I cannot stress enough the importance of keeping feet dry and warm while hiking in wintery conditions. Simply wearing insulated and waterproof boots isn’t enough to prevent wet socks and boots. The Armadillo LT Gaiters by Hillsound create a solid barrier that prevents snow and slush from entering your boot around the socks and ankles. Here is our review.
Waterproof and breathable, the upper body of the Armadillo LT Gaiters are built from a 3 layer fabric called Flexia. Flexia is soft allows for flexibility thanks to the inherent stretchiness of the material. The lower section of the gaiters are a 1000 denier, super tough high density nylon, providing real protection for the wearer from rocks, ice and branches. A YKK waterproof zipper runs the height of the gaiters and provides easy entry, while a strap secures the gaiters to the bottom of a boot, eliminating any chance of the gaiters slipping up. They also include a cinch around the top, to reduce sagging and to keep snow out of the top, while a handy shoe lace hook slides under the laces of the boot to keep it pulled down. The gaiters retail for $49.
What I liked
These gaiters are built tough. They’re designed to protect you, and protect they do. Every line, stitch, and sliver of material feels like it’s designed to last. The very robust 1000 denier nylon is especially resilient, resisting the scrapes of rocks, ice, trekking poles and crampons while hiking. The coated, yet surprisingly breathable upper material maintained it’s waterproofing even when dirty, and never let in snow, dirt, mud or water, even when hiking for hours through snow and slush.
They’re light weight and fit really well, a combination that results in the ability to completely forget that you’re even wearing them. They strap on snugly, but still provide full freedom of movement without being constricting or heavy. They have yet to slip or shift, retaining their desired position even after extended trips.
They’re simple to put on and take off. Simply drop in your heel, zip up, and cinch down the two tensioners and you’re ready to go. After getting them caked with mud, a simple rinse cleans them up with no chemicals needed.
What I didn’t like
The strap system that runs along the bottom is stoutly built, and because of this it’s stiff and difficult use with cold hands. Luckily, they rarely if ever need adjusting once they’re on the boot.
Overall
Gaiters provide huge amounts of protection in the sloppiest of conditions. Be that pouring rain, plowing through snow, wading through mud, or just hiking in sandy or dusty conditions, keeping the elements out of your boots is not only favorable, in many conditions it’s absolutely necessary. The Armadillo LT gaiters by Hillsound are light weight, durable, and have yet to let me know.
Highly Recommended
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For more information on Hillsound and their excellent line of gear, check out http://hillsound.com/
I wanted to send a special thanks out to Hillsound for their support and for providing this excellent piece of equipment to review. We couldn’t do this without their help. Thank you so much! Our full disclosure can be found on the about me/contact page.
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