Mountain Hardwear Scree Review

Name: Mountain Hardwear Scree
Brand: Mountain Hardwear

Mountain Hardwear Scree Review — Credit: Mountain Hardware

Price: $45 List

Manufacturer: Mountain Hardwear

By Thomas Greene ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ May 9, 2016

View at Mountain Hardwear

Our Verdict

2017: The MH Scree was Discontinued

REASONS TO BUY

Ultralight

Breathable

Comfortable for running

REASONS TO AVOID

Difficult to put on and attach

The Mountain Hardwear Scree is a small, sleek looking gaiter with few features. It comes up about four inches above the ankle and can be stretched over hiking boots with a little effort, though it is better suited to running or approach shoes. Our main issue with this gaiter was getting it on in the first place; the bottom attachment strap is not stretchy, and you either have to retie a knot each time or try to wiggle it on with the strap attached. But if you can get it on, it stays in place up the ankle without being too tight, repels water efficiently, keeps the dirt out and is not too hot. Our Top Pick for Lightweight and Breathability, the Rab Scree, provides about the same coverage as this model with a much easier attachment process, but if you have some spare bungee cord lying around and like modifying your gear, then this gaiter is still a good option.

Our Analysis and Test Results

At 0.5 ounces, the Mountain Hardwear Scree gaiter is feather light and compresses to nothing for storage and carrying. It's 7 inches long altogether, comes in Black only, and four sizes from S to XL. It's made with Mountain Hardwear's “Seta Stretch” fabric.

Performance Comparison

mountain hardwear scree - this gaiter works best with approach shoes or runners. they are... — This gaiter works best with approach shoes or runners. They are lightweight and breathable, and do a fairly good job of keeping debris out if they fit, but are very hard to put on and take off.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring

Water Resistance

This gaiter is surprisingly waterproof. Water beads up and rolls off the stretch fabric, and even after a prolonged dousing, it didn't wet completely through. While it won't protect your lower legs as much as our Editors' choice winner, the Rab Latok Alpine, it will keep the muck and rain out on your next soggy trail run.

mountain hardwear scree - the seta stretch fabric does a good job of repelling water and mud... — The Seta Stretch fabric does a good job of repelling water and mud, though nothing will keep your feet dry if you slip off this log!
Credit: Lyra Pierotti

Debris Protection

The top of this gaiter has an elastic rib on the back side to help it stay up and keep debris out. While out on a trail run, it did a much better job of staying up than the Outdoor Research Ultra Trail, which comes with an adjustable bungee closure; however, if the opening doesn't fit you well this gaiter could let a fair amount of debris in. When we tried this gaiter on with a full-size hiking boot, the height of the boot actually held the top open, allowing more space for debris to enter. It was also hard to wear with layers, but when we did manage to pull it over light hiking pants it fared better.

mountain hardwear scree - these gaiter will keep the mud off your socks if they fit your legs... — These gaiter will keep the mud off your socks if they fit your legs right, but since the tops aren't adjustable they did have a tendency to slide down on some of our testers.
Credit: Thomas Greene

Durability

The instep strap is essentially a shoelace - though it didn't break during our testing, it's only a matter of time before it would wear through. That's actually a good thing, as you can then replace it with a piece of elastic cord that will make putting it on much easier. Overall, this gaiter held up well in testing, with re-inforced grommet holes and hook attachments.

mountain hardwear scree - while the shoelace straps probably won't last long, the grommet... — While the shoelace straps probably won't last long, the grommet holes are reinforced with an extra flap of fabric and the hook attachment is on a separate piece of bar-tacked webbing.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring

Comfort & Breathability

Whether or not our testers like the feel of this gaiter came down to fit - those with skinnier legs couldn't get them to stay up due to the lack of adjustability, but if they fit correctly then they miraculously stayed in place without the discomfort of a tight closure. In terms of breathability, the Seta Stretch fabric was very breathable and we experienced no noticeable issues with sweaty feet.

Ease of Attachment

mountain hardwear scree - at first we thought we could just tie the shoelace over the top of... — At first we thought we could just tie the shoelace over the top of our foot, but the sides of the gaiter could still ride up in this configuration.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring

We had to give this gaiter the lowest score for Ease of Attachment. The instep strap is a non-stretchy shoelace that is long enough out of the box to tie over the front of your foot. Unfortunately, in that configuration it doesn't do much towards holding the sides of gaiter down. So we cut the shoelace to size and tied it on both ends, but then we were left with another dilemma. The knots has to be tied tightly to stay put, and were difficult to tie and untie each time we used them. It was also then impossible to put the gaiter on first and stretch the shoelace over our boots or shoes. So the “easiest” thing to do was put the gaiter on over our shoe first, then put the two of them on together, and then try and wrestle our laces closed somehow, and then do the reverse to take them off. Not so easy after all… A simple bungee cord boot strap would solve all this hassle, and drastically increase the ease of use of this gaiter.

mountain hardwear scree - since the shoelace-like straps are not stretchy, you have to put the... — Since the shoelace-like straps are not stretchy, you have to put the gaiters on over your shoes first, or tie and untie welded shoelace knots each time.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring

Weight

If Ease of Attachment was this gaiter's downfall, then Weight is its saving grace. Two of them weigh less than a GU pack, and we had to double and triple check the scales to make sure we were seeing the weight correctly - only 0.5 ounces each. That means you'll barely notice them there, either in your pack or on your legs.

Best Applications

This gaiter is best used for trail runs or day-hikes with low-profile hiking boots/approach shoes. We also suggest making sure the gaiter is a good fit for you and your shoes before leaving the store, but with four sizes to choose from you should be able to get a good fit.

These gaiters work best with low profile shoes for day hikes or trail runs where you want to keep your feet dry and debris free.

Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring

Value

Considering the limited use and functionality of this gaiter, at $45 it seems steeply priced. In addition, you'll likely end up modifying the bottom attachment to really be able to use it without too much hassle. That drops its value in our estimation. For the same price as this gaiter, our Best Buy winner, the Outdoor Research Wrapid, has a more versatile design and is much easier to put on.

mountain hardwear scree - a final shot of the frustration we felt putting these gaiters on... — A final shot of the frustration we felt putting these gaiters on. Once we had them on our feet, we still had to tie our laces somehow. Not the best attachment system out there...
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring

Conclusion

We are big fans of light and fast gear here at OutdoorGearLab, and a gaiter that weighs only half an ounce is a very enticing choice. If your main goal is to have the lightest gear at all times, then this is the gaiter for you. But for a few ounces more, our Top Pick for Lightweight and Breathability, the Rab Scree, was just a better choice overall.

— Thomas Greene