ummm... Stick to the bogs? Or leave the gaiters at home?

I take lots of nylon stringy stuff with me in my ditty-bag.

Sorry I thought you said Guitar Straps

At the risk of being boringly sensible, the straps that hold trees to stakes are super tough (check out your local garden centre)

I learned this some time ago from I can’t remember where, and it's worked well for me. The problem is describing it clearly. Here goes: Take a length of 1/8-in. or 3/16-in. stretch cord, feed a bight of it through the inside grommet at the bottom of each gaiter, then pass the two standing ends through the bight and snug it up. Feed the two loose ends through a length of 3/4-in. tubular climbing webbing. Finally, bring the two loose ends through the outside grommet, then through a cordlock, then knot them together so they can’t pull back out. Phew. The stretch cord/cordlock arrangement makes for easy adjustment. The snugged up tubular webbing sits flat and tight beneath your foot and doesn’t get rolled around the way plain cord does. And of course it protects the cord and is remarkably tough, even over granite.

Have a great Challenge, everyone! Wish I were there.

Thank you Mark, that's impressive - one of mine is almost through so I'll try it.

When i use Integral design shorties gaiters and mid GTx boots i usualy put the strap behind the heel, unless i am hiking in snow but then it does not wear the strap as rocks.Its sufficient to hold the gaiters in place.

When i use low trail shoes , mizuno wave ascend this year.
(after my last experience on the cape wrath trail i gave up having dry feet for more than a few days in Scotland :p )
i use dirty girl gaiters ( i had to warn my wife for the name appearing on our bank account ) with velcro glued to my shoes ( the adhesive velcro doesnt hold well )

http://www.dirtygirlgaiters.com/

Dirty Girl Gaiters! what a fantastic name! Yup, got to be careful with the bank statement with a name like that lol

This sounds great Mark! I've read through 3 times and I don't understand it all - but I think it will pay to persist. My weakest point is climbing webbing which I can't imagine. All the other strange things grommets, cordlocks etc I have heard of.

Probably the nylon stringy stuff for me is just for emergency repairs.

I think you'll figure the process out if you take it step by step, Paul. Any decent outdoor shop should have the webbing.

I have friends who use Dirty Girl gaiters with their trailrunners, and they are really good at keeping grotch out of their shoes. And no straps!

Cheers.

If the gaiter has grommets or loops at each side, then I find that electrical wire is effective and hard wearing. You don't have to knot it; just a few twists to secure it and its good when things get frozen. The wire can probably be bought off the roll in an elec trade counter. Single strand insulated should do.

I use the Integral Designs short gaiters and found that I could get by without the strap altogether. Saves weight.

Dirty Girl Gaiters

I so want a pair.

Not in time for the Challenge sadly.

Maybe next year

I use baler twine.

Thanks Venessa! This is something I have only read about in novels. I think I have a friend with a baler, but I won't be seeing him before the trip this coming week.

I contacted Paramo who supplied the gaiters and they sent replacements which arrived in the post today. Unfortunately they are the same poor plastic material that wore through in a day.