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Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain High Packcloth Gaiters
Field Report - March 24, 2004
Contents
Reviewer Information [return to top]
Name: Chuck Kime
Nickname: Fuzzy
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 8" (1.72 m)
Weight: 229 lb (104 kg)
Shoe size: 8½ EEE US
Inseam: 30-32” (76-81 cm), depending on shoes
Email address: ckime AT nelsononline DOT com
City, State, Country: Norwood (Philadelphia suburb), PA, U.S.A.
Date: March 24, 2004
Product Information [return to top]
Manufacturer: Outdoor Research
Model: Rocky Mountain High Packcloth Gaiters
Year of Manufacture: 2003
URL: http://www.orgear.com
Listed weight (pair): 7 oz (199 g)
Measured weight (size L): 6.7 oz (190 g), scale accurate to 0.1 oz
Color: Black
Other Colors Available: Black/Purple, Blue/Black
MSRP: $35 USD
Features and Benefits (from web site) [return to top]
- Highly vapor permeable and less expensive than Gore-Tex
- Very durable
- Nylon instep lace
- Designed for use in relatively dry conditions where snow or debris getting into the boot is a bigger concern than water.
- 8 oz. packcloth foot section, coated
- Lighter than Cordura and more stuffable
- Durable enough for typical backpacking and hiking uses.
- Coating provides water resistance for the upper portion of the boot.
- 1-inch wide Velcro front closure
- Front closure is much easier and faster to get in and out of than side or back openings.
- Offset overlapping helps accommodate different clothing combinations.
- Excellent seal against snow and water.
- Won’t break, freeze or jam like a zipper often does.
- Hook and snap at bottom front
- Snap at bottom of Velcro front strip keeps Velcro from peeling at edge.
- The narrower Velcro necessitates the use of this snap, whereas the 1 1/2-inch or 2-inch used in our other gaiters have a much higher peel strength.
- Heavy-duty hook for extra durability at the attachment.
- Strap and buckle top closure
- The very low profile of this buckle makes it comfortable even when the gaiter is against the bare skin of the leg when wearing shorts.
- Easy to open and close with bulky handwear.
- Never slips and won’t let the top of the gaiter slip down the leg.
- Nylon webbing strap will not cut into the leg when tightened like narrower draw cords.
- Elastic bottom edge
- Wide range of boots can be accommodated by the stretch of the elastic.
- Allows the instep cord to be permanently tied. When the gaiter is put on, the boot can then be simply stepped into and the Velcro front closed and hooked. Very easy and fast.
Description [return to top]
The Rocky Mountain High Packcloth Gaiters are knee-high, front-close backpacking gaiters designed to keep snow and debris from entering one’s shoes, and to protect the lower legs from brush and other trail-side items. Each of the gaiters, one left and one right, consists of a nylon packcloth body with a wide Velcro front closure, an adjustable top opening, and an elastic bottom edge. A snap is located at the bottom of the Velcro, along with a metal hook to hook onto the lowest possible shoelace. A grommet is located on each side of the bottom edge through which instep cords may be tied. The top opening is adjusted using a nylon strap and plastic buckle.
For a more detailed description, along with measurements, please see my Initial Report.
Field Testing [return to top]
Our Boy Scout troop camps monthly. Almost all of these outings include a minimum of 2 nights of camping, with temperatures expected to be from lows around 25 to 30 ºF (-4 to –1 ºC) to highs around 95 to 100 ºF (35 to 38 ºC), although I don’t expect it to be this warm during the testing period for these gaiters. Elevations will range from sea level to approximately 2,000’ (610 m). I will spend some time walking about during all of these events (in shorts, weather permitting) and should get an opportunity to experience a variety of different conditions. This will continue to be my testing environment.
Last weekend (3/21) we took a group of our youngest/newest Boy Scouts to John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge for a 5-mile (8 km) hike, a perfect testing opportunity for the gaiters. While visitors are encouraged to stick to the trails, there were sufficient opportunities for me to get off-trail (taking little-used side trails to the water’s edge, looking for animal tracks), as well as plenty of mud/water on/next to the trail, to give the gaiters a pretty fair workout. Temps that morning were right around 50°F (10°C), with a stiff breeze blowing across the water. I wore the gaiters – with shorts – over short socks and lightweight hiking boots. I noticed a number of the boys stopping occasionally to get small gravel and twigs out of their shoes, while I had no problems with either debris or mud/water. The gaiters also protected me from brush, although a few plants with long, thin thorns did slow me down without actually penetrating the fabric. These encounters did not produce any noticeable damage to the gaiters, and also, thankfully, none to my legs. I checked out the condition of the gaiters upon completing the hike to find no wear, a small amount of easily cleaned dirt/mud, and a small amount of condensation inside the bottom (coated) portion of the gaiters. This condensation was easily wiped off, and the gaiters stored for the drive home.
I prefer to spend my time outdoors in shorts, including a weekend this past spring with a high temp one day of 29°F (-2°C). I will, however, subject myself to long pants on occasion when hiking around in either high vegetation or deep wet stuff, to prevent either scratching up my legs or getting too much water/snow in the tops of my shoes/boots. So far, gaiters seem to be just the thing to combine the freedom of shorts with the protection of pants. I will continue using the gaiters, as appropriate, throughout the testing period.
I will be attentive to and/or test the following:
- Fit. Do they fit me? Is the sizing on the web site accurate? Do they fit over different shoes easily? How well do they fit over pants?
- Fabric. Is the packcloth durable (I have no prior experience with the fabric)? Does it stretch? Does it fade? Is it windproof? Waterproof? Does it pill, pull, or snag readily?
- Durability. How does the Velcro hold up to repeated use? How about the hardware?
- Comfort. Can I wear the gaiters over my bare legs without chafing?
- Wearability. Are they easy to put on/take off? With cold hands?
- Packability. How packable are they? I will attempt to pack the items as part of my 3-season load in/on (preferably in) my pack.
- Washability. Are there special instructions? Are they easy to follow? Do they dry well? Do they hold much dirt in the first place?
- Sealing. Do the gaiters do what they are supposed to do – keep stuff out of my shoes?
My findings so far:
- Fit. The fit was a bit snug in the upper calf area due to the size of my legs. The fit issue was compounded when wearing long pants, although the gaiters still fit as long as the pants were not bulky. I tend toward shorts while hiking, so this is a minimal issue at this time. They are a tad longer than I need (I have short legs for my size), but not so much that there is enough material to cause tripping or tangling of anything around my ankles.
- Fabric. This is some good stuff. No tears, pulls or snags, even after thorny encounters.
- Durability. The Velcro still functions like new. The cords, while dirty, do not seem to be contacting the ground as much as I predicted, resulting only in collection of dirt that can easily be removed with a little water and some elbow grease. The hooks and grommets show no wear.
- Comfort. While I was aware that I was wearing the gaiters, I had no discomfort to speak of.
- Wearability. The gaiters go on easily and quickly, even in cooler temperatures.
- Packability. After wearing the gaiters a few times, I realized that I won’t really be packing them – I will be wearing them.
- Washability. The gaiters have been machine washed and dried with no problems.
- Sealing. Nothing has yet gotten into my shoes while wearing the gaiters.
Things I like [return to top]
- They fit over my bulky boots.
- Well made.
- When worn, they don’t seem to weigh much of anything.
Things I don't like [return to top]
- The instep cords seem a bit small (thin or lightweight) to be terribly durable. If worn with any shoe that doesn’t have an instep (which my current shoes do), the cords will touch the ground on every step. Trail time will tell.
- The only method of adjustment for the instep cords is tying and re-tying them through the grommets at the bottom of the gaiters. I am fairly competent at knot tying (i.e. taut-line hitch), but this could be an issue for some users. Of course, once properly adjusted, they may be left tied.
- The sizing is a bit off for me, as I have short, thick legs. Accordingly, the gaiters are a bit long (which just results in some blousing) and a bit snug around my calves (which is fine while wearing shorts, but does not permit wearing heavy or insulated pants). Presumably I could go a size up to get more room in the calves, but the gaiters would probably be even longer, which could result in too much excess material.
Backpacking Background [return to top]
I started car/trailer camping with the family when I was about 5. I enlisted in the Army Reserve during my first year of college and spent 17 years fine-tuning my packing methodology - by the time I separated from the service, I was down to what I thought was a respectable 75-80 lb (34-36 kg) load. When my son started Cub Scouts, I brought my 60 lb (27 kg) ALICE pack for a weekend. We got to Boy Scouts in the Spring of 2002 and now camp monthly in locations ranging from the Chesapeake Bay area (flat and lightly wooded) to the Pocono Mts (flat spots hard to find and very wooded), in all seasons.
Lightweight (and ultralightweight) web sites, along with a day hike up Pikes Peak in July 2003, have led me to seriously rethink my gear choices. I plan to start doing more hiking/backpacking on our monthly scout trips, taking along as many scouts as are willing, to a) get in shape (yeah, yeah, I know… round IS a shape), and b) determine what I really need to take along. I am relatively confident that I will be able to reduce my 3-season pack to 20 lb (9 kg), before food, fuel and water, by the time this season is over.
Thank you for your time.
Chuck Kime
a.k.a. Fuzzy
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