Outdoor Research

X-Gaiter

Lasted only 1 mile

purchased this a couple of months ago and finally used it today for a hike. I put them up when there was 6 inches on snow on the ground on top but when I took them off , one of them was torn and the other looks like it will in the next hike. I did not use them on rocks and some muddy sections and only one mile.

These are game changers

I bought these for shoe cover for fat biking. My feet tend to run cold and I like running SPD. I have shimano "winter" boots which I find work to about -8 c before windchill. The average ride time being about an hour. I bought these and put them away and rhen El Nino came and I thought they may never be used. Then it got cold. Reall cold. -40c cold. Truly. And I deployed these. And my feet are toasty warm. No more frozen feet, not even cold feet. Warm. They are awkward for walking around on. They look kind of funny. But who cares. Survival isn't a fashion show. I don't know about water proofing - water doesn't exist in liquid form at -40 As a cover to supplement your boots they are excellent. These are likely overkill in many situations but if you are using in snow and cold I highly doubt you will find a better product. Thank you OR.

Performed Better Than Expected

I recently put some heavy miles on the X-Gaiter while snowshoeing and winter hiking and I'm impressed. I didn't expect much because they feel very lightweight, yet they performed exceptionally. I wear them over Salewa Crow 3-season mountaineering boots. Normally in those boots my toes go numb below 20⁰F but with the X-gaiter I felt completely fine in single digit temps trudging through snow. Even while standing exposed on a frozen lake with a ripping windchill at -22⁰F, my feet were completely unbothered. Their performance is amazing. However they're not perfect and I hope OR addresses these problems in the future. As others have noted, the top velcro closure around the calf doesn't tighten adequately. I also can't get the elastic strap that hooks over the top of the gaiter to stay secure. They come undone so often that I usually just leave them loose, it doesn't seem to affect the fit either way. Speaking of fit, the XLs are just barely large enough to fit over my size 13 Crows and it's a struggle to do so. I'd love to use them on burlier mountaineering boots or ski boots but I don't imagine they'd fit. Perhaps an oversized version in the future? Lastly, reinforced inner legs would be great to prevent crampon snagging. All these things aside, I would definitely purchase more pairs in the future.

These work great for fat biking up in Alaska. I was worried the material that sits on the sole of the boots would be tore up by my pedals but so far a non problem. Overall, they've been outstanding!

well designed, xl very tight on 13 boot

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

Size Bought:

xl

Weight:

160

these are well designed and well made. The fact that the stood up to the yarding i had to do to get them on a pair of size 13 Danners is a testament to the ruggedness of the materials and stitching. I had originally hoped I could move them back and forth between boots for skiing, hiking, and perhaps biking but after the struggle of getting them on my hiking boots, they are staying put for the winter. It may be that they will stretch over time to make this easier. we shall see

Toasty Feet!

Last year out of the blue my feet started getting cold. I tried heated socks, but they're too finnicky. So I decided to give Outdoor Research X Gaiters a try. I've used them both ski touring and ice climbing and I am very happy. A few gripes. I got XL, which was hard to find, but the top closure isn't quite big enough for a muscly leg in ski boots, but it can be made to work. So far I have kept the bottom straps secure, but I'm not 100% happy with the toe bail of my crampons having a little slip of fabric between the crampon bail and the toe welt, so I might cut them where the diagram shows.

Looking forward to use in Winterpeg

I bought these to use on my winter hiking boots for hiking, snowshoeing, biking in temps well below freezing in the Winterpeg (Winnipeg) area. Temperatures go below -40 C/F but even at -20 C my feet get cold due to Raynauds. I have electric insoles that heat the toe area but managing the batteries/cables can be problematic. I am hoping the X-Gaiters are a simpler solution and keep my cold feet warm will repost about this. I ordered a size Large for my Solomon winter hiking boots (size 44 2/3 or US 10.5 with a 74 cm/23" rand circumference) or Scarpa Mistral GTX hiking boots (size 44 or US 10.5 with a 73 cm rand circ). The X-Gaiters fit these boots, with a struggle putting them on first time, but they should fit tight to trap the warmth. A hypalon strap on the bottom of the X-Gaiter it's toe down on the top of the boot's toe and there are lines for cutting the strap to customize the fit. I won't be cutting this strap as the X-Gatier fits the boot toe area okay and I think it is a good idea to leave it on so the toe area of the X-Gaiter does not ride up the boot. For boots with larger toes it may be suitable to cut this strap. The X-Gaiters are installed while the boot is off your foot. It would be difficult to put the X-Gaiters on to your boots while you have the boots on your feet. You open the X-Gaiter fasteners, put one down on your lap, insert the toe of the corresponding boot into the X-Gaiter toe area so the red silicone seal is on your boot rand, then place the X-Gaiter crossover bungee straps in the raised instep area of the boot sole, then pull the back of the X-Gaiter red silicone band up and over the back rand of the boot until it is at or above the top of the rand, forming a good seal. Then you cinch up the centre instep cord. Then put your boots on and close up the X-Gaiters. They could have: top velcro closure greater range for smaller calves; cordura exterior for crampon protection; a higher calf height/extendable sleeve for deep snow.

Took to Antarctica, kept me warm during long day treks through wet snow and high winds. I have raynaud's, so my toes are normally the first thing cold, but didn't have to worry about that with these gaiters.

Worth the investment

Significantly increase the range of temperatures you can use your boots and shoes in! I use them ice climbing, skiing, and even mountain biking in the winter!

Really great on super cold days

Fits great over my AT ski boots for very cold days.