Australian Hiker

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Altra Trail Gaiters Review

Recently we reviewed the Dirty Girl Gaiters and without a doubt they have to be some of the lairyist piece of hiking equipment on the market, allowing you to express your individuality with the myriad of colours and patterns that are available. But not everyone wants to look like a walking neon fashionista and purely because of the lairy colours many people won’t buy them; enter the Altra Trail Gaiters. These gaiters are almost the same product with a more muted set of colours to serve those that want to blend in rather than stand out. Apart from the reduced simpler colour range the Altra Trail Gaiters are only available in two sizes which further reduces the difficult decision making process:

• S/M (Shoe size 7-9.5)
• L/XL (Shoe size 10-14)

These gaiters are made from a combination of polyester and lycra just like the Dirty Girl Gaiters which means that they are super lightweight, durable and stretchy giving you a good fit. The leg length on the Altra Trail Gaiters is shorter than the the Dirty Girls but still performs the same job

Just like the Dirty Girl Gaiters they come with a hook at the front to attach to your laces or if you wear Altra hiking shoes (which come gaiter-ready) you’ll hook into the attachment at the base of the laces. The hook on these gaiters is still lightweight but it is a heavier grade hook than the Dirty Girls have.

The back of the gaiters has one half of a velcro fastener, which fits neatly into the Altra Gaiter Trap or you can stick on the other half of the Velcro (extra Velcro is included in packet) to your existing hiking footwear.

The main purpose for these gaiters is to keep dirt, grit, small stones, and seeds out of your hiking shoes and they excel at this; having said that it depends on your shoes. If you are wearing a breathable shoe with a mesh front then fine dust will enter though this mesh so while you will keep the courser material out you may not keep everything out.

So if you like practicality and just want a lightweight lycra gaiter that doesn’t make a statement then this is the option for you.

Altra Trail Gaiters in black

Altra Trail Gaiters Orange

Altra Trail Gaiters Blue

Altra Trail Gaiters grey teal

Altra Trail Gaiters on Tim’s shoes

We Like

• The polyester and lycra construction means they are so lightweight
• The front hook and Velcro fastenings at the heel ensure they stay in place
• The colour range is limited but for many people thats just what they want
• They wash up like new
• Cheaper than the Dirty Girl option

We Don't Like

• These gaiters are easier to find online than in store

Best Uses

• Great for sandy or dusty trails to the keep muck out of your low profile shoes.
• When you value function over fashion statements

Buy a Pair

Aussies can purchase the Altra Trail Gaiters online from Wild Earth or from Wildfire Sports

We may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Please note that our affiliations do not influence, in any way, the independence of our reviews. If we don’t like a product, you’ll hear about it from us!

Investment

AUD $54.99 RRP

Other Versions

The Altra Trail Gaiters come in two sizes S- M and L-XL. Colour range is minimal and muted  which is what some people wants

 

Altra Trail Gaiters will usually hook onto the front set of laces on a set of shoes however Altra shoes come with a gaiter loop to make this easy. Other brands of shoes may also do this as well

Velcro ‘Gaiter Trap’ on the Altra Trail gaiters means these gaiters work straight out of the packet with this brand of shoe. These gaiters come with pieces of velcro to attach to other shoes. The velcro will hold the gaiters in place at the back of the shoe

Altra Trail Gaiters side view

Disclaimer

This review was done with product purchased from a retail store by Australian Hiker

Last updated

18 January 2024

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