Gaitors – Can be an important accessory for hiking
MEC Nylon Gaitor
Although we generally think gaitors are use for cross country skiing, snowshoeing and climbing, they also can be used for hiking. Some of the advantages in using them are – keeping water, dirt, mud, rocks, sand, stickers out. They provide also protection from branches and plants. If you are hiking in wet weather, gaitors are a necessity. I forgot mine the other day when hiking Cape Smokey but something tells me soon I will be using them again while hiking.
Gaitors can be found in most outdoor stores and at many online outdoor companies such as MEC, REI, LL BEAN, Backcountry.com and so forth. Prices range from $15.00 to $79.00. The gaitor picture above is a MEC Nylon gaitor available for $15.00. The bottom half of the gaitor is waterproof and the top is breathable nylon.