I am starting a thru-hike of the AT on February 15 and I am still undecided on gloves. What would be some good gloves to bring along to keep my hands warm while I sleep, and while I hike? Thanks.
_dumbfounded_AT Advice - Appalachian Trail
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#1
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#2
.....it kinda depends on the hiker.....i have warm hands, while paw-ee struggles with cold hands.....(you'll soon know what YOUR hands prefer!).....in '03 we WRESTLED over the glove thing....we even made neoprene mittens(for rain....totally unnecessary! especially since we enjoy our hiking under the cozy comfort of umbrellas!....and besides, neoprene stinks to high heaven!).....i prefer NO gloves in the rain, and i even hike gloveless in cooler weather (until it gets down to freezing)....seems like the friction in using my hiking sticks helps to keep my hands warm....but when i did use gloves (mostly in camp and sometimes for sleeping), i got the cheap campmor fleece gloves (5 or 6 dollars?)....that way, you don't feel so bad buying an extra pair later if the fingertips wear out....(they dry quickly, too).....but, now, paw-ee...ooooh boy....he has a hard time....we've tried everything!.....but i think he almost likes plastic grocery bags better than anything!....he sometimes wears these over mittens!.....mittens really are warmer than gloves, too!(each little naked finger in there warms up the other little naked fingers!)....also...if you tend toward cold hands (or feet), take care not to let them GET cold....it's always more difficult to warm extremeties up once they've gotten chilled....this can be difficult especially when accomplishing such chores as filtering water (when you need a certain amount of dexterity).....and here's something you might consider, if you really think you'll have a PROBLEM with cold hands (which i don't think most people do even in february)....consider the little "hot hand" thing-ys...(extra weight, but MAYBE worth it for some).....you're gonna have all kinds of weather...in '03 it almost NEVER got hot for us (we experienced LOTS of springlike temps in february and lots of rain all the way thru ....good!....cool....no snakes!....and we even ,had a blizzard as we entered virginia!)...in '06, it was totally different....lots more sun, though we had snow 20 some days of our first forty!....so.....yep! gloves are important to think about, but don't stress over it!....as i said, you can always use baggies (or socks).....conditions would have to be extreme to get frostbite.....i know this is long, but paw-ee and i always thought that the fear of the unknown was the biggest obstacle we had to overcome, so, i'm attempting here to take away some of the "unknown".....most of that will come just by HIKING, though......have a GREAT journey!.....God bless you as you experience all the gifts of His world!
_maw-ee_
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#3
i forgot to say....you might want to check the recent post from DUBYA about "gloves on the AT".....always lots of good info from other points of view!
_maw-ee_
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#4
I have done a lot of winter hiking and February 15 is definitely still winter, especially in the mountains. I would highly recommend gloves/mittens for the first several weeks of your trek. If nothing else, carry an extra pair of wool socks that can double as mittens. As for the variety of glove or mitten, I think that is purely personal preference. There are dozens of choices. I prefer wool, even though it is a bit heavier.
_Nature_
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#5
Gloves are relatively light and have the potential of adding a lot of "luxury" to your hike. I would get a nice pair of wool or neoprene gloves and try them out. You may find that your hands get too hot and sweaty to wear them during your hike but they will be nice to have around camp.
You may also find that its nice to dress warmly when you first get up in the morning and during the first 10-20 minutes of your hike. After that , just stop and take a mini break to shed layers when you warm up.
It may be a little inefficient but it makes getting up early and out on the trail a little easier.
If you find you’re not using your gloves you can either send them home or leave them in a hiker box.
I think Persistent stated in her journal that she found wearing socks on her hands almost better then wearing gloves so theirs always that option.
_stryker_
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#6
I use the wool mittens with gloved open-tipped fingers, where the mitten part can be pulled back to expose your partially gloved fingers. Using these, you have open fingered gloves plus a mitten, (i.e the best of both worlds). You can leave the gloves on for when you need the dexterity that you can't get wearing mittens. For rain I have a goretex overmit. I think now I would sew an overmit out of silnylon to save weight.
_Misqua_
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#7
I used O.R. GTX mitts over Polartec windpro gloves when it was really cold. You might try the Gore wind-stopper fleece gloves if your hands get really cold, too. If you wear mittens, yes your hands stay warmer, but you have to take them off for dexterity it seems. :tongue
_Lady Di_
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#8
For me the ideal combination is a lightweight pair of gloves (rag wool for me, but fleece or poly pro would also work), and an uninsulated mitten shell.
Generally, the gloves alone are fine, especially while hiking. They are thin enough to allow dexterity for cooking, shelter set-up, getting water and other camp chores. If your hands get cold, or it’s wet and windy, add the shells. This wind protection in mitten form adds A LOT of warmth to the light-weight gloves. Plus the mittens alone are often good while hiking if you mostly need some wind protection.
As in everything else, layers of diverse items adds a great deal of flexibility.
_Lyle_