Insulated Mitts

[Hobbitling]

good grief!! alpine axe and technical ice tools? two different harnesses? four different sleeping bags?

I dont think you are expected to bring all of that. thats probably 40 lbs just in boots.

 

[kevinmac]

good grief!! alpine axe and technical ice tools? two different harnesses? four different sleeping bags?

I dont think you are expected to bring all of that. thats probably 40 lbs just in boots.

Here is the required list. The other one is suggested brands:
http://alpineascents.com/pdf/denali-gear.pdf

 

[sleeping bear]

While I thank everyone for their thoughtful replies, most didn't address the question. I carry three liners and two sets of mid-layer gloves and mitts and I have a great system that works for me.

My question is about the insulated outer mitts.

Are the ones priced the same basically the same, or are there any real differences between them?

The problem is that they are expensive, and they can be very important, and if I buy the wrong ones, I'll discover just how important they are the hard way.

I've been using OR waterproof shells, which haven't always served me well, but I haven't been willing to pony up around $100 for insulated mitts, largely because I haven't felt knowledgeable enough to make an informed decision on which pair to buy, and with six winter backpacks coming up and then Denali afterwords, I finally have to act.

So thank you very much to all those who have posted, I do appreciate the sincerity with which people approach the questions that get posted. But if anyone can address my question about the mitts in question more directly (most likely because they own a pair), I would be happy to hear your thoughts!

Brian

I'd go with the expensive ones, OR or BD. I don't own any of the pairs on your list, but typically (with a few exceptions) you get what you pay for. $180 is good insurance that you'll get to keep your fingers.

 

[Aviarome]

I have the BD Mercury mitts, and the OR Alti mitts. I can say that the OR Alti mitts are much warmer. If I go hiking with the misses, she "politely requests" the OR Alti mitts on those cold days. Given the latitude and altitude of Denali, I would favor getting the mitt with the most insulation, and personally believe that it's worth the money.

aviarome

 

[HAMTERO]

I used BD Mercury Mitts last on Denali this past spring. They were fine. Mine are big enough that I can wear a thick liner glove inside. The removable primaloft inner glove dries quickly. I did have a heavier pair of Grandoe mittens but I never used them. Going back, I would carry either 2 pair of the Mercury's or one Mercury and one bigger mitten like the OR Alti's or the warmest BD mitt. That is a new one that was not available last year.

Bring two pairs no matter what. It is easy to lose one at a bad time. One of Frodo's Alti mitts is at the bottom of Denali Pass. Bring a couple of pairs of heavy gloves also. They will be your main workhorses.

Try to keep your total load below 100 pounds. I had way, way too much food left over at the end.

PM me if you need more information.

 

[Frodo]

The Alti's are awesome gloves for high altitude stuff, but they are a pain in the a$$ to use with rope work. I lost one as we were heading down Denali Pass as we were clipping into one of the many pickets. I also made a bad oxygen strived decision by lunging for it and had a close one...

Anyway, having a backup is key otherwise digits could be lost. I'm not saying that you will need to carry 2 sets of bombproof gloves, but definitely carry a decent backup just in case...

Using the idiot straps as Kevin pointed out is a good one. They are another pain in the a$$, but can save digits and lots of $$ when you do lose 1/2 of a $200 pair of gloves...

BTW, if anyone wants to buy a left Alti, I am willing to sell it cheap... OR if anyone is willing to sell a right one, I am definitely interested...

Good luck on your trip!

 

[AlexTal]

Hey everyone - new here. This is my first post.

I have a quick question. Who are you looking to climb Denali with? If you haven't made up your mind, let me suggest Alaska Mountaineering School (www.climbalaska.org).

I did a 12 day mountaineering course with them this past August and loved it. They're led by Colby Coombs, who's really well known for his experiences on the mountain. They're also the only locally based company, right in Talkeetna, and they have a fantastic relationship with the park. They're known for having some of the best food on the mountain and having huge food caches. They were able to support a group for something along the lines of 14 days this past season at high camp with one of their food caches.

Whoever you choose, enjoy the trip. I fell in love with Talkeetna. Get breakfast at the Roadhouse, best breakfast around, best cinnamon rolls. I could have gained many many happy pounds there. I never wanted to leave that little town.

 

[B the Hiker]

Thank you again to everyone who sent in suggestions. I would not have thought to carry two pairs of insulated outer mitts (even more money to spend!), but it does make perfect sense.

Thank you also to the folks who have done Denali who offered (on list or off) to give me advice. I am certain I will be asking you for it as the climb approaches!

Brian


p.s. Less than a hundred pounds, eh? Maybe I won't bring a hat...

 

[Snowflea]

One more late addition if it hasn't already been mentioned...

I brought about two weeks' worth of chemical hand warmers to Denali this spring and used almost all of 'em. My hands get very, very cold (I have Raynaud's). For me, warm hands and peace of mind were well worth the little bit of added weight.

Good luck on Denali. Hope you have as great a group of people as we did!!

 

[hikingfish]

I've used a pair of these in very cold weather and was toasty warm at camp, although I must confess, never at altitude. They would get soaked if wormed during exercise too.

Fish

 

[J.Dub]

have also had good success with the BD Mercury mitts. They served me well on Mt. Washington in Jan. '07 and an aborted Presi Traverse in Feb '07. I also concur with the other reply to bring both gloves and mitts, and I'd raise a pair of insulated liners.

My hands -- and the rest of me, for that matter -- sweat A LOT when I'm on the move. For the Rockpile trip, I wore only thin polypro glove liners on the hike up the Tucks Ravine trail, since we were humping heavy winter packs and I was gripping trekking poles. I kept a pair of mitts/gloves attached to my wrists with idiot cords to pop my hands into during stops. I used the Mercury mitts and insulated gloves (older BD's with removable liners) on alternating days so as not to sweat out the liners too much. Once we got above treeline into the wind, and were moving more slowly without the big packs, I wore the insulated handgear whilst moving.

Haven't used the Mercury's with ropes yet, but they have the advantage of a separate trigger finger, so they might work a bit better than the Alti's.

Regarding cost, I was able to find my Mercury's online (new) for $50, so it pays to shop around. IMO, nobody should be paying full-boat retail for outdoor gear when there are so many places with discounts/sales going on.

 

[B the Hiker]

So after all of the comments, I grudgingly decided to take the advice of many folks and go for the OR Alti mitts. I have large hands, but with a thin pair of polypro liners and the shag wool mittens as an additional insulating layer, I really had to struggle to get my hands into a Large pair, so I went Extra Large.

I have to say, they are stunningly warm! They also have quite long snow guards that extend far below the gloves and are wide enough to fit over all my layers and big down jacket I wear over them when I stop, which is a very nice feature. The upshot, of course, is that these things are huge. Very bulky, although they are still quite light.

I would say that for most folks, if you're hiking in the Whites, they are almost certainly more glove than you need. Gloves half the price can probably do the trick perfectly fine. I've found myself hiking with a pair of shells I bought at EMS, and then putting on the Alti's for rest stops and summits in the wind, with them being too warm to do almost any activity in them. But if you consistently have cold hands, or you're planning to do some climbing at altitude, or heck, you have the coin, you'll be very happy with the Alti's.