ProView – Outdoor Research Men’s Helium Gaiters

Shoulder season is a hard time to hike, run, ride, or do other outdoor activities given the unpredictability of weather and trail conditions, without overloading on gear. This was also the perfect time to test these gaiters. The Helium gaiters are billed as a lightweight gaiter for variable conditions, which can be carried in a small stowing pocket. So I took off in differing types of conditions. 

First I hiked in late-season snow and mud with light waterproof hiking boots. The gaiters worked well and didn’t slide off my boots, even when post-holing up to my knees. I then did some uphill climbing in them with microspikes. They still fit on the boots well without any interference from the gaiters. The shock cord top of the gaiter flexes well when hiking uphill, but doesn’t cut into you and stays on top of the calf when hiking. They didn’t sag down when postholing, even in knee deep snow. And yes, since I am old, I wore them with both pants and shorts (I still do this from time to time), and they worked well with either outfit. Five miles of snow and mud, and while the unprotected part of the boot got wet, none of the upper got wet at all, and no water came in through the top. 

I later took them out on dirt and wet, but this time no snow. They breathed well, didn’t get clammy, worked in a stream crossing, and kept my uppers dry again. My second trip was also with trail runners, and they worked with running shoes too. They were easy to adjust between boots and runners, and were easy to take on and off and store.

Performance

The fit and comfort were great. You don’t need to over-tighten the top shock cord to keep the gaiters up. The flex heel stays on your shoes even post-holing. The gaiters don’t sag down off your calf. I have really big calves and they didn’t cut into me at all and I still had room to move.

The look and style is what you expect from gaiters — fairly standard.

Features

Features include replaceable instep straps, breathable uppers, boot lace hooks, hook and loop closures for easy on/off, drawcord cinch at top, and elastic rear. The features make for a great fit and they stay in place. 

They weigh only 4.9 oz and are really lightweight and packable. 

Function and performance is great. Take the time to fit them to your shoes and they stay put. The waterproof/breathable uppers protect and breath well, while the lowers stay on your shoes and you don’t need to fix the fit while hiking. They stay up on your calf well too. 

Durability is good, but it would be easy to overwork them in really rocky conditions, with crampons, or in tough conditions. They are designed for ultralight activities and they are really great for that. 

The gaiters wore well and they stayed closed and well fit the entire time I wore them.

Eco-Friendly

The Helium Gaiters are made from Pertex Shield Diamond Fuse 2.5L, a bluesign®-approved 100% Nylon. If a material is bluesign®-approved, it means the company has taken the extra step to provide the greatest safety, quality, and integrity of responsible chemicals management. Outdoor Research is a proud bluesign® partner and even has a section on their website where you can shop only bluesign®-approved products.

The Final Word

They worked just as advertised. Great for wet and variable conditions, easy to store, kept my feet dry, were easy to fit and take on and off. These are great for shoulder season, wet conditions, snow and mud, work well with boots or trail runners, and can be worn with microspikes. Overall I was really pleased with these gaiters and will be much more willing to throw them into my bag to take just in case I need them compared to my bigger, heavier mountaineering gaiters.  

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