Rab Trek Gaiter

Today the Rab Trek Gaiter that I had bought off Amazon for Rs 2100 arrived. I bought it in size Medium. Good delivery speed. The seller is Trek Kit. They have a website of their own but I preferred to go through Amazon (same price) because their refund policies are great. I have had bad experiences with sellers who directly sell on Amazon (as opposed to the ones who sell through Amazon Fulfilled). 

I tried them on with the Meindl on this evening at home. I bought it now for the anticipated Stok Kangri trek coming up in September. The material is rip stop and seemed good. But it does not mention whether it is a three layered or what. It is certainly not Goretex lined. Therefore it can be assumed that it is not the most top of the line stuff. But I am fine to settle with something that is a little below the top of the line. 

There is a thick Velcroed flap with a push button on top and at the bottom. There is also a good fat zip that runs from top to bottom. The system is such that the closure runs down the shin bone. The strap that you use to buckle up is a rubbery material. I hope it is strong enough. This strap or belt is not fixed to one side with the buckle on the other end. Both the sides are loose. So you can pull it up from either side or both. There is a written advice on both ends to tighten it properly the first time and then trim it off. 

Like a good old middle class person with his typical middle class insecurities, I refuse to cut anything that came OE. I will see how to adjust it from both the ends and ensure that I do not trip on the loose end. 

There is an elastic around the ankle. There is also a rope to tighten it at the top (below the knee). There is a small hook in the front that you attach to the lace of your boots. 

So far so good. I shall see how it performs in Stok. A pair of gaiter is necessary in snow. It can also be worn in any hiking trip to keep the feet protected against loose twigs and pebbles etc. It can also offer some protection against water and help keep the feet dry. The advice is, wear it under the rainwear. 

I will have to observe how water proof it is and how durable it is. I intend to wear it every day while walking in the Himalayas. Not just in snow. During the Roopkund trek they gave me a very basic pair of gaiters. Those were made by Alpine in Calcutta. Hopefully these will be better in terms of look and feel and durability. I would have preferred for Rab to give us a small sack to pack these in. Gaiters tend to get muddy after the trek. So to bring them back home in your regular sack you will need to pack them in a plastic carry bag.