A friend of mine likes to say, “I like mountaineering because I enjoy suffering. Hold on, let me put a rock in my shoe before we start hiking.” Most of us only like two things in our boots: Our feet, and our socks. Everything else – snow, water, rocks, sticks, thorns – we can do without. So we buy gaiters. And if you’re shopping at an online retailer for gaiters, you’ll likely turn up at least 15 different choices, enough for a complete arsenal against anything that ever wants to get into your shoes.

Here’s an approximate spectrum of gaiters, in ascending order of burliness:

Top-of-boot gaiters: Super-short, these are designed to sit where your boot ends and your leg begins, just a little softshell or nylon cuff to keep things out of the top of your boots. Usually not water-resistant. Examples: Black Diamond Talus.

Scree gaiters: Scree gaiters are short and low-cut gaiters, usually made of softshell or another stretchy material. They’re not water-resistant, but intended to keep rocks, sand, and dirt out of your boots or shoes. Great for trail running, and they work with running shoes or hiking boots. Examples: Mountain Hardwear Seta Strapless Running Gaiter, Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain Low Gaiter.

Desert gaiters: These are also short and low-cut, but made of lightweight breathable nylon. They’re also not water-resistant, but keep out debris and provide a little sun protection for your lower leg. Used for desert ultra-marathons, or just desert hiking. Example: REI Desert Gaiters.

Trekking gaiters: Water-resistant, but not made of waterproof material – usually made of nylon packcloth. Good at keeping debris out, and keeping things dry in a little rain, or while walking through low, wet vegetation. A lot of times, these will just have a piece of nylon cord that runs under the boot, which saves weight and bulk over a tough strap and buckle – but plan on replacing the cord if you use them with any frequency. Examples: Mountain Hardwear Nut Shell High Gaiter, Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain High Gaiter.

Mountaineering gaiters: This is where gaiters start to get quite a bit tougher, to withstand long periods of moisture, like when you’re kicking steps in snow for a few thousand feet. The mountaineering gaiter’s upper is made of a breathable waterproof material like Gore-Tex or Conduit, and the lower section has an additional layer of tough Cordura nylon to resist nicks and cuts from ski edges and punctures from crampon points. The strap that runs under the bottom of your boots will be made of thick, coated nylon. Examples: Outdoor Research Crocodiles, Mountain Hardwear Pinnacle Stretch XT, Black Diamond Apex.

Supergaiters: These gaiters cover everything on your boot but the sole – a rand of rubber runs all the way around the bottom of the gaiter to form a gasket seal along the outside of your boot. Supergaiters protect feet and boots like mountaineering gaiters, and keep feet warmer than any other gaiter. Depending on how warm you run, supergaiters can extend the range of a 3-season mountaineering boot further into the winter. Example: Mountain Tools Insulated Supergaiters.

Overboots: This might be getting out of the “gaiters” category completely, since overboots cover the entire foot. When you need to spend the money on these, you’ll know, because you’ll be headed somewhere really cold, or really high. Their construction is similar to mountaineering gaiters, but the lower portion covering boots will be made of neoprene or contain foam pads to keep feet warm. Examples: Forty Below K2 Superlight, Outdoor Research Brooks Rangers.

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