Mittens for really cold hands

[NorthShore]

Hand warmers

Costco had boxes containing 40 pairs of handwarmers for $14.99 when I was there this weekend. I must have been nuts not to buy a box. They were "Little Hotties". Is there any reason to think they are not as good as the grabbers?

I'm also reading this thread over more than once before buying some mittens...I get random patches of white skin and numbness on my fingers and toes where the circulation seems to cut off from such mundane activites as gripping the steering wheel or a cold glass. Near as I can figure that's the Raynauds type syndrome that so many have mentioned. My doctor isn't concerned, but I don't want frozen skin this winter.

 

[Maddy]

You are a wise man. Your doc will be plenty concerned when you return from some big hike with little black patches instead of white ones. You need to take great care of your hands if you are prone to "white patches". I would just carry extra little "hotties" with you. I am not familiar with that brand but they sound similar to several other brands that are on the market. Does it tell you on the envelope how many hours they are good for?
My hands can now go from little white patches to numb and then useless in record time now. It's the kind of thing that doesn't improve with age. It only seems to get worse.
I think sometimes docs just don't grasp how long we stay out and the type of activities we are involved in. We just are not the "norm". Go figure.
I always carry extras because sometimes you get some that don't work so well and if they feel like gravel in the envelope, they are no good.

 

[michaelb]

Definitely buy the costco box. We use them skiing. I don't know if they have more variable quality than other brands, but we do notice that while all get warm, some get much hotter than others. But for the price they can't be beat.

 

[adkayaker]

For truly frigid temps, I have concluded that lofty insulation in a mitten is much more effective for me than wool or fleece layers. Thus, I have settled on my most severe hand layer will be a waterproof breathable primaloft mitten, sized up to allow a wool or Polartec Powerstretch liner glove to fit inside. The primaloft mitten will be too warm to hike in but will be available for rest stops. An assortment of other fleece or wool gloves will be available for varied temps during activity.

The absolute key is a mitten vs. a glove, where the fingers stay together.

A few companies make these primaloft mittens including OR, EMS, MH, etc. i got EMS in Goretex last week on sale.

 

[DougPaul]

Just ran across "the torture cure" from Lou Dawson:
http://www.wildsnow.com/661/cold-hands-the-torture-cure/

There is also info on a similar condition approach developed by Murray Hamlet in the following threads:
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=10853
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=5432


Keeping one's hands warm seems to come up at least several times every fall and winter. Insulating one's hands is only part of the equation--one also needs to supply heat to your hands. Hands and feet are basically heated by excess body heat--wear a hat or put on a jacket if your hands are cold. Stay adequately fed and hydrated. Avoid caffeine and tobacco--they cause vasoconstriction. (The techniques described above train the body to send warm blood to one's hands when out in the cold.)

Doug

 

[TomD]

ECW Mitts

Not sure if these have been mentioned yet, but Kevin Kinney at Empire Canvas Works makes some serious winter mitts. Not cheap, but from what I've read, top quality and Kevin is a good guy to deal with. I belong to another website where he posts regularly.

http://www.empirecanvasworks.com/truenorthmitts.htm

 

[MadRiver]

Chip linked to these wool mittens. Are they the famed Dachstein mittens? A) Made in Austria; B) "so dense a weave that they're almost waterproof; C) long cuff (rolled over); D) fuzzy. I think they are.

Edit to add: I just called Sweaters International and they say that these are Dachstein wool.

I now stand corrected. I hiked Cardigan last night and wore these mittens inside a pair of OR over mittens on the way down. After about 15 minutes my hand were sweating and I finally had to take off the over mittens to let my hands cool down. I just might buy another pair.

 

[The Hikers]

Just thought I'd add to what some have said about starting off warm. I have found that if I let my hands get cold while getting the poles out, packing up, locking the car, etc., then I am in real trouble from that point on, until I find a way to warm them. I have been tempted to make my last part of getting ready warming my hands on the car engine before setting off.
I guess the hand warmer packets would be good at this point, but I usually just warm my hands in my pockets, and keep them off the poles until they have warmed up.
This might all be a result of age, or years of cold abuse, but it surely makes the beginning of hikes less fun.

 

[Maddy]

Just found these. I wonder if they are as good as they say they are. They do have excellent 5 star reviews.

http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/Mountain-Hardwear-Masherbrum-Mitten/MHW0883M.html

 

[sardog1]

Not sure if these have been mentioned yet, but Kevin Kinney at Empire Canvas Works makes some serious winter mitts. Not cheap, but from what I've read, top quality and Kevin is a good guy to deal with. I belong to another website where he posts regularly.

http://www.empirecanvasworks.com/truenorthmitts.htm

Now there's a guy who understands mitten systems. (What else would one expect from a fellow Minnesotan? ) Thanks for the link.

 

[TomD]

Look at Kevin's other stuff as well. His gear gets raves from the winter campers in Northern Canada who are out in -40C weather sometimes. He makes boots and cotton anoraks. Yep, cotton. Sounded strange to me when I heard about these, but for below freezing weather, they apparently work great as your outer layer-they supposedly breathe better than modern fabrics.

Check out what users say about ECW on www.wintertrekking.com
Those people are serious winter campers. Yardsale is a member, so he knows what I am talking about.

 

[DougPaul]

Look at Kevin's other stuff as well. His gear gets raves from the winter campers in Northern Canada who are out in -40C weather sometimes. He makes boots and cotton anoraks. Yep, cotton. Sounded strange to me when I heard about these, but for below freezing weather, they apparently work great as your outer layer-they supposedly breathe better than modern fabrics.

Cotton is fine for shells in really cold temps.

Doug

 

[Jasper]

Mittens for winter

Picked up a pair of boiled wool mittens from a family business in Austria (Huber Austria Woolens). While these are not Dashstein, they are the next best thing given that you can not find Dashstein anymore. Very roomy in the finger box so they can accomodate a hot pack. I think this would be over kill for me.

Previously, I had a pair of Dashstein from the 80's but the moths go at them I think.

 

[Neil]

Look at Kevin's other stuff as well. His gear gets raves from the winter campers in Northern Canada who are out in -40C weather sometimes. He makes boots and cotton anoraks. Yep, cotton. Sounded strange to me when I heard about these, but for below freezing weather, they apparently work great as your outer layer-they supposedly breathe better than modern fabrics.

Check out what users say about ECW on www.wintertrekking.com
Those people are serious winter campers. Yardsale is a member, so he knows what I am talking about.

Yep. That's a whole different world. Those guys are using wooden snowshoes, cotton anoraks, leather footwear, fur hats etc. etc.

The hot tents make me think of squatting.

Surviving and enjoying a week out in the bush at -40 in the Canadian shield is a long way from winter peakbagging/dayhiking in the NE, that's for sure.

Try sitting around a fire of Jack Pine while wearing a $400 Arcteryx soft shell or Marmot 800 fill down pants.

 

[TEO]

Picked up a pair of boiled wool mittens from a family business in Austria (Huber Austria Woolens). While these are not Dashstein, they are the next best thing given that you can not find Dashstein anymore. Very roomy in the finger box so they can accomodate a hot pack. I think this would be over kill for me.

Previously, I had a pair of Dashstein from the 80's but the moths go at them I think.

1) It's D-a-c-h-s-t-e-i-n.

2) If you read the entire thread, you'll note that, indeed you can buy Dachstein mittens here.

3) Dachstein is not a brand, it is simply a region in Austria. Any mitten made in that region can legitimately be called a Dachstein mitten. Conversely, no mitten--no matter the style--made outside of Dachstein, may be called a Dachstein mitten. For example, the Ortovox Arctic Mitten, which is made in Germany. It is certainly possible to have a felted wool mitten made in the style of the traditional Dachstein mitten that is equally as good. Your Huber mittens may or may not be Dachsteins, depending on where in Austria they are made. Do you know?

 

[TomD]

Yep. That's a whole different world. Those guys are using wooden snowshoes, cotton anoraks, leather footwear, fur hats etc. etc.

The hot tents make me think of squatting.

Surviving and enjoying a week out in the bush at -40 in the Canadian shield is a long way from winter peakbagging/dayhiking in the NE, that's for sure.

Try sitting around a fire of Jack Pine while wearing a $400 Arcteryx soft shell or Marmot 800 fill down pants.

You are right about that one Neil. Some of their pictures look like they were taken at the turn of the century and I don't mean 2000. They go in style though - stoves in big tents, real food like steaks and trimmings, but was a real revelation to see how they outfit themselves in the Far North. Some of them do use modern down gear under the cotton anoraks, but many of them dress in surplus Canadian Forces wool clothes or traditional Inuit style clothing, including mukluks and fur ruffs, as you mentioned.

 

[Jasper]

Dachstein Mittens

Teo, thank you for the spelling correction. To much rushing. The mittens are made about 20 km east of Ramsan am Dachstein in Pruggern, Austria.

 

[kaseri]

After reading this thread I decided to get a pair of Dachstein mittens from Sweaters International. I finally got a chance to try them out this weekend on Liberty/Flume. They worked wonderfully. Plenty of room for a lightweight liner glove under them. They breathe well and kept my hands warm and dry. Interestingly as the day progressed and a thin layer of ice formed on the outside of the mitts they became warmer. I'm going to order an additional pair or two. I love them.

 

[DougPaul]

After reading this thread I decided to get a pair of Dachstein mittens from Sweaters International. I finally got a chance to try them out this weekend on Liberty/Flume. They worked wonderfully. Plenty of room for a lightweight liner glove under them. They breathe well and kept my hands warm and dry. Interestingly as the day progressed and a thin layer of ice formed on the outside of the mitts they became warmer. I'm going to order an additional pair or two. I love them.

The ability to have ice on the outside and be dry and warm on the inside is also a feature of wool hats (and probably any reasonably thick wool).

See my earlier post re using Dachsteins for ice climbing. #46 in this thread.

Doug

 

[Peakbagr]

I use Dachsteins with a mitten shell over them. By inserting the handwarmers between the two layers, you're able to better control where their heat extends. In the wrist area, in the back of the fingers. The shell captures much of the heat they generate. Some of the warmth goes thru the shell to the outside, but much of it warms the inner lining and your hands.

Its also best to not let the hands get cold in the first place. Much more difficult to bring them back to normal.