View Full Version : Winter glove recommendations
genetic claybuilding
11-19-2011, 15:58
Tell me which gloves you like for winter conditions on the middle-lower AT. Snowy conditions and temps maybe down to single digits.
I lost my other pair (forget the name) and there are so many to choose from, I thought I'd ask you old pros.
I use two pairs, nice warm lightweight gloves and Mountain Laurel Designs eVent mittens, waterproof and incredibly warm............nice combo.
They are also great when hiking in the cold rain or snow, no gloves, just the eVent Mittens & poles.
Good gear
I haven't been down to single digits, but I really like convertible mittens. They're much warmer than any gloves I've used, and they are warmer and more convenient when you need dexterity. Put them under a shell when needed and they should be a great combination.
1+ on mittens. May want to consider a waterproof outer shell (even Tyvek). Some just use a pair do wool socks.
Mittens (OR PL-400), merino wool liners, and MLD eVent mitts over that when necessary.
Feral Bill
11-19-2011, 20:21
Army surplus mittens. The trigger finger is good for much more than shooting. The liners are light, the shells heavy, but worth it.
I actually veer from my don't replicate things and carry two of something in winter / possible snow conditions -- I wear patagonia glove liners while hiking and just day use -- when I need to work on something -- setting up camp, maybe dealing with a problem I wear Hestra Ski / Mountaineering Gloves - Hestra Gloves are made by a family company in Sweden - they are the best -- hestragloves.com/en-us/gloves/mountaineering/
hestragloves.com/en-us/gloves/mountaineering/
I simply have to have mittens. In fact, I'd rather have a mediocre pair of mittens than a burly pair of gloves.
I've tried all kinds of gloves and have yet to find a pair where my fingers don't go completely numb below 15* or so.
Lightweight polypro liner gloves with much warmer over-mittens have worked well for me. The warmth of mittens can be important, but you'll need to be able to spend some time without them while doing complex tasks light lighting a stove or dealing with tent poles. And the less time you have to go barehanded; the better (It probably won't get so cold that you can't spend a minute washing your pot barehanded if you get food stuck on it.)
For mittens, I used some that are almost like neoprene- they shed water very well.
If you prefer gloves and have contacts in Canada, you may find that some items are available for sale only in Canada and not in the US. ( I have no idea why, but you can't ship some types of gloves across the border). A trip to the local co-op there has paid off for me in the past.
Snowleopard
11-20-2011, 13:30
MITTENS!! or perhaps some fleece or wool gloves if it's not cold.
Thin polypro liners so your fingers don't freeze when you need to take mittens off.
Ragg wool mittens are good, single layer:
.http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___92881. Double layer ragg wool mittens are easier to find but will often be too warm. Fleece mittens are ok too.
Gloves and mittens WILL get wet, so two pair; if you can, size them so they fit over each other for really cold.
Goretex shell mitts with no built in insulation to keep your hands dry traveling over snow. Falling into snow without these gets your hands cold and wet. If you have to use your hands pulling yourself up with branches or rocks then the thinnest (i.e., MLD Event shells) might not last. There are cheaper military surplus shell mitts that are waterproof but not breathable and these will do also.
Dachstein wool mittens are great also even in the wet, but they will often be too warm. I usually carry a pair on winter hikes as a backup. .http://www.sweatersintl.com/store/woolmittens.html.
Traveling over snow, it's always nice to have something on your hands for when they come in contact with the snow, sometimes just the shell overmitts.
If your hands or other body parts start getting too cold, it's a semi-emergency and you need to stop and fix the problem. Some people carry a few chemical hand warmers for this but you need to have enough insulation to keep them warm when the chemicals are exhausted.
Camping Dave
11-20-2011, 14:04
Tell me which gloves you like for winter conditions on the middle-lower AT. Snowy conditions and temps maybe down to single digits.
Rubber kitchen gloves for a vapor barrier, then either leather insulated work gloves or mittens.
Vapor barrieres really work.
Rubber kitchen gloves for a vapor barrier.....
Vapor barrieres really work.
Breathable vapor barriers work, non- breathable ones can be dangerous in very cold conditions. Beware!
bigcranky
11-20-2011, 14:13
I carry two, and sometimes three: a light pair of windproof gloves (Gore n2s) for hiking, to keep my hands warm in cold, windy conditions, a pair of Windstopper fleece gloves or mitts for camp, and if the weather conditions demand it, a pair of waterproof/breathable overmitts. Hoping for a pair of the MLD eVent overmitts in my stocking this year....
Camping Dave
11-20-2011, 14:16
Breathable vapor barriers work, non- breathable ones can be dangerous in very cold conditions. Beware!
This is total crap. Vapor barriers work.
Camping Dave
11-20-2011, 14:28
Breathable vapor barriers work, non- breathable ones can be dangerous in very cold conditions. Beware!
And earlier in the thread, we can see why you are so mistaken about vapor barriers: you don't know how to use them.
1+ on mittens. May want to consider a waterproof outer shell (even Tyvek). Some just use a pair do wool socks.
So your idea of a vapor barrier is that it goes outside your insulation, thereby ensuring that your insulating layer gets soaked with sweat. Vapor barriers go next to your skin so sweat never hits your insulation and your insulation stays dry. Vapor barriers work. Spokes' advices is dangerous. Neither one of those facts is too surprising.
Feral Bill
11-20-2011, 14:29
Breathable vapor barriers work
Breathable vapor barriers? Thats a contradiction in terms. Explain, please.
bmwsmity
11-20-2011, 14:31
Breathable vapor barriers work, non- breathable ones can be dangerous in very cold conditions. Beware!
Umm, isn't the defining characteristic of a vapor barrier is that it's non-breathable?
What emergency blanket is breathable? That's a vapor barrier.
Never heard of an emergency blanket being dangerous in the cold...
Breathable vapor barriers work, non- breathable ones can be dangerous in very cold conditions. Beware!
Your signature says "I brew the beer I drink", so I understand what you're trying to say.
Your signature says "I brew the beer I drink", so I understand what you're trying to say.
Yep I have a Nut Brown ale and an Irish Red fermenting right now. heheheheheeeee
PaulHope
11-20-2011, 17:53
For winter conditions here in Colorado's high country were wind-chill can get down to into the negative digits I use OR's PL 400 as a liner and then BD's Mercury Mitt over the top. This combo keeps me comfortable down to about -15DegF, any colder then out comes the OR Alti Mitts.
Yep I have a Nut Brown ale and an Irish Red fermenting right now. heheheheheeeee
Good to see you've found another treasure trove of avatars Spokes.. :)
and make the wine also!
btw - that spokes is a good lookin' gal! hehehe
I strongly agree with the idea of mittens being better than gloves. For winter conditions, I'll "+1" to comments already made including (a) a thin quick-drying liner glove, (b) dachstein mittens (PL400 are good and lighter, for when it's not quite so cold), and (c) some sort of a light shell. My MLD eVent mitten shells have held up quite well given that I've used them quite a bit now and I always use trekking poles.
As an alternative, someone in a similar thread on BPL quite recently pointed to Mammut cover mittens (http://www.prolitegear.com/mammut-cover-mitten.html). I have no experience with these, just passing on the link.
One final note: on the AT last year I lost a fleece mitten and found that pretty much none of the outfitters along the way sell mittens; I think there might have been one exception in the form of a pair of mittens plus shells that were quite heavy. So if you're doing the AT in winter, make sure you have your own friggin' mittens (and perhaps spares to be mailed out). Because despite being IMO way inferior for seriously keeping your hands warm, gloves are much more popular with the public at large, making decent mittens hard to find other than in the largest of outfitters or by purchase via the internet.
for all my activities (winter and 3 season), I use surplus wool liner gloves and a shell mitt.
For really cold weather (rarely worn), I have a middle layer wool mitten.
This modular system has served me well from moderately cool mornings in the summer (liners only) to -12 or so conditions for winter ski touring.
Wise Old Owl
11-21-2011, 00:43
UGHHHHH - Woo here - Folks I have a different take. Some of the best glove mittens are the ones that have individual fingers and palms in fleece, then have a cover - so when you need to take them off - just open them or flip it open and use dexterity and flip them back over - very hard to find - sometimes easier to get in camo, but perhaps the best in the field.
UGHHHHH - Woo here - Folks I have a different take. Some of the best glove mittens are the ones that have individual fingers and palms in fleece, then have a cover - so when you need to take them off - just open them or flip it open and use dexterity and flip them back over - very hard to find - sometimes easier to get in camo, but perhaps the best in the field.
Good recommendation, at least until it gets really cold. I do have a couple of OR's expedition mittens, but I've never had a need for them. I just couldn't resist buying a cool piece of gear.
I haven't been down to single digits, but I really like convertible mittens. They're much warmer than any gloves I've used, and they are warmer and more convenient when you need dexterity. Put them under a shell when needed and they should be a great combination.
Smooth & Wasabi
11-21-2011, 10:55
You have gotten great advice I'd go with the w/b shell, liner glove, mitten combo for your area. In the North East I go with a burlier shell for skiing but would love some of the MLDs for shoulder season backpacking. I add super thick fleece or puffy mittens for camp, light fleece mittens and liner gloves under the shell for moving depending on temps and sometimes windproof fleece gloves for when I am really working up a sweat and the shells are too much. I would love to try out some soft shell gloves when I have the extra funds. I think they would be great for all but the coldest days while moving and they would shed moisture which is the problem when going with just fleece or liner gloves in snowy conditions .
Tom Murphy
11-21-2011, 14:46
For New England Winters,
Wool liner gloves and spare set; I prefer smartwool but any brand will do; while hiking below treeline this is typically all I need
When above treeline, I added a nylon mitten shell like this one from EMS [http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10919684]; sometimes the change to the fleece liners that came with it, sometimes I just add the shell over the liner gloves.
For Emergencies, I also bring a pair of FOXRIVER wool mittens [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000J00WYU/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000J02AJ0&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=00NBD0SDQZRS8281YFN3]
Make sure all layers work together, I can wear the wool liners with the fleece gloves, the wool mittens, and the nylon liners. I can't imagine needing all of those layers but they do fit one inside the other without restricting circulation.
Yesterday I bought myself a pair of Mountain Hardware "Epic" gloves water and wind proof. Can't wait to try them out.
Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow