Sounds like you are going to be farther north than I'm used to, so can't say if gators are a good idea for the area or not.

In the SE, gators help keep your feet dry and are thus a good idea when out in the bush.

That said, if you take a boat or plane to a village, you basically are not going to be 'backpacking', and so gators are just going to get in the way.

I guess, in general, I'd say even in the northern part, you are likely going to fly in, and then either go do your job, probably in a clinic. Around town, my guess is they'll have paths even if the snow is high, so my guess is most of the time you won't need gators.

OTOH, might not be bad to have in your pack in case something goes wrong, or if you just are doing some R&R hiking.

I like the Outdoor Research gaiters. The ones I have from them are heavy duty Cordura to shrug off pretty much anything.

Their hats are great too.

-john