UKH

Came back from a run in the deep snow this afternoon and although my feet were warm and dry thanks to some toastie SealSkinz, I had lots of snow and ice between my ankle and the tongue of my trainers and down the sides, so thought I might invest in a pair of running-specific gaiters.

Anyone have any experience? Recommendations? Stuff to stay clear of? I generally run in Brooks Cascadias. This time of year I use YakTrax Run when it's icy so ideally something compatible with those would be handy.

Cheers
YM

In reply to yorkshireman:

I got the Salomon ones recently, to be honest I'm not massively impressed with them, but I might have been asking a bit much from them. They don't work very well in deep snow, they just start peeling backwards and you have to stop and readjust them quite a bit. They cope fine in a couple of inches of fresh snow, but anything more than that on a regular basis and I'd recommend something a bit more effective.

In reply to yorkshireman:

Inov8 do some, look like they would be compatable with most shoes.

http://www.inov-8.com/New/Global/Product-View-DebrisGaiter-32.html

In reply to Pete Houghton:


Thanks - I'd been looking at these since they're in Decathlon and seemed the obvious choice so thanks for the feedback. Deep snow is the issue - today it was anything from ankle to knee deep so the problems you describe wouldn't be ideal.

In reply to The New NickB:

Debris gaiters aren't much use in deep snow, the snow gets in anyway and the gaters keep it there!i

In reply to yorkshireman:

Decathlon own brand are good

In reply to yorkshireman:

Montane Trailblazers: http://www.montane.co.uk/range/accessories/trailblazer-gaiter

Better than most other trail running gaiters as you put them on after your shoes, not before.

In reply to yorkshireman:

I use the RAB ones, seem pretty good. Made a modification to the elastic that runs underneath to protect it from rock damage. Was out running in knee deep snow last weekend and although a bit did manage to creep up underneath wasn't a lot and I'd still prefer that to not having gaiters at all.

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

What is the difference, I've been ruining in a lot of snow the last few days, it's only really an issue when it's caught behind the tongue and any running gaiter should stop that.

In reply to yorkshireman:

I tried.. anything that worked also just sweated..

In deep snow? Snow shoes? But you'll flick up your leg...

But you need a tough material to with stand crusts.. and breathable.. and light...

Right now I'm not sure anything exists. The running debris gaiters don't account for this.

How about calf compression socks, just another layer of insulation?

In reply to Run_Ross_Run "Was out running in knee deep snow last weekend"

How?

you just run like some kind of special kid no? snow shoes are the answer there..

In reply to Stroppy's wife:


One foot in front of the other, raise the knees. You should try it one day. Its called exercise.


Yep. Youve got it. Ill get some ordered today, so they can sit in the wardrobe for a few years. Are snow shoes still as good on tarmac as they used to be?

In reply to yorkshireman:

Yeah, look at something else. I took mine for a test run in the first winter snowstorms in Chamonix back in November, there was anything between two and twelve inches of snow, and then again a few days later when it had transformed into various other things - ice, crust, slush - and the rubber strap under the arch kept being pulled up and backwards over the heel even though they were supposedly the right size for the shoe. I took them off eventually, cold ankles were less of a hassle than near-constant readjustment.

I've used them since in much easier conditions, no more than two inches of snow, and they worked great though. But what I really want now is a pair of the really spicy Sportiva shoes with the built-in gaiter, that'd be a decent answer to the problem I think.

In reply to IainRUK:


I'm starting to see there's not an ideal answer.

I'm running the snow shoe trails in our valley - at the moment some of it is tracked but there's a lot of deep powder - it's mostly maybe 15cm deep but places where it's 40cm. I did 6km this morning and it took me 45mins so obviously takes its toll on speed. I've got snow shoes but to me that's a different activity (eg. hiking).

I'm doing a snow trail race on Sunday and everyone will be running it in trail shoes, with a few YakTrax etc. No snow shoes. I did it last year and it was carnage, and very deep in places, but in other places it was along the groomed XC ski trails.


Insulation isn't the problem. I'm running in thick tights, thick socks and a pair of SealSkinz over those. It was -7 this morning with windchill taking it to -15. I was still quite toasty. The extra effort in the snow probably helps.

In reply to jockster:


When I searched on the site I only got the Salomon ones. Will try to drop by a store this week and have a look.

In reply to yorkshireman:


As a one-off (race) solution, have you considered duck tape?

In reply to yorkshireman:

Have you a pair of the running snowshoes?

Out here we have lots of snow shoe races, dion seem the main brand..

In reply to IainRUK:


No, just the ordinary ones. To be honest I've not seen a single snowshoe race around here - must be a regional thing.

Found some info on the type of snowshoes you must be referring to: http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/running/Snowshoe-Running-101-buy-the-r...

I'll keep an eye out for races - tbh though I'm preferring Nordic skiing as a low impact way of keeping CV fitness during the winter.

In reply to yorkshireman:

I'v got a pair of Raidlights

happy with them but not really tested in deep snow.
bigish (cover most of yer foot), thin (not waterproof) material, decent underfoot strap (better if there's a distinct arch bit in the sole)
initially I didn't like the ankle bit: there's a spongey protector bit on the anklebone, but just got used to it.
you could even go for the full desert number: sand / snow, similar thing really

In reply to The New NickB:


My debris gaiters don't in deep powder. The snow gets in the bottom of the gaiter where it is pushed up the side by the next lot of snow, and into the shoe where it accumulates behind the tongue.

In reply to yorkshireman:

You want to get a pair of these, they look awesome - not tried them myself, hard to justify for the rare times I'd wear them http://www.salomon.com/uk/product/snowcross-cs.html

In reply to steelbru:


I know, I've been toying with the idea for a couple of seasons now but never got round to it. I haven't been able to find a pair to try on so would have to get delivered and take a punt. I'd definitely my money's worth though.

In reply to Simon Caldwell:


Strange. My debris gaiters work perfectly. Maybe yours aren't on tightly enough? Mine even keep stream water out as long as it's only one or two steps.
However they are a pain to put on, and a bigger pain to take off when they are cold, wet, muddy and snowy!

In reply to Run_Ross_Run:

yes I've done the odd bit of running...

Snow shoes are good on tarmac.. fantastic...

In reply to yorkshireman:

yeah its a big sport here.. I may get a pair but it depends where we end up living.. I may just get a skiing set up and ski but it costs a lot more so not justifiable unless we live up in the northern USA.

In reply to IainRUK:

Ive obviously missed something then. Apologies for my nativity. Can you post a link to the product your talking about. Im envisaging tennis racket strapped on soles type footwear or do I need to move into the modern age?

In reply to Run_Ross_Run:

http://crescentmoonsnowshoes.com/running/

There's a few different types,

Atlas and dion as well..

http://www.snowshoeracing.com/events.htm

It's huge over here, probably bigger than XC ski racing..

In reply to IainRUK:


Judging by the news, you're going to have plenty of snow to practice on over the next few days!

In reply to yorkshireman:

possibly the biggest over reaction ever..

it looks like we just lay over the line, 5mm at the moment. but they did say last night there would be huge differences over short areas as the storm may not push as south as us.