Collected snow, ice and mud - Montane Alpine Spirit Gaiter

I can't recommend these to anyone who plans to hike in winter conditions. The straps kept coming loose which then created room to collect snow, ice, mud and leaves. Every few steps I had to stomp my feet in an attempt to shake loose the debris. Eventually the straps just froze into place so I couldn't adjust them anymore. I've thru hiked the AT, using OR gaiters, and will have to go back to those apparently. I'm currently end-to-end section hiking the Sheltowee Trace and this past weekend's 30 miles were made harder due to these gaiters. I abandoned using them the second day and just let my pants get wet and muddy. Disappointed since I thought the ankle and calf fit perfectly and was really pleased with this purchase until I actually put them into use, in harsh conditions.