of mind depending on where I hunt). I picked up some low-height first lite gaiters that I wear with hiking boots for keeping ticks out during summer work. I keep them permethrin treated along with my clothes and the combo works well for tick defense. I'm considering going with this combo now for turkey hunting cuz it's lighter and faster. The downside is that these gaiters aren't water or snake proof. However, they are quiet and don't swoosh against each other when walking like some of the waterproof type gaiters.
I recently bought a pair of Snake Gaiters directly from Dan's Hunting Gear and wore them recently. They are a little warm, but not as hot as snake boots. I intend to wear them, along with hiking boots, instead of snake boots from now on. You can buy them directly from Dan's if you call the number on the website. Amazon has them listed, but they are cheaper from Dan's and they are Made in the USA.
I run Keen Targhee lows or Salomon Ultra X lows with Kenetrek hunting gaiters. I've worn this from Georgia Turkey hunting to Colorado elk. So much lighter than heavy boots, very waterproof, and my legs aren't completely thrashed at the end of the day. Ankle support is nice but if you work to strengthen your ankles and lower legs, it's not that important. People hunted for thousands of years without heavy, ankle supporting boots.
My 2 cents
Sidenote: BlackOvis is where I bought my Kenetrek gaiters. The price is good, free shipping and you can break the payment into 4's with PayPal Pay in 4 if you don't want to drop $60 straight up.
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Thanks for all the replies guys! The last 3 years I have owned but never hunted with them Keene and Murrells.
Neither one I believe would give me the support I need. The Keenes I gave away as I felt every rock and pebble I stepped on . The Murrells are my light trail hikers dirt road etc. Not much in boot stores around here that carry a good boot that will take some abuse. I`m taking a trip to a Lowa dealer soon. I`ll see how that pans out. Also Meindel has caught my eye. I would like to stay in the 300-350 range.
I hunt different terrain mostly rolling hills and some mountains. I`ll let you know what my search comes up with. Good day.
Quote from: Old Timer on March 23, 2023, 02:40:38 PM
Thanks for all the replies guys! The last 3 years I have owned but never hunted with them Keene and Murrells.
Neither one I believe would give me the support I need. The Keenes I gave away as I felt every rock and pebble I stepped on . The Murrells are my light trail hikers dirt road etc. Not much in boot stores around here that carry a good boot that will take some abuse. I`m taking a trip to a Lowa dealer soon. I`ll see how that pans out. Also Meindel has caught my eye. I would like to stay in the 300-350 range.
I hunt different terrain mostly rolling hills and some mountains. I`ll let you know what my search comes up with. Good day.
I started out with those boot brands also. After I got out of construction work I bought a pair of Zamberlans from REI. Then I found another pair on sale. Then I found where a store was going out of business and bought two more pairs lol. I got those for $100 each. They fit my feet really well. I think Lowas are a more narrow fit. Once you get into the higher end stuff just find what brand fits you the best and go with that. I really like full grain leather boots.
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I've found the Crispi Summits to be a good mix of comfort support and light weight. I've had mine since this time last year and I have put a ton of miles on them. I clocked 50 miles in one week in Colorado looking for mule deer. I wear keens for work and they make a great comfortable boot for flat walking. I need more support than they can provide in steep ground.
I'm a big fan of Oboz for my hiking boot needs. I run them without gaiters in early season for deer (Sept/Oct). I use the First Lite Brambler gaiters with my muck boots in spring/summer when scouting and it's muddy. The gaiters keep my pants and boots pretty clean and free of debris.
Thanks for the replies. A lot to consider. Right now I am thinking hikers and gaiters.
I just bought a set of Lowa Renegade gtx from Moosejaw. They had a 20% off 1 item deal.
I'm also a fan of Oboz. I wear their tamarack shoes for work. I get 2 years out of a set and waterproofing stays good. I was going to get a set of bridgers until I saw the 20% deal on the Lowas.
I have a set of buckwell?? gaiters from amazon that have far exceeded my expectations for the price.
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I use these with my boots and they are great. No complaints, well made, and low cost.
Extremus Buckwell Leg Gaiters, Waterproof Boot Gaiters for Hiking, Hunting and Walking, Breathable Mountain Climbing Gaiters for Men & Women https://a.co/d/iBIbYet
I have a buddy that went to merrell hikers and kenetrek gaiters last year and he swears by them. He said he's able to cross creeks quickly and his feet stay dry and heavy fields covered with due no longer soak him from knee down. I abandoned my rubber boots two years ago due to breathability and only use them now when I know I'm headed into a marshy or well saturated area. I'm going to give gaiters a try with my hiking boots once they come in.
Well will see how all this goes. Tried 2 pairs of Murrells not bad but ordered a pair of Kenetrek Carriers 7 inch boot figured they would give me more support.