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  1. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by JNI64 View Post
    I've been wanting to try the sealskinz gloves. Have you ever seen these?

    Every review I've seen about their socks were positive.
    I have some Sealskinz socks and like them.Also,Randy Sun makes a great water proof sock as well.I do wear a REI light wool liner sock with either pair.Randy Sun are available on Amazon and very reasonably priced.

    Sealskinz Gloves should be fine but I cant do anything with gloves on so I wear fingerless gloves with a Lite Hart Gear pvc mitten which is nothing more than a glorified stuff sack but they do keep your hands and gloves dry.
    At night I have dedicated fingerless gloves for sleeping.

  2. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by kevperro View Post
    So I'm mainly pursuing a better solution for when I'm not exerting hard enough to keep my hands warm without a glove and I'm hiking in mixed cold rain/snow/ice.
    Those MLD rain mitts are pretty great for that, with some thin gloves or liners under them. My main concern, and the reason I use them sparingly, is that, being just a thin shell equivalent to a lightweight WPB jacket, it's hard to imagine they're very durable. I made sure to do a very thorough job seam-sealing, and with some common sense, hope to get a good amount of use from them. So far so good, but mine are still practically new in the whole scheme of things, and I can't comment on their longevity.
    Just canceled a trip out West next week that would have given me the opportunity to use them in cold and windy conditions, but maybe I'll get into some weather in the NC mountains...

    btw, REI has GoreTex ones with taped seams that cost the same as the MLD ones. ZPacks has a Vertice version, but $65 is starting to push it for something you already know going in won't be that durable. 'Course they might feel worth it for a single day if they keep you from being miserable!

  3. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by JNI64 View Post
    What kind of dog wool? (Breed)? My dog sheds enough i could weave entire wardrobe .
    ....
    Suppose it came from a Pomeranian, but you could use any breed that carries good underwool.
    You have to make a mix of half sheep wool and half dog wool.

  4. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by JNI64 View Post
    What kind of dog wool? (Breed)? My dog sheds enough i could weave entire wardrobe .
    Remember when Samoyeds were the fashionable breed, back in the 80s? My wife and I were into fabric arts then, with a spinning wheel and loom taking up a spare bedroom. A couple of neighbors and coworkers had Samoyeds and we'd spin some good yarns with them. I still have one of the sweaters. It still smells like dog when it gets wet.
    "Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning

  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by garlic08 View Post
    Remember when Samoyeds were the fashionable breed, back in the 80s? My wife and I were into fabric arts then, with a spinning wheel and loom taking up a spare bedroom. A couple of neighbors and coworkers had Samoyeds and we'd spin some good yarns with them. I still have one of the sweaters. It still smells like dog when it gets wet.
    Just curious, were you able to spin a yarn of pure dog wool?

  6. #26
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    What has worked so well for me is thin gloves inside of Outdoor Research Goretex mitts. Not light gloves but really thin ones. You need air inside the mittens to create that area of warm insulation. Really thin gloves are hard to find and are critical in subzero weather when you just have to remove those mittens to do something.
    Be Prepared

  7. #27

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    my down mitts on my feet at night. It gets so hot I have to kick m off by morning. AH BUTTTT...... in the morning I can put them back on untill I get the nerve to put my feet in a couple blocks of ice.

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Leo L. View Post
    Just curious, were you able to spin a yarn of pure dog wool?
    Yes. Samoyed hair was long enough that the yarn worked fine.
    "Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning

  9. #29
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    muskox wool is best for cold weather protection.

  10. #30

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    My hands sweat when I hike, rendering water proof gloves or mittens into useless wet masses of material due to the relatively limited internal wicking properties they have. I found a solution to this problem on a very cold day when my "arctic" mittens got so wet inside they became unwearable. I had a pair of Smartwool glove liners in the pack for camp use and put them on. I was skeptical they would provide an option for cold weather use given I could see skin as the fabric stretched. To my surprise, these gloves wicked every bit of moisture from my hands to the outside of the gloves where it evaporated in visible condensation clouds resembling breath in the cold air. My hands were never more comfortable on a long hike.

    These glove liners can be a little cold at the fingertips starting out on cold days, but once movement starts in earnest blood flow warms them up surprisingly fast. I usually pull at the finger tips to relax the fabric and create a little dead air space that tends to allow warmth to return relatively quickly. On really cold days (single digits and below) I sometimes wear the mittens for the first mile for hand warmth and once I can feel them getting wet, change them out so they do not become soaked inside. These pretty much solved the hand-sweat problem that would wet out any other glove or mitten and cause my hands to become very cold, though there are some drawbacks.

    These gloves are designed for "internal" use inside gloves and mittens, not for "external" use. They will snag on small imperfections in things like micro spikes, snow shoes, and grabbing rough bark trees to climb or descend. The snag can quickly become a run similar to nylon fabric, eventually making a hole. These can be fixed easily with simple sewing skills but expect to go through a pair learning where to be careful. I have carry two pairs of these gloves in winter ever since my "discovery" and never looked back. My water proof mittens remain in the pack but rarely come out when I am moving unless there is a heavy snow fall or hard rain.

    These gloves may not work for everyone, though many people I know who's hands tend to sweat have tried these seem to have the same experience.

  11. #31
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    I wear a pair of OR Melody Sensor Gloves and then layer over those, but don't really need to put anything over them unless it's really cold or raining. If raining, I have a pair of MLD Event mitts I have had several years. If it is really cold I have a pair of gore liners from REI that I bought a couple of years ago. Those over the Melody Sensor Gloves work down into the teens. Colder than that and I'm probably not out hiking for long periods of time.

  12. #32
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    I have always used a lightweight fleece liner glove and a waterproof mitt. The current mitts I use are Englightened Equipment and weigh under an ounce. The combination works brilliantly.

  13. #33

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    Do the make human wool garments? Seems like a natural. Seems like they could raise people in the right climate to maximize loft and durability.

  14. #34
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    Lol, maybe we could raise people in the right climate to maximize loft and durability ,lol. ( Eskimo people hair gloves, hats)?

    The people that live in the " hills with eyes" make their own human garments. Nevermind that's different we don't wanna go there!

  15. #35

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    Quote Originally Posted by zelph View Post
    muskox wool is best for cold weather protection.
    I’m a knitter, spinner, and weaver. A few years ago, I bought some very expensive qiviut (musk ox) fiber to spin and made a knitted hat. To be honest, it’s no warmer than any of my other hand knit, wool hats. I know the experts say it’s the warmest fiber but my perception is different. If it’s the warmest, it’s not obvious to me.

    The warmest mittens I’ve ever owned are my dog hair mittens made from the fur of my beloved Norwegian Elkhound. I can only wear them in the coldest weather. They are mixed with sheep’s wool, probably 80/20 and have no doggy smell.

    Human hair isn’t easy or practical to spin as it lacks the scales/hooks which makes it stick together. It’s like trying to braid spaghetti.
    Last edited by Traffic Jam; 11-28-2020 at 23:32.

  16. #36
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    qiviut (musk ox) naturally repels water. I have one pound that I need to get spun. Long winter ahead, something for me to learn and do. Good times ahead :-)

    or I could use it as is, rough braid :-)

    IMG_20201113_131320.jpgScreenshot 2020-11-29 at 8.35.05 AM.png

    I found out it's not able to be made into felt because of it's water repelancy.
    Last edited by zelph; 11-29-2020 at 21:06.

  17. #37

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    Quote Originally Posted by zelph View Post
    qiviut (musk ox) naturaly repels water. I have one pound that I need to get spun. Long winter ahead, something for me to learn and do. Good times ahead :-)

    or I could use it as is, rough braid :-)

    IMG_20201113_131320.jpgScreenshot 2020-11-29 at 8.35.05 AM.png

    I found out it's not able to be made into felt because of it's water repelancy.
    You have a pound of qiviut?! I paid $100 for one ounce. Is it pure down?

    (It's a little tricky to spin so I suggest you start with basic wool and work your way up, it's too precious to screw up.)

    edit...looking at your picture makes me think it's not 100% down which will make it easier to spin. It's probably mixed with intermediate guard hair..

  18. #38
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    I purchased it 6 years ago for $250 hoping to have a pair or 2 of winter socks made on one of these vintage machines:



    sock machine.jpg

  19. #39
    Registered User NY HIKER 50's Avatar
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    Golden retriever would work well.

  20. #40
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    I use smartwool 150 gloves as liners and that is all i need in most temps if backpacking. As I approach freezing temps or if windy etc, i will add simple fleece glove mittens. that way i can use my fingers as needed, but then cover them up with the pull over mitten. If raining or super windy, i can combine either or both with a waterproof shell mitten. Before i had the water proof mitten shells I used bread bag wrappers.

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