Gaiter

An outerwear accessory designed to protect a person’s lower legs. Traditionally, gaiters are a separate piece of clothing worn over the pant leg and upper boot, which attaches to the laces and ends at the upper calf, just below the knee. Many modern ski pants now incorporate “built-in gaiters” underneath the pant cuffs. When worn hunting or bushwacking, gaiters protect from brambles and underbrush. In mountaineering, Nordic skiing and snowshoeing, gaiters prevent snow from entering the top of the boot.