Hogskin
Registered: March 2001
Posts: 2864
|
|
Review Date: Mon October 17, 2005
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Quality, durability, comfort, utility
|
|
Cons:
|
Minor neg - a little on the warm side
|
|
First off, to say that I have a phobia of snakes is an understatement. There have been times that I’ve actually cut a hunt short because of a snake encounter. In an effort to remedy this, I’ve tried a few different things, including snake boots and a pair of snake pants. The boots were expensive and downright uncomfortable. Maybe they’re fine for the southeast where you don’t have to hike long distances into your hunting area. But they are so tall (a requirement in order to provide adequate protection) and heavy that I gave up on them after a few wears. The pants were HOT, heavy, stiff, and so noisy as to make them totally useless.
When I first heard about Turtleskins I was skeptical. Given my previous experiences with snake-proof gear I wasn’t too anxious to hand over my hard-earned cash for another piece of gear that would end up in a cardboard box in the garage. But my snake-phobia eventually overrode my miserly intentions and I ordered a pair of Turtleskin gaiters from JHO. I have ordered from JHO in the past and have always received my purchase within a couple days. I was disappointed when I received an email a week later indicating that the items were on backorder. A quick call to the 800# and Jesse said that he would expedite shipment as soon as he received his stock. True to his word, I received my order via FedEx just a few days later. Great service and at a price that is 15-20% below other vendors. I highly recommend using JHO’s online store when you need to buy outdoor gear.
First thing that I noticed with the gaiters is that they appear to be very well crafted. The fit & finish is outstanding. They’re also considerably lighter than other snake gear I’ve owned. I had a chance to try out them out last Thursday in Angeles National Forest. It was hot that day, probably in the upper 80’s/low 90’s. I would conservatively estimate that I hiked 6 miles that day (probably closer to 8 or 10) through some nasty brush. A large amount of my hiking was bucking brush and blazing my own trail. Without snake gear, I wouldn’t even dream of doing this but I was worry-free in my Turtleskin gaiters. I had no snake encounters but I’m still sold on these things. In addition to repelling snake bites, they also do a pretty good job repelling burrs and thistles. I was impressed with their durability. Among the advertising points for the gaiters is that they provide “cool comfort”. Back at the truck I removed them and my pant legs were soaked with sweat. In fairness to Turtleskins, they are considerably cooler than any other snake gear I’ve used and simply wrapping a cotton rag around my lower legs probably would have yielded the same sweaty results on such a hot day. They’re not silent as a pair of fleece pants are, but compared to the other snake pants I’ve owned they’re whisper quiet. The elastic adjuster makes for a “customized” comfortable fit, too. Overall, it’s money well-spent and I highly recommend them if you spend any time in snake country.
|
|
;)
;)
