the.com/gaiters
the fabric tubes that keep your boots from eating the whole trail
means protective coverings worn over the lower leg and the top of the boot to keep out water, snow, mud, and debris.
from From the French 'guêtre,' a word for leg-covering whose deeper roots are uncertain — possibly from a Frankish source related to old Germanic words for wrist or ankle. English borrowed it in the 18th century, and the gaiter has been wrapping shins from battlefields to mountain trails ever since.
- origin
- Named for the goat-leg shape they once mimicked
- military issue
- Standard kit for soldiers through both World Wars
- snow defense
- Gaiters seal the gap boots and pants leave open
- snake guard
- Snake gaiters shield hikers from venomous strikes
- dress past
- Victorian gentlemen wore button spats over shoes
smartwool merino wool gaiters — popular hiking gaiters worn by trekkers on trails worldwide to keep snow and debris out of boots
dirt gaiters — lightweight nylon gaiters used by trail runners in the southwestern us deserts to prevent sand intrusion
canvas puttees — military-style leg wrappings worn by soldiers in wwi and wwii, wrapped tightly around the lower leg and ankle