gaiters

i reckon any gaiters are ok as long as they fit snug over your boot, hook onto the bottom lace and have a bombproof connection from top to bottom (like velcro and studs). make sure they get up to just below the knee. Look for heavy duty canvas if you're going to thrash them, or goretex if its going to be hot and not thrashed. the under-sole connection is usually a leather strap, but the newer wire works much better - doesn't collect snow or dirt. hope that helps

Imho, gaiters are a useful item for just about any tramp - but there are a few mandatory requirements (Sunny1 has mentioned a couple of them) 1. size : must fit the boot snuggly and reach up to the knee (keeps water out during short river crossings) 2. attachment : must hook to bottom lace (or equivalent) and have a strap under the boot 3. material : must be breathable (ie gortex/event/etc), stiff enough not to slip down. 4. design : comfortable closure around the knee, good closure down the leg (velcro preferred as studs or a zip will stuff up in mud/dirt) The (expensive when not on sale) Kathmandu NGX gaiters are good. You can make your own by folding in half (lengthwise) a length of standard 20mm webbing and sewing it together - lasts a long time and costs nothing (compared to A$60 a pr for rubberised canvas). Note that the strap (or wire) will wear very quickly if the boot does not have an instep.

Invercargill has 2 outdoor shops in the main drag side by side. One is HW Smith's outdoor shop. Have a great time in the mud.

I just found out Kathmandu still has Summit member special on the day I arrive in Invercargill, maybe I get lucky. I'm a bit puzzled what standard 20mm webbing is...

From memory, the NGX gaiters come in 2 or 3 sizes so do look for the size that suits your foot/boot. Note : in my previous post, I said "You can make your own ..." referring to the gaiter STRAP (not the gaiters :) Webbing is the woven belt/strap material used on packs. You can buy various widths and qualities - try a hardware shop - 10mm webbing would work but 20mm webbing folded and sewn is much stronger and so lasts longer.

looks like for the NGX gaiters the straps might actually be included. I'll know for sure on Sunday and I'll wear my boots to try them on.

I got some mountain designs gaiters which fit most of the above very well and were under $40 The only bad thing is that they are not as breathable as would be ideal but as the waterproof coating is on the inside it will wear off so they become breathable and I dont care if they are not waterproof. They have a better instep cord than most but it still only lasted 3 trips. I had put a wire on my previous gaiters before they wore out but it was too short for these. I also had some 4mm chain lying around. Its a heavy solution but it will outlast the gaiters

My 2p worth: Find goretex gaiters too hot and sweaty compared to the lighter canvas ones. However, all the canvas brands I've had from outdoor shops have fallen to pieces in weeks on the hill - ripped by matagauri, dead manuka, rocks, etc. However, we get some good ones through work from Wilkins Saddlery. Waterproof enough for river crossings and wet vegetation - never had a problem with water getting in other than down the hole at the top! Some PGG outlets stock these - Roxburgh being one.

I've been through a couple of pairs of Mountain Hardware Ventigaiters, like these ones, http://www.buzzillions.com/reviews/unisex-mountain-hardwear-ascent-ventigaiters-reviews -- they're ideally summer gaiters and their main selling point (for me) was the ability to zip down the sides and fold them back to let some air in without having to mess around too much. They certainly weren't the most durable gaiters out there, plus I thrashed them in scree many times, but I liked them a lot. Unfortunately I'm not sure how easy they are to get these days. They were stocked in many places when I bought my first pair about 4 years ago. A year ago when I went looking for a second pair, they weren't anywhere, I think because the NZ distributor had decided to stop bringing them in, or maybe they're just not made anymore. It turned out there were a few still in a warehouse in Christchurch and after going through several Wellington outdoor shops that claimed to stock that distributor's stuff but refused to put in a special order for me, some helpful people in the Wellington Mountain Designs went to a lot of trouble to order them in and get them on their price list for me. (They had to argue with some guy in Australia for that.)