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Trying to come up a functional glove system. On a training hike this past weekend, I alternated between cold hands in my light gloves and too hot in my heavier ones. I have experimented with wearing liner gloves under the light ones, and paradoxically, the liner makes the combo enough tighter to slightly restrict circulation and make things colder. i have read a recommendation to carry a shell mitten to put over regular gloves when it was too cold/windy. Anyone have any specific recommendations? This is for hiking and guided climbs, nothing exotic like ice climbing. I have been looking at the stuff from CAMP. Appears to be super lightweight and functional. Thanks.

My hands became frost bit working a cattle ranch in my teens. Some 30+ years later I can attest to learning the ins and outs of warm hand management. I climb full time, some of which includes climbing and skiing in the Canadian winter. A friend of mine, and one of the better mixed climbers in the world, taught me a simple trick. Take multiple light weight gloves. For me that normally means inexpensive, but functional OR gloves, the Vert and/or ExtraVert. If ice climbing in extreme cold, I take a pair per pitch. The waiting pair has a set of chemical hand warmers in them. The kind that can be bought at Costco for $.30 per. For skiing and/or alpine climbing in cold temps, I do the same thing, but prob with just one pair of ExtraVerts and one pair of Verts. Again, the pair not in use has hand warmers in it.

What I learned to avoid? Geting my hands too warm. Moisture, more than temps, is the main culprit to cold hands. I believe I saw a stat the other day that you become hyothermic in cold conditions 40 times quicker when wet. Your hands prob become colder at about the same raio. Down mittens will cause your hands to sweat. Avoid expensive gloves and mitts in general. They are bulky, weigh more, and once wet inside, useless. Instead rely on multiple, less expensive and lighter weight gloves. I cannot say enough about the OR product line. I mostly only wear the Vert or ExtraVert though. I can get you a pair of each to try if you want, at cost.

Just to add to what Dow said, to improve circulation and warmth take one asprin and one garlic tablet each morning of your hike/climb.

Dow Williams wrote:My hands became frost bit working a cattle ranch in my teens. Some 30+ years later I can attest to learning the ins and outs of warm hand management. I climb full time, some of which includes climbing and skiing in the Canadian winter. A friend of mine, and one of the better mixed climbers in the world, taught me a simple trick. Take multiple light weight gloves. For me that normally means inexpensive, but functional OR gloves, the Vert and/or ExtraVert. If ice climbing in extreme cold, I take a pair per pitch. The waiting pair has a set of chemical hand warmers in them. The kind that can be bought at Costco for $.30 per. For skiing and/or alpine climbing in cold temps, I do the same thing, but prob with just one pair of ExtraVerts and one pair of Verts. Again, the pair not in use has hand warmers in it.

What I learned to avoid? Geting my hands too warm. Moisture, more than temps, is the main culprit to cold hands. I believe I saw a stat the other day that you become hyothermic in cold conditions 40 times quicker when wet. Your hands prob become colder at about the same raio. Down mittens will cause your hands to sweat. Avoid expensive gloves and mitts in general. They are bulky, weigh more, and once wet inside, useless. Instead rely on multiple, less expensive and lighter weight gloves. I cannot say enough about the OR product line. I mostly only wear the Vert or ExtraVert though. I can get you a pair of each to try if you want, at cost.

Wow, what a nice offer! Can you elaborate a little on the difference in the two? If the Vert is just a softshell, I might get cold hands. Is there much insulation in the ExtraVert? I was thinking of getting something like fleece with a gripper palm then put a shell mitt over if really windy/cold. I have a pair of North Face windstopper which feels sorta like softshell, and they are not warm at all. Fleece is much warmer. Pata and others make a decent fleece for not much money.
http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/syn ... 4515-1-602

Too bad Patagonia stopped making the bunting glove. Hands down (ha ha) the best fleece glove I've used. I dislike Windstopper gloves, they seem to get wet and stay wet.

Wearing bunting gloves circa 1993

Also make sure your wrist-cuffs on your jacket are not too tight. I notice a huge difference between tight elasticy cuffs and ones that fit just right.

EB, and JThomas, Pataguch does make a pretty decent looking glove that might compare to EB's bunting, and might be warmer than the fleece JThomas showed in his link. They're called the Patagonia Better Sweater glove, the same fleece they use in their Better Sweaters. I haven't actually used them, but I did take a look at them and they look warm, wind resistant, etc. Again, similar to their Better Sweater fleece, which is pretty warm stuff. Can't say how the gloves will hold up to anything more rigorous than hiking, but probably pretty good for simple warmth. Looks like they're on sale but sold out on their web site; might be able to find them in their stores, web, etc. Good luck. Definitely takes some experimentation with different combos.

http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/bet ... 4670-1-155

I like the fleece glove with shell mitt option sometimes. OR makes good shell mitts. This also give you a lot of options as far as different gloves or mitts that you can wear inside.

dskoon wrote:EB, and JThomas, Pataguch does make a pretty decent looking glove that might compare to EB's bunting, and might be warmer than the fleece JThomas showed in his link. They're called the Patagonia Better Sweater glove, the same fleece they use in their Better Sweaters. I haven't actually used them, but I did take a look at them and they look warm, wind resistant, etc. Again, similar to their Better Sweater fleece, which is pretty warm stuff. Can't say how the gloves will hold up to anything more rigorous than hiking, but probably pretty good for simple warmth. Looks like they're on sale but sold out on their web site; might be able to find them in their stores, web, etc. Good luck. Definitely takes some experimentation with different combos.

http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/bet ... 4670-1-155

The local Pata store has the Better Sweater glove on sale, as well as the Synchilla. I looked very briefly, and it appeared to be a dressier version of the Synchilla, but i didn't look at them closely. CAMP has some pretty interesting shells; looks like pretty innovative designs.
http://www.camp-usa.com/products/catego ... s-hats.asp

ExcitableBoy wrote:Just to add to what Dow said, to improve circulation and warmth take one asprin and one garlic tablet each morning of your hike/climb.

I see the point about taking an Aspirin-thining of the blood hence better circulation and all, but does taking a garlic tablet do for you?

jthomas wrote:Trying to come up a functional glove system. On a training hike this past weekend, I alternated between cold hands in my light gloves and too hot in my heavier ones. I have experimented with wearing liner gloves under the light ones, and paradoxically, the liner makes the combo enough tighter to slightly restrict circulation and make things colder. i have read a recommendation to carry a shell mitten to put over regular gloves when it was too cold/windy. Anyone have any specific recommendations? This is for hiking and guided climbs, nothing exotic like ice climbing. I have been looking at the stuff from CAMP. Appears to be super lightweight and functional. Thanks.

Two cents from the old guy. My hands don't get cold often. I ski without gloved hands, most of the time, and haven't used gloves on many winter ascents. But, I have always gone prepared for the worst. What I found is using a pair of very light poly pro liner gloves come in very handy. Then a pair of fleece mitts, keeping all the fingers together keep them warmer. Then, on top of those two layers, a thin breathable shell completes the system. Needless to say that you can come up with the most comfy combination of these three layers that work great depending on the situation. Obviously, this system will not be very good for ice, or mixed ground. This system is good for mostly hiking. I know this is the OLD system, but I haven't been all that impressed with the new systems.
Confessions: I have carried Patagonia Gore Tex-lined fleece gloves with sticky palms when I wasn't too serious such as in skiing, or when I was very serious for ice and mixed ground climbing.

Marcsoltan wrote:

ExcitableBoy wrote:Just to add to what Dow said, to improve circulation and warmth take one asprin and one garlic tablet each morning of your hike/climb.

I see the point about taking an Aspirin-thining of the blood hence better circulation and all, but does taking a garlic tablet do for you?

Garlic makes the blood platelets less 'sticky', further improving circulation. Here is an interesting discussion on the 'negative' side effects of garlic supplements: http://www.livestrong.com/article/40882 ... of-garlic/. Good suggestions from everyone. In general, several pairs of light gloves are better than one pair of heavy gloves. On serious winter alpine objective, a pair of 'oh shit' mittens are great to have though. Dachenstein boiled wool mitts will work in the nastiest conditions when fleece and Primaloft gloves have long given up the ghost.

Marcsoltan wrote:

ExcitableBoy wrote:Just to add to what Dow said, to improve circulation and warmth take one asprin and one garlic tablet each morning of your hike/climb.

I see the point about taking an Aspirin-thining of the blood hence better circulation and all, but does taking a garlic tablet do for you?

Tablets? Argghhh. . Gotta take the real thing, imo! Clove or two or three a day will keep the doctor away, not to mention helping in the alpine. . . And,
contrary to what we always hear, the ladies seem to dig it as well. You know, musky, sensual, like the Mediterranean, etc.

Tablets are a little easier to carry in your kit and won't stink or go bad.