Gloves for hike starting March/april

[Mr. Dio]

So I'm finally going to be starting my nobo thru hike roughly mar 15ish, I've got everything I need minus a pair of gloves, I'm thinking just a midweight pair of fleece, but I'm worried about damper weather, does anyone have any suggestions for a solid set of gloves?

[gpburdelljr]

Here is another thread on gloves.

https://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthr...ghlight=Gloves

[HankIV]

Gloves can be part of a good sleep system too.

Rain mitts are also helpful, both for rain and wind. Sometimes with gloves, sometimes alone

[LazyLightning]

I like a 2 glove system, one under glove that's wool and then a more abrasive glove that goes over and protects the wool glove. If you use trekking poles this helps big time, the wool gloves are more expensive then I use a cheaper over glove like one of the construction ones with a little rubber on the front. If it's not that cold I don't use the wool glove.

These are my favorite over gloves, job lot usually has them, they really take a lot of trekking pole abuse for the price and protect a better glove underneath: https://www.oceanstatejoblot.com/wil...saAlNREALw_wcB

Then I go with a merino wool glove underneath. If it's real cold I either go 3 layers (150 merino, 250 merino and over glove) or mittens once in the low teens. Mid march I wouldn't bring mittens but definitely my glove system.

I haven't tried any specific rain mits as I'm worried about trekking poles wearing them out, I have put rubber gloves over the wool gloves and under the over glove. That works good keeping warm but then you have a wet glove when the rain stops, dries quick enough though.

[Deadeye]

I just got a pair of waterproof gloves made for cycling - so far they're working: https://www.rei.com/product/147604/s...ol-gloves-mens

I've also used thin liner gloves - wool or poly - with a rain shell like the OR helium rain mitt. the liners are light enough you can bring 2.

[QiWiz]

In cold rain, I like to wear goretex or DCF mitts. Keeps gloves drier and hands warmer.

[One Half]

I hike with thin merino gloves but I just bought a pair of goretex "overmitts" from REI when they were on sale. Not too thick really just a water proof layer to keep my hands and gloves dry when raining and a little extra warmth on the coldest days.

[Traveler]

Much like a lot of people, my hands tend to sweat a lot when I am moving. Regardless of the temperature, I can soak the interior of most winter gloves within an hour which quickly reduces their ability to keep my hands warm and reasonable dry. Some of the worst finger and palm blistering I have experienced was due to this and I have spent a fair amount of time and money trying to find the right gloves. The problem is you have to actually wear different types and combinations of gloves/mittens to discover their properties and if they work for you so patience (and budget) is the key. It took me a while to find a system that worked for me. Be sure you understand the outfitters return policies.

As a suggestion, you may want to take a look at biking gloves. There are several different types, most of them have padding for handlebars and use nylon construction that allows moisture to wick off (either from sweat or precipitation) along with providing shock and blister protection from trekking poles. My hands predictably sweat regardless of season and I have found biking gloves to be a good answer for actives in both hot and cold weather down to about 10-degrees or so. I have a full finger covering pair and a fingerless pair for warm weather hiking that work very well.

I also keep 2-pairs of Smartwool glove liners in the pack which can be a good investment for hiking, snowshoeing and in-camp use. These gloves will very quickly wick off moisture from hand sweat and/or precipitation using body heat and can be comfortable down into single digits (and lower) while actively moving. Once I have stopped moving I will use a heavy pair of gloves or mittens in camp that I keep dry. The limitation of these glove liners are few, however they can snag on rough surfaces like branches and rocks, but even casual care on these surfaces will prevent most problems.

Good luck in the search!

[petedelisio]

Sorry if I missed it in thread.
But what are the yellow cleaning type gloves that some hikers are preferring these days mostly for wet weather?

[heavy]

I've been rocking some mid weight fleece gloves from walmart for about 10 years. Does a job. Plus, they're camouflage for stealth.

[Patrickjd9]

A place where I've found gloves useful is for abrasion protection while clambering over rocks in New England. A few years ago, I grabbed a cheap pair of synthetic leather baseball gloves at Dick's Sporting Goods on the way to a hike.

While they've gotten me through a couple of hikes, I plan to replace them before going to the Whites this summer.

[petedelisio]

Gallon ziplock bags and a band of sorts makes for lightweight rain mitts.

[Odd Man Out]

Gallon ziplock bags and a band of sorts makes for lightweight rain mitts.

I use bread bags. They are the right shape.

[Deadeye]

I've been doing some testing this winter, and the best results so far goes to a nice pair of Smartwool mittens and REI Gortex over mitts. The over mitts were not necessary above low twenties. This combo kept my hands warm enough into the teens, when gloves were barely acceptable in the high twenties.

[Astro]

I use bread bags. They are the right shape.

Used bread bags multiple times to keep socks dry when cold and wet.

[Alligator]

Spring and fall I like to use convertible mitts, midweight fleece, windblocker if available. As long as it is not too cold that my hands freeze when wet, that is sufficient. They'll dry fast in camp and it's nice to have fingertips free without having to take the gloves off. Winter I like to have a shell glove and I bring an extra pair for camp in case the ones I hike in get wet. Summer I bring a lightweight pair of fleece gloves.