gloves (late fall-early spring)

[shades of blue]

What kind of gloves do you recommend for late fall/early spring hiking? It would be nice to have a waterproof shell to go over my current gloves (mountain hardwear power stretch liners). I'm wanting to keep warm, but not go overboard on weight. Any ideas?

[Almost There]

REI's One gloves are pretty nice, and they would fit over liners, not cheap, unless you find'em on sale.

[orangebug]

OR makes a very lightweight glove shell for water proofing. I use them, liners and only wear mittens in snow and very cold weather.

[PKH]

For your requirments, I would simply suggest light fleece liners. Of course they will get wet, but still will do a great job keeping the chill off. They dry quickly as well. Anytime I've been tempted to go with waterproof gloves or mitts, I end up with sweaty hands. Sometimes simple is best.

Cheers,

PKH

[JEB]

Mittens are always warmer than gloves of similar weight. To get the dexterity you might need -- at a low price -- consider Campmor Windban Convertible's.

[The Will]

A great lightweight option is the OR lobster claw shells. Because they are just a shell, there are limitations on the warmth they provide and there is the tendency to experience the "clammy" feeling. But if weight is an issue than these deserve a look.

Beyond that, my opinion is that there is not much to differentiate one light liner from another. I appreciate having a fleece glove made of Windstopper, and have used such a glove for years, but I've noticed that the Windstopper gloves carry a bit more bulk than other fleece liners. If you are a photographer, this may be something to consider.

[Seeker]

i was born and raised in a cold-wet climate, (syracuse NY. seattle is only slightly rainier, and a lot warmer) and lived there for 18 years. i went to college nearby later in life for 2 more years, was stationed north of there (ft drum) still later for 4 more years, and lived in a similar climate for 3 years in europe. point is, i've lived in the cold. (hate it, hence my current locale).

the best glove i ever found for that 'in-between' cold (30*F-55*F) was the us army wool glove insert, worn without the leather shells. i still have them, somewhere. the shells did nothing but pinch my fingers to the point of frostbite. the wool liner alone was my preference down to about 20*F-25*F. below that, i had nice pair of mitten shells that went over the liners, or i went to a synthetic glove if in my civilian clothes. beyond that point, you're not in a wet environment anymore, but frozen/dry cold. i liked the fact that i could sweat through my hands, and the open weave let it evaporate.

given today's fabrics, i'd go with a cheap fleece glove from walmart. they are light, warm, and dry more quickly than my old wool inserts.

[Alligator]

I usually bring my 200 wt fleece gloves that time of year. 3oz. I have a thin pair of liner gloves(cheapies, not fleece), but they weigh 1.7 oz. The 200wt will keep you warm when wet and dry pretty quickly. I know I can always put them in the bag at night and dry them out. I bring shell mittens w/300 wt liners in the winter.

There's probably some thinner fleece gloves out there that will work too. If you choose fleece, having some type of gripping material helps.

When I replace the 200 wts, I may look into the convertible mitts so I can play cards easier. It's hard to play cards with fleece mittens.

[Mags]

For three season backpacking, I use wool liner gloves (army surplus) and silnylon mitts.

Weighs in at 2.625 oz total. Very versatile. I used to use Smartwool liner gloves (on sale at Campmor for $5 a pair every so often), but they wore out too quickly.

Wool is still warm when damp, so it works well for me.

YMMV.

[soulrebel]

kickin it with some 1.4oz Possumdown gloves. Great gloves but the non flattened piling creates lil wool fibers that annoy my wife.

[Newb]

I have to pile-on with the military liners. I just got out of the Air Force, I was issued two types of gloves. The first is a pair of lightweight "mechanics' gloves. These are used by flight crews to keep their hands warm in flight but also retain dexterity. The second is a good ole pair of wool liners and leather shells. They rock.

[DLFrost]

Target has some "windproof, waterproof" Bec-Tec fleece gloves, with gripping-patches, in four sizes, for about $10. Worth checking out at that price. Look for em on the glove rack.

Doug Frost

[prozac]

I like Neoprene rafting gloves. Waterproof,lightweight and extremely warm. About 15/20 $ a pair and tight fitting so you can almost do anything with them on that you can do barehanded.