Gloves - Appalachian Trail

imported
#1

On a cold rainy day on the AT, what is a good glove to wear to keep the hands warm and dry?..thanks…

Chairman

#2

Chairman ULA sells some over mittens that i belive are waterproof and super lite weight.For me i just pack the polls away and put my hands in my pockets .Hope this helps

RESTSTOP

#3

On last year’s hike I took two pair of gloves mainly for the Smokies. A glove liner and a heavy gortex pair. Never used the gortex and sent them home after the Smokies. However, the glove liners I used very often in the mornings and to sleep in. NedtheFed

Ned

#4

A gentleman on TJ turned me onto the Mountain Mitt & Trail Mitt Shell from RaggedMountain.com. This pair provides many layering options, pack relatively small, and are lightweight. Mittens are much warmer than gloves and you can insert them over your hiking poles (something you can’t do with gloves). Interestingly, once my hands were warmed by wearing the mittens, I can remove the mittens and place them over the poles. The hands then stay warm simply by holding onto the poles (w/mittens on the poles). If I take a break (or heading downhill) I slip the mittens back on, which are quickly accessible by being on my poles. If it’s damp out, but not that cold, then I use the shells by themselves. (I keep the mittens in my rainshell side pockets since if it’s cold/wet enough to need gloves, I usually need the jacket at the same time.)

trek-or

#5

I’ve tried lots of gloves…most were pretty expensive, some over $100.00 for Black Diamonds. A few years ago I was turned onto the gloves I always carry in winter conditions by a New Englander. They keep my hands warm whether it’s windy, raining or snowing and they’re cheap!! They are heavy wool mitts with flip open finger pouch which has some fleece sewn into the finger pouch area only with thinsulate between the wool and fleece. I even use them on long distance bicycling when it gets windy and cold. The best part is they cost about $10.00. I’m still using the same pair. I have seen similar wool mitts without the fleece, but that fleece and thinsulate in the finger pouch really works wonders. I think they came from a K-Mart in New England.

Stumpknocker

#6

Keeping my hands warm and dry was a big problem last year. I had a pair of the ULA “mittens” but they aren’t waterproof; they do well against the wind however. I tried a number of so called water resistant/proof gloves but none worked. I never thought of putting my hands in my pockets but it seems so obvious when reading it now. The RaggedMountain.com gloves and shells look promising. I actually got to the point of using a gallon sized baggie on each hand at times (condensation is a problem though).

Will

#7

I’m super-fortunate to have a vascular problem that, when my hands are exposed to cold for a minute or two, they start turning purple. Seriously. Purple. So, this was one of my bigger concerns. I also had to figure out, weight, perspiration, elements (rain, snow), etc. As long as I kept moving, my fingers were warm and when I stopped, I was either eating or sleeping. Basically, I figured that my riding (bicycle) gloves could work… and what a luck, because they rocked. Grippy on the bottom (doesn’t tear fabric from repeated pole wear) and designed for wind protection and wicking away moisture. Bonus, they were light and very reasonably priced ($20+ bicycle store brand). Mailed them back sometime after Smokies… probably after Mt Rogers with everything else.

Snarky