Rebecca Green (editor of Sporting Shooter magazine) puts the John Field gaiters to the test in the thorny, unforgiving and muddy terrain of the Ardnamurchan Estate
By virtue of my height, I’m normally a wellies girl, with trousers tucked in as I struggle to get breeks to come past my knees or trousers that aren’t swinging around my calves!
But when packing for a recent shooting trip to Scotland I knew I’d need the ankle support of a decent pair of boots, which in turn meant the need for gaiters. Time to see if the pair sent in from John Field would fit the bill.
I had no idea of the test these breathable, waterproof, laminated Cordura gaiters would face in the boggy, thorny, muddy terrain of Ardnamurchan, but they really did pass with flying colours!
Designed to keep debris and water out of your boots as well as protect your legwear, the elasticated gaiters are fully adjustable so that they fit a range of leg sizes and boot soles. They didn’t quite reach right up to my knees, as they would on other normal-height people, but that didn’t make a jot of difference. The gaiters stayed securely in place, protecting my shooting-sock-clad legs from the densest of brambles, without making me overheat.
Most impressively though, they survived total submergence in a bog when I got stuck up to my knees. As the picture shows, the gaiters were an unrecognisable muddy mess, but underneath I was bone dry – not a drop of moisture or mud got through. And the tough Cordura material was simply hosed off at the end of the day and the gaiters were as good as new.
I have since made the switch from wellies to boots and the John Field gaiters for all my shooting and they haven’t let me down.
RRP: £65
www.johnfield.eu