Since I haven’t been able to check the discussions for some time, I imagine this question has come up before. But, here goes anyway …
What’s the best pair of gloves that you’ve ever had?
I’m talking about keeping your hands warm under just about all cold-weather conditions. Not really concerned about being able to pick up a dime, etc., just about keeping them warm.
I thought about this during an early morning snow-blowing bout because of our first snowfall here in Northern WV. My wife just got a new pair of gloves for me that have a great gripping surface, but after about four or five minutes on the snow blower, my hands felt almost like I didn’t have any gloves on. I went back inside and put on the old ones. They don’t keep my hands toasty either, but they’re better than the new ones.
Any opinions?
Replies
The best pair of cold weather gloves you can use are a pair of mittens.
They don't allow for much dexterity but as far as warmth they can't be beat.
They are all I ski with now and it is nice to be able to curl your fingers inside them and on especially cold days I stick a heat pack inside and they are toasty warm.
I used to wear gloves and tried too many to even count and my hands still froze.
Mittens may look weird but so do frostbitten fingertips.
Good idea bout the warmer inside the mittens.Old as I am, and it never occurred to me that a mitten was a perfect way to keep one of those warmers close to the fingers...Definately could mean the difference between frostbite and not, in a survival situation. Think I'll have to find some of those warmers and keep them in the car along with a pair of mittens.Put one in each sock as well, if yer stuck in your car in a snowdrift er sumpn.
Get over it....... The angry going eat you up. ~Brownbagg '06
I'll second that. Get military surplus mittens at:
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/search/search.asp?r=MainHeader+KW+Box&a=browse&k=mittens
I have used German, Swiss, and Swedish army mittens along with U.S. Army ones - all will keep you warm until you are done. When worn with a pair of wool fingered liners, you won't worry about freezing fingers.
A wool scarf over neck, chin/mouth and nose helps when clearing snow too.
I wear my dad's old WWII tank cap, it's wool lined and unfolds into a hooded hat with visor. My dad gave it to me in '52 and I have worn it since then every winter. My family laughs at the old thing but it keeps me warm and I am used to it.
Love the surplus wool liners....4 pr. for $10 at the local Army/Navy. Wool has the unique ability to insulate when wet. Much appreciated recently when I had to cut tile for a backsplash on wet saw... outside....30 degrees.
I have lots of gloves, but those are hard to beat for the price.PJ
Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.
The very best, warmest gloves I have ever worn are the ones I had in the army. I have been searching for the same ever since...
A pair of wool gloves. And over that, a pair of leather gloves.
My problem when I try this with "civilian" counterparts is that my hands are large. It is difficult enough to find gloves to fit, in the first place. But then I have never found any leather gloves big enough to go over the wool ones I finally find to fit...
I have always had poor circulation, so my feet and hands get cold very quickly, and stay that way. But with those army gloves my hands were close to warm for the first time in my life, in very low temps.
Get over it....... The angry going eat you up. ~Brownbagg '06
You won't like the price, but if you want warm hands
http://www.harley-davidson.comUS
Bikers who ride in the winter know all about cold.
You can even go electric heated if your going to be around a battery(google gerbing)
I had a plug wired on my tractor when I used to live in the great white north.
I saw it on the interweb, it must be true.
I used to have a $10 pair of 'glomitts' (cross between a glove and a mitten) with something like 60g of Thinsulate, I got 'em at WalMart. You could put a Hot Hands pack in each mitten tip and keep your hands toasty, but also fold the mitt back to use a fingertip to poke buttons on a calculator, or in my case, a survey instrument.
I left them in my truck over a summer and they got eaten by mice. I have never been able to find another pair, at least not with the insulation.
I used to be into dogsledding found that the best approach was the same as for keeping the rest of your body warm: layering.
I would wear a pair of synthetic liner gloves with the thumb, index and middle finger clipped at the the knuckle. I'd "strip" to these for really fine tasks like putting booties on dogs.
Over the liners I'd wear a thin pair of Manzella windproof gloves. I'd be comfortable in these two layers down to about -20 as long as I was using my hands and not working with metal.
As overmitts I wore a pair of HUGE superinsulated mittens from Cabelas with a nose wipe patch (crucial IMO). These could be shaken off with a flick of the arms and hung from a pair of strings like parents make their kids wear.
With this combo I was toasty down to -35 with pretty good flexibility.
I have a set of Marmot ski gloves
http://marmot.com/products/product.php?cat=glove&subcat=25&style_id=I1811
that are worth every penny. super warm and the leather is pretty tough too. Great dexterity too. I can drive wearing them, snow blow. and even tighten my ski boots when skiing. good stuff.
I checked Marmot's line recently - they'd better be worth it! I never thought I'd consider paying as much for a set of gloves as some of my tools.I'd have to make a choice between warm hands and getting lunch for a few weeks.The person who says it
can't be done should not interrupt the person doing it. - CHINESE
PROVERB
Mine are about 3 seasons old, so I as a 3 year lease, its only 50 a year! I also am a big fan of OR gripper gloves http://www.orgear.com/home/style/home/handtools/gloves/work_gloves/70220, but I destroy a pair of them a season. They cannot be beat for high dexterity, but they do not hold up to high heat, High friction, but, I can pull as small as a 1/8" drill bit out of an index, and use virtually all of my tools, including (and adjusting) nail guns, jigsaws and the like.
I am a big fan of patagonia's fingerless gloves too, for times when I need finger tips, like using socket sets, lots of piffin screws, finish nails, climbing with my little monster, or even typing emails/lesson plans early in the am in my classroom when the room is still in the mid 50s.
I had a pair of gloves I got at Wal-mart. They were mage out of the material that wetsuits are made of. Neoprene rubber or something? They kept you very warm, had great dexterity and a great no-slip grip. I haven't been able to find them for years.
chris calhoun
Blackstone Builders
I have been riding my motorcycle in 8 to 30 degree temps. I bought a pair of bmw winter riding gloves, and my hands have not been cold at 70+ mph.
<< I have been riding my motorcycle in 8 to 30 degree temps>>You must be one really tough hombre.......... or a glutton for punishment.................. <G>********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Could he possibly be talking Celcius temps? Sounds like it. Although I used to work with a guy, here in Northern WV, that rode his bike to work on all but about 8 days a year! He had one of those Crotch Rockets that would do about 140 on a dry road. I used to see him layer on the clothes each evening before he left. I should try to see what he wore - probably one of the bike gloves that you all are recommending.
Nope not Celcius. It's a bit cool but I am dressed for it. There is only one other guy in the office still riding, the other ones are still sane and have parked their bikes for a while.
This bike has a full fairing which helps. With my new job if I don't ride the bike, I have to take the bus. I can't get parking for a car. My motto is a cool day on the bike is better than any day on the bus.
is that a bmw motorcycle glove? or gerbring? heated?
i've looked at the gerbring heated ones, but they're $139....Expert since 10 am.
It's a bmw winter glove, they were about $99.00. They have done a good job of keeping my hands warm.
I second OR gloves- I like the windproof fleece with the gripper palm. When it is snowy out, put a set of goretex mits over those, and when it's colder, add liner gloves (from OR or REI).
zak
"When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone." --John Ruskin
"so it goes"
For the snowblowing I agree with the mittens. I would make sure they are leather or at least have leather palms so you have the grip you will need.
The most comfortable gloves I have are called Grandoe Outdoors from REI.
Soft deerhide with fleece lining. Had them for 3 years now and there is a hole in one thumb, but I just cant throw them out. They are not for work though.
I have a pair of the cold weather motorcycle gloves with the long cuffs and they are warm, but too bulky for everyday use.
For work I have been using a pair of heavy tan deerskin with thinsulate lining and they are pretty comfortable. If its not too cold I just use the cheap $1.50 brown jersey gloves with the little dotted grippers, hob-nob I think they call them and they last about a week if I'm lucky.
Depends.
For wet weather work that I don't need to feel small objects I use cheap neoprene wet suit gloves.(available around here for steelhead fishing)
For most work in the cold, wool liners inside leather. Mittens for just keeping warm, mittens over wool finger gloves for real warm.
Best mittens I ever had were hand made rabbit skin, fur in , sewn to a heavier leather outer cover. Couldn't even drive wearing them but they were warm.
Like luka I have very large hands, everything has to be xx-large or they don't come close to fitting.
Check these out http://www.racenstein.com/store/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=Racenstein&Product_Code=56-103&Category_Code=AI-AB-AA-Gloves
The most important accessory to my winter gloves is a fire bucket.
Snow, and the acid within it, ruin my skin. So, keeping the elements off is just as important as keeping the cold out.
Neoprene something on wet or snowy days. Regular dotted knit gloves for all others.
blue"...if you just do what you think is best testing those limits... it's pretty easy to find exactly where the line is...."
From the best of TauntonU.
I love buying tools and work clothing, but for cold weather work gloves I really like the $10 Kinco gloves:
View Image
While it sounds like a small issue, the soft material on the backs moves easily right out of the box, while gloves that are built better, even other Kincos, are much stiffer and harder on the hands. The pigskin grips well and at this price I keep a number of pairs handy so if one gets wet it can be quickly exchanged for another.
If a $70 or $100 pair of gloves would work better I'd buy them. At least for me, 4 pairs of Kincos keeps my hands warmer and I can be more productive than anything else. (Yes, I do have a pair of OR gloves for winter exploring)
If the weather is too cold for the insulated Kincos I'd probably stay home.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
If the weather is too cold for the insulated Kincos I'd probably stay home.
That's my philosophy too.
blue"...if you just do what you think is best testing those limits... it's pretty easy to find exactly where the line is...."
From the best of TauntonU.