Light weight Snake Gaiters

[southpawcaddis]

I enjoy small stream fishing and usually wet wade in warmer weather. It surprised me, some of the encounters that I have had with snakes, how docile they are. But I hate walking through ferns etc. Does anyone wear gaiters? And if you do, any recommendations? Thanks

 

[wildtrout2]

I enjoy small stream fishing and usually wet wade in warmer weather. It surprised me, some of the encounters that I have had with snakes, how docile they are. But I hate walking through ferns etc. Does anyone wear gaiters? And if you do, any recommendations? Thanks

The ferns are a good place to be extra cautious, the timbers find good hunting in them. Swattie can give you some good ideas on gaiters, since he wears them in snake country. I consider the slack in my waders good enough protection from fangs. You pretty much have to step on a rattler to get bitten.

 

[nd1001]

I wear CrackShot gaiters, and I like them. Gaiters also serve as good gravel guards and protection from thorns.

The CrackShot brand is a bit more expensive than cheap ones I’ve found on Amazon, but my first cheapo pair would always ride up and had a strap break.

What really sold me on the CrackShot was an old demo video of a guy testing them out (repeatedly) on a real rattler.

 

[tomgamber]

Stomp when you walk. You'll never see em.

 

[jeffroey]

TurtleSkin Snake Armor. Love them. Light and flexible. I wear the same pair regardless of if I'm wet wading or wade fishing.

 

[Swattie87]

I wear the soft wrap around your waders or pants ones. Scent blocker brand. They’ve held up well. Never actually fully tested them, but plenty of times close enough I was glad I had them on.

Same as you with the ferns. You can’t see where you’re putting your feet.

 

[Mashbill]

i hope we have another new snake thread this year - like we did last Spring. that was mind blowing!
... and i hope i'm not a contributor!

- glad this topic was re-posted to remind me. Im going with Swattie's Scent Blockers -- i like the buckles
( look like they are adjustable ) and seem a good price point for what i need. I dont have to want to worry about this as im thrashing around in the scrub.

 

[Swattie87]

I’m sure someone probably will. I saw two last year. I’d say my long term average is about one per year.

 

[southpawcaddis]

Thanks for the info.

 

[Bruno]

Some Statistics​

the odds of you being bitten are 40,965 to one. Basically Drunk Dumb young people get bitten. The 85% of bites happen on the hands tells ya something - don't touch snakes . Cows and Dogs are more dangerous.

• In the United States, 7,000 to 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes each year.
• 55 percent of people bitten by snakes are male, ages 17 to 27.
• 85 percent of bites are to the fingers and hands.
• 13 percent of snakebites occur on the feet and legs, rarely above the ankle.
• 57 percent of snakebite victims were handling the snake at the time of the bite.
• 28 percent of snakebite victims were intoxicated.
• Denim clothing can reduce the amount of venom injected by a snakebite by 60 percent or more.
• On average, five Americans die from snakebites each year.

This is from an article from Outside Magazine.

Let's Talk About Snakebites

It's rattlesnake season. Are you going to die?

www.outsideonline.com