A couple of years ago I covered the olive green GS gaiters here, as mentioned then, the design was updated and came in DPM and MTP patterns in the years that followed. Recently I have been able to pick up the MTP variation and on inspection not only is it in a new pattern of camouflage, but the design has also been updated, presumably as the result of user feedback:

These gaiters have replaced the wire instep loop with a piece of elastic, note the eyelets used to tension the elastic:

The gaiters are secured up the side with a long zip and this is then covered with a velcroed fly to prevent it catching in the undergrowth:

They secure at the top with a single press stud and a draw string:

Opening up the gaiter reveals a piece of elastic sewn in at where the gaiter covers the top of the ankle to draw it in and prevent it billowing out as the foot moves:

A label is sewn in which shows that these are the Mk 2 pattern gaiter, in a standard size and that they were made in 2018 :

This label implies that there are also rarer variations to deal with those who have particularly large or small feet!

There seems to be some debate how good the gaiters actually are, some squaddies love them, others hate them. One soldier recalls the DPM version of the gaiters:

I had an old pair of the DPM issue ones. They were bloody great.

I remember ripping one of my mukkers on our cadre up at Otterburn, because he wore those yeti style gaiters which I believed made you look like an instant h*mo.

Told him to stick with the issued gear, its ******* bombproof.

I then went on to break the cable part on one of them, rendering it pretty useless! Immediately prior to starting an exercise. Mint!!

I needn’t have worried though, as everyone knows you can simply exchange issue gear at the QMs dept. Which would of been ideal if the QMs were coming round the training area in a van or something, doing emergency exchanges.

Turns out they weren’t.