REI Backpacker Low Gaiters Review

In this REI Backpacker Low Gaiters review, I’ll give you my personal take from wearing them on a recent hiking and camping expedition. These heavy, durable gaiters have waterproof main panels, are easy to use, and can be used under rain pants for a shingling effect. For their ability to keep foxtails and sand out of my hiking shoes on my trip, and that they can keep the rain/snow at bay as needed, I’d consider them fairly valued.

Pro’s and Con’s

Pro’s: Durable, thick, high denier nylon paneling, built for years of rugged use. Waterproof materials keep rain and snow from migrating into the upper sections of your footwear. Can be used with Salomon Quicklace system hiking shoes if you hide the lace loop in the Velcro. Strong, wide Velcro attachment area keeps gaiters in place, even in environments with high resistance contact against them. Comfortable in temperate environments. Easy to adjust and take on and off. Can be worn under rain pants. More packable that full length gaiters.

Con’s: Waterproof lower layer can cause a hot and stuffy environment in higher, summertime temperatures. Upper layer not as water resistant as lower layer, and thus this model won’t be as waterproof as full length gaiters, unless worn under rain pants. Upper layers’ straps don’t tuck in easily to their belt loop, once you’ve buckled and tightened them in place. Thick material and under-loop can take up precious room in a day pack, compared to trail running models.

Features:

• Thin, double layer upper panel with soft internal material made of 93% nylon/7% spandex, double stitched to a rugged, high denier nylon lower panel.
• Material is thicker and stiffer than that which makes up the walls of a typical hiking backpack.
• Internal tags that have left and right foot markings.
• Lacing hook can be hidden underneath the Velcro to make the gaiter compatible with Salomon Quicklace system shoes.
• Lower panel is waterproof, even resisting pooled water on its surface during testing.
• Durably made for years of use.

Comfort

The REI Backpacker Low Gaiters are comfortable enough, when combined with my Columbia convertible hiking pants, that I forget I’m wearing them. However most of the testing I did with them was in the 40 to 75°F temperature range.

Because of their thick, waterproof material, I could see these creating a warm, sweaty spot in their upper panel areas, where they attach around your calves, during summertime conditions.

Debris Protection

If you’ve ever hiked off trail in Southern California, then you likely know how annoying foxtails can get: They poke through your socks, then further poke and scratch your skin, if you let them. Heck they’ll stick into the uppers of your shoes here and there. Their barbed structures makes them hard to pull out once they’re in your socks. And they’re dangerous to dogs for this same reason.

While up in Cambria, at the Hearst San Simeon State Park Washburn Campground, I had the pleasure of pitching two backpacking tents in a small area of long grass, next to a Monterey Pine tree. Due to the presence of foxtails in this grass, I kept my gaiters on. I’m equally happy to report that my socks and shoes remained foxtail free during the entire exercise. My father, who happened to not be wearing gaiters, did manage to get the occasional grass debris stuck in his sock.

At the beach

I also used the gaiters when hiking near the Hearst Ranch Winery by the beach. Basically you park at the Hearst Memorial Beach, walk on the beach through the sand to the trail then hug the coast through a few acres of woodland. Again I can report no sand or debris was able to migrate into my Salomon X Ultra’s during the entire venture.

On a grassy trail

Lastly I hiked once again at the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve near Moonstone Beach in Cambria, on another perfect hike, free of grass or berry vine thorns in my shoes!

Water Resistance

I originally took the REI Backpacker Low Gaiters to Yosemite to use, in conjunction with rain pants and my Gore-Tex Salomon X Ultra 4’s, as part of a rain protection set up. However, I only experienced mild rain on a few hiking excursions in the Park; not enough to justify their wearing.

In lieu of any field testing, at home I placed one of the gaiters flat on my kitchen counter, and poured around 15 to 20 milliliters of water on its surface, such that it would create a standing pool of water. The water acted in a bead-like fashion, with rounded edges all around, a sign that it was not penetrating the material or traveling across its surface through wicking action.

After 15 minutes I observed the same level of beading, and that no penetration or migration in or through the material had occurred. I then removed this pool of water and examined the gaiter for any water penetration underneath of it. There was a slight shadow where it had stood, indicating very minor penetration into the top surface of the material. However the water had not penetrated to the opposite, inner side of the gaiter, where your leg and shoes would be located during wearing.

If pooled, standing water cannot get through, I can only conclude that actively shedding water, that’s unable to pool when you’re actually wearing the gaiters, has very low to no chance of being able to get through this thick woven nylon material.

The thinner top panel of the gaiter looks as though it could eventually become soaked, were it to experience heavy rain or snow. But it’s currently not conclusive in that respect.

Durability

The REI Backpacker Low Gaiter’s heavy denier nylon material that makes up the lower panel feels extremely durable. It feels thicker and heavier than the material that makes up the wall panels of my Gregory day hiking pack, which is 210D high density nylon. I would guess this material is at least 400D if not more.

The Velcro attachment panels feel almost overbuilt, like they are designed to perform well, even years into use, where semi-fine to fine particulates may collect on their surfaces, reducing their holding efficiency.

The shoe lace hook is thick and held on with riveted metal. I can’t see this failing.

The nylon strap-and-buckle system to close the REI Backpacker Low gaiters at their top area is just the standard, heavy duty system found on hiking and camping gear. It will last for years to come.

Under-loop

Just pull-testing the thick under-loop against its stitching, it feels durable and well sewn. The opposite side, where the hook-and-loop, size adjustment connection of the under-loop is located – what I intuitively suppose may be the first point of failure for these gaiters – also feels like it can handle heavy resistance, though it naturally has more play.

After 15 some miles of hiking with the gaiters, during this summer’s hiking season, there is little to no wear on the slick, glassy finish of the under-loops. Running my fingers down both edges of these loops I can find only one small area where the shiny coating has been very lightly marred, after wiping off the dust.

There is nothing above your shoe’s outsoles on these gaiters, that endures any level of heavy stress when in use. The under-loop is the only component susceptible to any real force, that being compression, were you to stand on an uneven rocky surface, that puts such compression stress on it. However, this component is thicker than a manufactured floor’s upper laminate layer, so it seems its built to last.

Ease of Use

For the purposes of this section, please note that I’m using these gaiters with low cut Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX hiking shoes:

The REI Backpacker Low Gaiters are credibly easy to put on. Just undo the Velcro, approach your leg with the undone gaiter from behind, while seating the under-loop into the arch of your foot. Then line up the bottom most area of Velcro so that it starts nicely and proceed to the close the gaiter from bottom to top. Hook the lace hook to the lacing next to the base of the tongue of your shoe. Lastly buckle the upper strap-and-buckle system to keep debris from migrating into your shoe area from above. Tighten the buckle strap down as needed.

I haven’t found any problems adjusting the under-loop to different lengths using the inner hook-and-loop ladder. And once I’ve set it, it doesn’t go anywhere; it feels like a well designed, secure system.

The Velcro hold strength on the gaiters is excellent. Almost too strong. However this doesn’t make the gaiters any harder to use, if you follow my instructions above regarding putting them on, going from the bottom to the top when securing the Velcro.

The only trouble from these gaiters I’ve found is once that you’ve secured the top panel buckles, and tightened their corresponding strap down to seal the gaiters around your calf, that the extra length of strap is hard to store under the nearest ‘belt loop’ for it. It’s a bit too tight and doesn’t always tuck in perfectly.

How to use the REI Backpacker Low Gaiters with Salomon Quicklace shoes

Using the REI Backpacker Low Gaiters with my Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX hiking shoes requires that I hide the lace hook inside the Velcro as I put the gaiters on.

These shoes have small-diameter, Quicklace cordage, that acts as a lightweight replacement to traditional lacing. However this does not provide enough material for the hook to grab hold of as intended, and thus if I use the hooks, they travel up and down my shoes as I walk, even thought they are grabbing the cordage at the base of the tongues. This feels as though it could cause wear and tear after several miles. It makes a click-click-click sound as it travels over the shoe’s upper material, indicating there is some significant rubbing happening there.

Thus when you first put the gaiters on, as you’re fixing the bottom section of Velcro together, make sure the hook is hidden inside of it, and not sticking out of the bottom, as it would traditionally do.

Weight & Packability

I packed the REI Backpacker Low Gaiters in my day pack, alongside my rain pants, and rain jacket, while in Yosemite, just in case I got caught in the Park’s typical, early summer, afternoon rainstorms, while on trail.

The gaiters do pack flat, but they still can take some room up, due to the stiff, unyielding under-loops that hold their shape below the paneling.

Related: See what else I brought on my Yosemite summer day hiking ventures by clicking here to read my article on what to bring for hiking the Park.

Comparable Gaiters	Weight	Packability
REI Co-op Flash Gaiters	3.1 oz.	Easily packable.
REI Backpacker Low Gaiters	6.5 oz.	Can take up credible room in a day pack, but lay flat.
Outdoor Research Crocodile GORE-TEX Gaiters – Men’s	10.2 oz.	Length and weight make them less ideal to pack.

Further Reading

Thanks for checking out my REI Backpacker Low Gaiters review. Next check out more of my hiking gear by clicking here.

See ya out there….