Buyers Guide To Gloves
Your extremities are VERY delicate, so keeping them warm and protected from the elements is very important. Just as with technical clothing and socks, the amount of science and design that goes into a technical glove is astonishing.
When it comes to keeping your hands toasty, fit is king. If you are layering your gloves, then you may need well need to buy a bigger size to allow for liners. The absolute best way to find the best-fitting glove is to come into the shop and try them on.
A tight-fitting glove could also crush the insulation so that it will be unable to work efficiently. If you are going to extreme cold or high altitude, then a tight-fitting glove can restrict blood flow, which could be really bad news for your fingers. Gloves that are too big are difficult to use, and any toasty air that your hands have worked hard to warm up will get squished out as your hand slides around inside.
Gloves have a nasty habit of getting lost or wet, so a spare pair(s) is always a good idea when you are heading out in wet or cold weather. Baselayer or liner gloves work brilliantly at transporting the moisture away from your skin and have the added bonus of protecting your hands from the elements when you need to remove your outer gloves for fiddly jobs like putting on crampons, etc. Some mountain professionals carry four pairs as standard.
Gloves with a waterproof & breathable insert, such as Gore-Tex are subject to rigorous testing before they are allowed into the marketplace. Opting for a non-waterproof, more breathable, faster drying glove may be a more workable option for multi-day backpacking trips. If you are heading off to a snowy environment or winter mountaineering/climbing, then a glove with a long wrist or gauntlet will help to keep out snow. Keeping hands dry is obviously a key factor in keeping them warm, and on some days, carrying multiple pairs of gloves and changing them when wet is the only way to keep your hands dry and warm.
A good pair of gloves needs to offer protection from the cold, the weather and abrasion. To do this effectively, there is a LOT going on inside the glove that we can’t see. All components are then constructed 3-dimensionally around the complex shape of your hand with multiple panels and countless seams. A massive amount of science goes into fabric choice, sometimes with stretch, sometimes with added abrasion resistance of padding. Palm fabrics, of course, need to be very durable.
Bad circulation is a very common issue and can be exacerbated by using walking poles where your hands are elevated and possibly constricted with tight wrist straps. Pay extra attention to your gloves, perhaps lowering your poles in winter may help, slacken wrist straps, or lower your hands from time to time to get the warm blood flowing. Pay attention to how hydrated you are and how much you are eating, too. Your body needs fuel to heat your blood and stay toasty warm. Well-fitting gloves are vital, and allowing for a little extra space to slip a handwarmer into them can work well. Pay attention to your wrists too, layers with thumb loops could be a good option or using wrist warmers could make a big difference to keeping your hands warm with very little bulk.
Look for gloves that have a special electrically conductive filament either woven or printed onto the fingers so that you can tap, type and swipe your phone with glee.
If you are going to extreme cold, then a highly insulated
mitt is the best option. They can also work well as foot warmers in your tent!
Using your gloves for as long as possible to keep them out of the landfill is key. Wash them, repair them, re-proof them, treat the leather with wax when it feels dry, and your gloves (or mittens) will keep your hands toasty for adventure after adventure.