Gear Review: Outdoor Research Sparkplug Gaiters
Outdoor Research Sparkplug gaiter: A gear review on minimalist trail gaiters
Today’s post will be the blog’s second gear review. The piece of gear under review is the Outdoor
Research Sparkplug gaiter. Gaiters have
become an important part of the clothing system I wear. While I don’t wear gaiters on every trip, I
wear them when there is a high risk of getting ticks on me or uncomfortable
objects in my shoes. You can find the Sparkplug gaiters at REI.com
.
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| Wearing the Sparkplug Gaiters |
The Background
If you were like me, you have no idea what gaiters are. I didn’t learn until recently after doing
research into what Soldiers were wearing on their legs in movies like Band of
Brothers. It’s that khaki colored that
covers the shin and some of the boot. Leg
gaiters are used to keep, snow, water, and debris out of your shoes or
boots. They also keep your body’s heat
trapped, keeping you warmer. The gaiters
I wear are made by Outdoor Research, a Seattle based gear manufacturer,
which was established in 1981. They are stretchy, lightweight, and
breathable.
Purpose
The Sparkplug gaiters’ main purpose is to be as lightweight
as possible while keeping bugs out of your shoes. The gaiters weigh less than an ounce each,
which qualifies as very lightweight. In
addition, the gaiters are water resistant and they will prevent light rain from
soaking your shoes. Also, as I mentioned
earlier, the gaiters will keep bugs off you when worn with pants.
The gaiters extend about 5 inches above my ankle. They have a beefy metal hook in the front to
latch on to the shoelaces. In the back,
the gaiters attach by a Velcro pad. The
top of each gaiter has loops in it to add a string (not included) to reduce the gaiter
sliding down your legs.
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| The metal shoelace hook at the front of the gaiter |
How I Use Them
I have used the gaiters for 3 different outdoor activities:
hiking, trail running, and mountain biking.
I wear gaiters in conjunction with pants to keep debris away when hiking
overgrown, extremely rocky, and/or tick infested trails. I have also used the gaiters for trail
running. When trail running, I wear
running shorts and running shoes and will provide the same level of protection
as when hiking. The final activity is
mountain biking. I have worn the gaiters
out on a few rides on particularly overgrown trails to keep vegetation from
touching me and leaving seeds in my socks.
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| The drawstring loop at the top of the gaiter |
Performance
The performance of the Sparkplug gaiters has been excellent
so far and I predict that will be the case in the future. While hiking in the knee-deep swamps of the Neusiok
Trail, NC, my shoes remained dirt and swamp muck free. Moreover, on the return hike through the
swamps, I lost a Velcro stick pad and the gaiters still kept me debris free. No matter how muddy and thick the water
became, I could always count on my gaiters.
On another hike where the trail was infested with ticks, I took my shoes
and gaiters off for a quick rest. After
the rest, I did not put my gaiters back on and within half an hour I had to
pull the trip’s first and only tick off my shin. Finally, when wearing the gaiters biking, it
always seems like plants grow just high enough to attack your ankles. However, wearing the gaiters reduces the
seeds left in my socks/shoes and helps reduce the itchy feeling I get when encountering
skin to vegetation contact.
Issues
The Sparkplug gaiters are not without their issues albeit very
minor ones. The first issue is that the
gaiters sag some when I wear them without pants. However, even sagging they
have kept me debris free. Plus they have
the loops for drawstrings. The second
issue is with the Velcro pads. The pads
are easily lost when hiking and even more so if they get wet. The gaiters also only come with one pair of Velcro
pads so you cannot wear the gaiters with multiple shoes unless you get more Velcro. Fortunately, the Sparkplugs are covered by a
lifetime warranty and OR will ship more pads hassle free.
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| Velcro pad in the back: this pad is a little loose already |
Final Thoughts
I have really enjoyed the benefits of owning the Sparkplug
gaiters and I will continue to wear them as needed. I am planning a trip to Matagorda Island and
will be wearing them to walk through the grass when I’m not on a bike. I highly suggest these gaiters if you are new
to the gaiter world and are looking for something lightweight and comfortable.
Let us know your thoughts on the Sparkplug gaiters or your
favorite pair of gaiters. Also, if you
enjoy the blog, please follow us on Facebook.
Do you or one of your readers have suggestions for beggars lice on clothing and pets?
ReplyDeleteThe best and most difficult method would be prevention. "Try" to avoid beggars lice or wear clothing that they don't attach to. Try not to wear denim, but nylon pants or similar smooth synthetics. Nylon is harder to latch onto. If you do get them on your clothing, scrape them with a fine tooth comb or a butter knife. This will get ride of a lot, but some will still need to be removed hand. For pets, it is a lot harder. Start by using a pet comb, which should remove most. Then hand remove as the left overs. Finally, some are going to be impossible to remove and will fall out naturally.
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