Do Gaiters Protect Against Snake Bites? (Precise Short Answer)
There are different types of gaiters depending on the use, as well as different types of materials, It is important to understand that not all gaiters can protect against snake bites, gaiters in general are not designed for that function, there are gaiters specially designed to protect against snake bites.
The usual gaiters could be made of fabric, leather or waterproof material and other types of materials, these gaiters are used to protect the legs from different elements such as walking in the snow or in the undergrowth, but these materials do not guarantee protection against snake bites.
Gaiters that are specially manufactured for snakebite protection contain special materials, some have PVC laminates and also polypropylene laminates, in short, they are practically like an armor that goes from a little below the knees and covers part of the shoe.
Yes, these gaiters are very effective in protecting the legs from snakebite, other of these gaiters are made of cordura fabric, which is a super strong and lightweight fabric that is also laminated with PVC.
Well, I answered precisely which gaiters do not work as snake bite protection and which do work, but in the research I did for this topic, I discovered more information that you might find useful.
Forget gaiters, boots will protect you
Gaiters are very useful to keep you comfortable while climbing mountains, or while walking through rough places, when I say forget about gaiters, I am referring to the specific issue of them protecting you from snake bites, in my opinion, the boots you wear will be the determining factor in that sense.
And while there are gaiters specifically designed to protect you from snake bites, a pair of traditional gaiters over rubber boots will protect you quite well from a snake bite.
You must understand that snakes perceive their prey by the heat they emit, it is like a kind of thermal vision, rubber boots, prevent your feet from radiating heat and therefore confuse the snake, the snake has a limited venom so it tends to choose its targets with caution.
In addition, the snake’s bite mechanism is quite fast, they strike, inject their fangs and withdraw immediately, a snake will not be able to bite through gaiters and then rubber boots.
Alternative snakebite protection gaiter fabrics
New materials have been developed for the manufacture of gaiters that protect against snake bites, an example of this is the turtle skin technology, this type of material that was originally used in anti-cut gloves can also be found in gaiters, it is a very effective material against all types of cuts and needles.
Gaiters made with this type of material can offer several layers of protection while maintaining flexibility and comfort on the leg, this technology is made of patented materials woven with high strength fibers designed to be very thin but very protective.
This TurtleSkin technology material has even been tested on live rattlesnakes and has successfully repelled bites and venom, I should note that rattlesnakes are recognized as the most venomous snakes in North America.
Can snakes bite through nylon gaiters?
The main function of nylon gaiters is to protect your boots from mud, snow or insects that may penetrate, but this type of fabric is not safe from snake bites, even though nylon gaiters usually have several layers of fabric and are waterproof, they are designed to be breathable, so a snake’s needle-like fangs could pierce through.
The most dangerous snakes in North America
In North America, these are the most dangerous snakes and should be specially protected, both in boots and gaiters:
Copperheads
Cottonmouths
Rattlesnakes
Can snake fangs penetrate jeans? Important Tip
One of the most frequently asked questions about protecting your legs from snake bites is whether jeans can protect you. Unfortunately, the fangs of most snakes can bite through jean fabric without a problem because they are too sharp.
It’s not even a matter of how hard the fabric of the pants is, the snake’s fangs are practically like needles, and besides that, the snakes also bite hard enough to pierce the fabric of the jeans.
Snakes have fangs depending on the type of prey they hunt, there are snakes that have long and sharp fangs, because they hunt animals with soft skin, others have short fangs but stronger and just as sharp because they hunt animals with thicker skin, jeans fabric is not a problem in both cases.
But more than the thickness of the fabric, there is a determining factor that can make a pair of jeans protect from a snake bite, and this is the looseness of the fabric in relation to your leg.
Wearing wide and baggy pants is the essential key against snake bite protection, not so much the thickness of the fabric although this is also important, the thickness is almost irrelevant because the teeth of snakes are very thin.
In fact, I read several stories of people in North America who were bitten by snakes and got a bleeding wound despite having two pairs of jeans on.
Obviously, it would be irresponsible of me to say that wearing jeans does not protect to some extent, but you must keep in mind that the real danger in a snake bite is the venom.
A snake’s fangs release venom as soon as they encounter resistance, so if there is a certain distance between the pants and the leg, the poison could run down the inside of the pants, add to this that the thicker the fabric, the better.
