I now and again I will venture over to ebay.ca and look for outdoor gear. Usually I don't like ebay because sellers advertise there items cheap but extremely over charge you for shipping. Plus on top of that depending on how much your item is worth you might get hit with duty fees, if its being shipped cross border or international.Well did I come across a great item, gaiters for my hiking boots. If you don't know or never heard of gaiters they are protective covers for your foot wear. when you are out in the bush you should always have a good quality hiking boots and joining the boots with a set of compatible gaiters, creates a good outdoor footwear combination. They will help keep out small rocks, pine needles, debris, snow and anything that finds a way into your hiking boot. The impact of an accidental step into a mud hole/water hole is reduced when wearing gaiters and do a good job of keeping the mud out. Also walking in the rain feels much better with gaiters forming a cover over the top of the hiking boot.
I bought these Gortex Gaiters on ebay and was surprise with the quality and price. I ended up paying $17.00 CND altogether with shipping included.
There are a few features I liked when I found these; firstly they were made of Gortex, which makes them water proof and breathable. Secondly instead of a big leather strap to secure the gaiters to my boot, you can use a shoe lace or 550 paracord. I think this is a great feature because the straps on other gaiters can wear away pretty fast if moving over rough terrain like rocks and such. You could be looking at $5.00 for each replacement strap. That can add up over time, where 550 paracord or shoe laces are a fraction of the cost. Also I probably won't carry a replacement strap in my pack as I already have enough gear in there, so being able to use rope or shoes laces to secure my gaiters is a win, win situation. If for some reason I lose my pack which has my 100 feet of 550 paracord I know that there always some right at my feet.
Typically gaiters can run you any wheres from $30.00 to $75.00, that being said these gaiters are not the end all or be all either. I myself think that for $17.00, is a good bang for your buck and if I do end up destroying or ripping these gaiters up, I won't feel bad cause I know it won't be expensive to replace.
Here is a link to the gaiters I bought on ebay;
Ebay Seller: manda_1213 (99.5% Positive Feedback)
Ebay Item Link: http://cgi.ebay.ca/Gore-Tex-Waterproof-Hiking-Walking-Legging-Gaiters-B_W0QQitemZ320471470309QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4a9d9690e5
Shipping for me in Nova Scotia was about 1-1/2 weeks, not bad for being shipped from china.
I hope this post will help someone complete their gear or improve their hiking experience with gaiters.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog today,
Bushman Joe
