Sea to Summit gaiters - is the under sole strap necessary?

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Sea to Summit gaiters - is the under sole strap necessary?

Postby ChrisJHC » Fri 05 May, 2017 7:26 am

Just got a pair of the S2S Spinifex gaiters. Once fitted, they seem to be very snug and the under sole straps don't seem to add a lot of extra "snugness".

Any comments on whether these are essential or I can leave them off?


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Re: Sea to Summit gaiters - is the under sole strap necessar

Postby devoswitch » Fri 05 May, 2017 8:00 am

I'm sure everyone is different but I definitely prefer the strap on. I find it stops them riding up in deep mud and snow.
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Re: Sea to Summit gaiters - is the under sole strap necessar

Postby Strider » Fri 05 May, 2017 8:58 am

devoswitch wrote:I definitely prefer the strap on

I always suspected this Steve.

I do agree though. What's your motivation to remove it? Weight saving?


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Re: Sea to Summit gaiters - is the under sole strap necessar

Postby Orion » Fri 05 May, 2017 9:21 am

I find that the gaiters stay put in most situations without them so I usually don't fasten them.
But I don't cut the straps off either because some conditions warrant their use.

Why not fasten them? It's just one more thing. And they wear faster if you're walking on rocky terrain.
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Re: Sea to Summit gaiters - is the under sole strap necessar

Postby ofuros » Fri 05 May, 2017 9:29 am

i use them without, then again I'm in the Sub Tropics & not up to my neck
in snow & mud. :wink:
If the straps or cord wears out replace with some dyneema rope/cord,
it seems to last longer especially over rocky terrain.
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Re: Sea to Summit gaiters - is the under sole strap necessar

Postby neilmny » Fri 05 May, 2017 9:34 am

I prefer them on for a snugger fit. Aside from snow and mud it makes it harder for bullants, jumping jacks and leeches to find a way up your ankle.
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Re: Sea to Summit gaiters - is the under sole strap necessar

Postby north-north-west » Fri 05 May, 2017 10:52 am

If you're wearing shoes rather than boots, gaiters often slip up over the top of the shoe at the heel. The strap will prevent this.
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Re: Sea to Summit gaiters - is the under sole strap necessar

Postby ChrisJHC » Fri 05 May, 2017 11:49 am

I mainly bought them to protect against the small cuts you get around your shins from grass / bushes (particularly when wet). I guess I'll just have to try them each way on my next trip.


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Re: Sea to Summit gaiters - is the under sole strap necessar

Postby devoswitch » Fri 05 May, 2017 2:15 pm

Strider wrote:
devoswitch wrote:I definitely prefer the strap on

I always suspected this Steve.


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:-) got me.

I find that although it stops the gaiters riding up, if the straps are tensioned enough I end up with a big ball of snow and ice that slowly builds under the strap. Really annoying.
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Re: Sea to Summit gaiters - is the under sole strap necessar

Postby stepbystep » Fri 05 May, 2017 3:15 pm

In scrub the footstrap prevents the gaiter from twisting/rotating. Despite using Scotty's more tapered, fitted gaiters without the strap they also rotate in scrub, the S2S ones were hopeless like this. This is made worse when they are wet.
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