Outdoor Research Verglas Gaiters

A new addition to the extensive OR gaiter line-up, the Verglas Gaiters are, as OR puts it, the traditional Crocodile Gaiters on a diet. Built with Pertex® and Cordura® 500D (instead of Gore-Tex® and Cordura® 1000D), the Verglas are lighter and more packable than the Crocodiles. At $60 they are also $15 cheaper.

My favourite part about the Veglas gaiters is what OR calls the molded boot section. This refers to how the bottom of the gaiters is shaped to extend over a portion of the boot laces and fit snugly against the boot all the way around. This fit worked great for keeping the gaiters in place and keeping snow out.

I have size 8 feet so ordered size medium gaiters as recommended by OR. The mediums are an appropriate length for me (ending at my upper calf). They are, however, a bit wider than ideal. The larger width means the gaiters fit really well over larger boots but are a bit baggy through the calf. Thanks to the molded boot section the gaiters kept me dry even in smaller boots, they just look a bit bulky rather than being really sleek.

I really like the shape of the Cordura® material at the bottom of the Vergals gaiters. Specifically, to save weight the durable but heavier Cordura® material is lower on the outside of the leg while it extends higher on the inside of the leg where contact with crampon spikes or rubbing against the other leg are more likely.

The Verglas gaiters are held up by a webbing cam buckle. This buckle looked good, sat comfortably against my leg and kept the extra webbing from sticking out. I did find, however, that since the gaiters were a bit wide for my calf I had to pull the buckle quite tight and this was a little bit fiddly. My previous gaiters were held up by a cord and toggle system which was quicker to tighten than the buckle. The toggle system, however, did not prevent the cord from sticking out so it could get caught on passing branches. This would not happen with OR's buckle system.

Features:

- Waterproof
- Breathable
- Adjustable

The Verglas Gaiters close with a Cam buckle.

Velcro closure system with a hook to latch onto your laces.

The Cordura® extends higher on the inside of the gaiters and everything is fastened snug with the under the boot strap.

Fabric:

- Upper leg- Pertex® Shield 3L, 100% nylon 70D ripstop.
- Lower leg/Boot- Cordura® 500D
- Weight (size medium): 6.4oz/182grams
- Webbing/Cam buckle top closure
- Reinforced boot lace hook
- Hypalon® Instep Strap

Verdict:

The Verglas gaiters are the lightest and cheapest of OR's waterproof tall gaiters. I found them to be an appropriate height but a bit wider than necessary through the leg. I really like the molded boot section and found it formed well to a variety of boot sizes. The buckle system at the top of the gaiters was a little bit fiddly to tighten but super easy to loosen and kept the webbing from sticking out.

The Verglas Gaiters work with various sizes of boots and extend to the upper calf.

SPECS:

Price: $60
Colours: Black, Orchid
Sizes: S-L

PROS:

Molded boot section
Lightweight
Waterproof
New colour option

CONS:

Buckle closure a bit fiddly
Legs wider than needed

Rating: 8.5/10

Innovation           1.5/2
Function              2/2
Aesthetics / Fit    1/2
Features              2/2
Quality / Price     2/2

This is only our opinion. Do you disagree? Did we miss something? Are we totally out to lunch? Join the discussion in the forums here, and let us know what you think. People like/dislike gear for different reasons so chime in and we'll get a well-rounded evaluation.

Back to the rest of the reviews.