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MEC
Nylon Gaiters
Owner Review by Andrea Murland
October 12, 2011
Tester Information
| Name: |
Andrea Murland |
| Email: |
amurland AT
shaw DOT ca |
| Age: |
26 |
| Location: |
Rossland,
British Columbia, Canada |
| Gender: |
Female |
| Height: |
5 ft 2 in (1.57
m) |
| Weight: |
125 lb (57 kg) |
I began hiking frequently in 2006 and have
since hiked in Western Canada, Australia, and spent 2 months
backpacking in the Alps. I spend most weekends either day-hiking or on
2-3 day backpacking trips, with some longer trips when I can manage
them. I also snowshoe and ski in the winter, but don’t have a lot of
experience with winter in the backcountry yet. Elevation is typically
500-3,000 m (1,600-10,000 ft), in the Canadian Rockies and the Selkirk,
Purcell, and Monashee ranges. I try for a light pack, but I don’t
consider myself a lightweight backpacker.
Image Courtesy of MEC
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Product
Information
| Manufacturer: |
Mountain
Equipment Co-op (MEC) |
| Manufacturer's
URL: |
www.mec.ca
|
| Year of
Manufacture: |
2007 |
| Model: |
Nylon Gaiters |
| MSRP: |
CAD 15.00
|
| Sizes
Available: |
Small, Large |
| Size Reviewed: |
Small |
| Colours
Available: |
Black, Blue #3,
Sage/Black
|
| Colour
Reviewed: |
Black |
| Listed Weight: |
240 g (8.5 oz)
size Large
|
| Measured
Weight: |
220 g (7.8 oz)
|
| Measured
Height: |
39 cm (15.4 in)
|
| Measured
Circumference: |
43 cm (16.9 in)
at the top
|
Description
The MEC Nylon Gaiters are basic, nylon, knee-high gaiters. They are
constructed from waterproof packcloth in the lower section and nylon in
the upper section. The gaiters close with a full-length plastic zipper
with a metal zipper pull. The zipper is covered by a flap which fastens
with three snaps, at the bottom, top, and middle. There is elastic
at ankle-height as well as at the bottom of the gaiters. At the front
(at the bottom) of the gaiters there is a metal hook for keeping the
gaiters forward to the front of the laces on my boots. The top of the
gaiters have a drawcord with a cord-lock to snug them up around my
legs. At the bottom of the gaiters, on either side, are metal grommets,
which are connected together with a tied lace. This lace goes under the
bottom of my boots to keep the gaiters from riding up.
Field
Conditions
I purchased the MEC Nylon Gaiters in early 2007 prior to heading to
Australia. Over the past 4.5 years I have used them a lot. In Australia
I used them on one overnight trip as well as several dayhikes to keep
my legs dry in wet weather and from being scratched on the unfamiliar
bushes. In 2008 I used them mostly in the Alps when I was backpacking
(the hiking kind) for two months. They were used there mostly to keep
snow out of my boots early in the season but also in the rain to help
keep my boots and socks dry. As a rough estimate, I probably hiked
about 10 days in them there. In 2009, 2010, and 2011 I’ve continued
using the gaiters while dayhiking in wet weather, early season snow,
late season snow, and while snowshoeing. A rough guess would be about
10 more days. I have also used them for two days of cave rescue
training to keep cave mud out of my boots. I usually have my gaiters in
my pack if I don’t have them on when I’m out with Search and Rescue in
the bush. So, as a very rough estimate I’ve probably used these
gaiters for about 30 days of hiking or snowshoeing.
2007 to 2011 - Hiking in the MEC Nylon Gaiters
across 3 continents
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Review
The MEC Nylon Gaiters have served me well for the past 4.5 years. I
consider them an essential part of my kit. I rarely go on a Search
& Rescue mission or a backpacking trip without them.
Fit
The small size gaiters fit me well. They come up to just below my
knees. The elastic around the bottom of the gaiters is a snug fit on my
boots, but not too tight.
When I put each gaiter on, I slip my toe into the loop of the
under-boot lace and then do up the zipper and the snaps. Then I hook
the metal lace-loop onto my boot laces as far forward as my boots
allow. Finally, I tighten the drawcord at the top of the gaiter. I
prefer to wear the gaiters with the zippers on the outside of my legs
so that the flaps covering the zippers aren’t rubbing on each other as
I walk, and I tuck the tail of the drawcord lace inside the top of the
gaiter so that it’s not flapping around.
Occasionally, over many hours, usually in thick brush or other
conditions where there is a lot of friction on the gaiters, they will
slip down towards my ankles. It really only happens when I’m wearing
pants, since with shorts on I’d feel the slipping. This exposes
slightly more of my pants but doesn’t really impact the function of the
gaiters.
Function
The Nylon Gaiters do an excellent job as a basic gaiter. I use them
mainly for keeping snow, muck, or water from coming in the top of my
boots or onto my socks, keeping my feet dry from the top. Although they
are not perfectly waterproof, I only notice leakage when I’m in such a
downpour that everything else that I own is also leaking, at which
point the water could really be coming from just about anywhere.
The zipper can be a bit sticky if it’s full of mud, but I have a habit
of rinsing the gaiters off after a particularly mucky trip (so they’re
not getting mud everywhere in my house), and a quick rinse of the
zippers is enough to clear it. In general the flaps covering the zipper
do a decent job of keeping muck out of the zipper except under the
worst conditions. I’ve never had an issue with the zipper at all. The
snaps have gotten harder and harder to do up over the years that I’ve
used the gaiters, particularly the middle snaps, and there are days
when I’ve had to leave a snap or two undone because I just couldn’t get
it to work.
Since these gaiters are made from simple nylon and packcloth with no
fancy membranes or coatings, I have had no hesitation throwing them in
my regular wash, hanging them to dry, and occasionally boosting the
water repellence with a standard off-the-shelf waterproofing product
for non-technical garments. It’s nice to have a functional piece of
gear that doesn’t require special treatment in the wash.
Durability
These gaiters are still in GREAT condition. Some of the black coating
has come off the snaps, and the laces on the drawcords and the
under-boot laces are a bit fuzzy, but otherwise they look almost as
good as new. No loose threads even. The waterproof coating on the inside
of the lower section is a bit worn, but hasn’t cracked.
Summary
The MEC Nylon Gaiters are simple knee-height gaiters that do a great
job of keeping snow, mud, and water off and out of my hiking boots.
They have never caused me any problems, have performed well, and have
stood up well to abuse. I consider them an essential part of my hiking
kit.
Thumbs Up:
Simple product
Easy to wash and re-waterproof
Great durability
Thumbs Down:
Not completely waterproof
Snaps hard to do up
Read more gear reviews by Andrea Murland
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