Super Gaiter problem

[Nadine]

I seem to have a gaiter problem and was hoping for some advice. I just purchased a pair of Koflach Degre boots, size 7 with a 26.5 inch circumfrence. In the mail today came my Climb High super gaiters, size small, designed to fit boots with a 27" circumfrence. Try as I may, I can't get the boots to fit in the gaiters. Not only do they seem too small, they seem way too small. Like a couple of inches. I can pull the 5.10 rubber on the bottom a bit to get it to stretch, but the cordura fabric has no give at all. What to do? Am I missing the boat somehow?

Nadine

 

[weatherman]

tip learned from an expert

Having big feet (hence bigger boots), I share your discomfort. Putting gaiters over Koflachs in the cold can be the most difficult and injury-producing part of a winter hike! I took a workshop a couple years back that was led by the esteemed Ed Hawkins, and noticed that his supergaiters were permanently superglued to his Koflachs, thus avoiding the problem of taking them off/putting them on. His reasoning was that there was no reason to hike in winter boots without them, so why not just make them part of the boots? Worked for him. Though I don't yet own supergaiters, it's a good thing to remember for the future. I also search for the fattest gaiters I can find, and expect that they will just barely fit.

 

[el-bagr]

Like a whitewater kayak skirt, those supergaiter bottoms will stretch v e r y s l o w l y indeed. I use a lot of tugging and once even set up a weighted "rack" to keep the process going in my absence. If you get the fabric wet, it will be stretchier while it dries.

 

[spencer]

Hey Weatherman,

How big are your feet? If you find a pair of supergaiters that fit, post about it or shoot me an email. The XXL Climb High supergaitors go to 31" but the circumference of my Degres is 32"

thanks,
spencer

 

[Nadine]

Looks like I need to give the process more time and energy. I may have to rig something up like el-bagr mentioned.

Thanks,
Nadine

 

[dave.m]

1) I glue my supergaitors on with shoe goo all the time. Especially useful when step kicking as it keeps the lousy things from popping off. I find it useful to clean the welts and leather (near the welt) with a solvent like acetone to get rid of any boot grease before putting on the gaitors. The shoe goo will stick much better.

2) There are 2 dangers to consider with leather boots. a) Tight supergaitors can curl the boots over time. I keep them glued in the winter, and undo them after the snow melts. b) Gaitor can keep moisture in, rotting the leather faster. Dry storage is key.

3) How are you putting them on? I assume you are seating the heel cup first, no? Once this is done, I turn the toes inside out so the rand is pointing up, not down. This gives me good purchase for my fingers as I pull the rand down over the toes. I place the heel of my palms on the boot welt and reach up over the turned up rand with my fingers and pull down hard on the rand's seam with my fingers while pushing up with the heel of my palms. This pulls the fabric down into position. Once the fabric is close, I flip the rand down into place with a snap.

 

[weatherman]

Hey Spencer,
Size 13. I use REI's Goretex largest size regular gaiters they make... if I winter hike more than I do now supergaiters may become a purchase but as of right now the number of days I can get out when it's really really cold (like below -10 F) is typically only 1 or 2, not worth the investment. I usually only make it out 8 winter days or so per year due to family and other commitments right now... but my 7 yr old son did his first hike with my wife in snow today down here (3"- yeah!) and loved it. Things may change.