Gaiters are a must for hiking in the West’s cheatgrass country.
I have a pair of Mountain Hard Wear Ascent Stretch Air Permeable Gaiters that I wear both for hiking and cross-country skiing. They’re made of a durable packcloth nylon and are water resistant and breathable.
The Velcro front flap stays secure and keeps the gaiters nice and snug over my boots. I used to have a pair of light nylon gaiters that never seemed to work. They didn’t have the rigidity to stay in place and I was always trying to pull them up.
My Mountain Hard Wear gaiters have fit the bill and have lasted a number of years of rugged use.
You can get a pair from $50 to about $80, depending on the style, at mountainhardwear.com.