Mittens for really cold hands

[hikingmaineac]

I find that in order to deal with the amount of heat I produce on a hike up a mountain in the winter it is essential to layer my hands, upper body, and head.

On the ascent I find that wool works best. Sweaty, damp fleece just doesn't keep my hands as warm as sweaty, damp wool. Ragwool mittens (not fingerless gloves with a mitten top - they don't allow fingers to share eachother's heat) for really cold days, or wool glove liners for warmer days.

Once I have reached a point where I am no longer producing excessive amounts of body heat (usually a non-stressful descent), I will either throw a synthetic shell over the mitts/gloves I am wearing. If they are too wet, I stash my sweaty wool and put on a dry pair of wool mittens and then put a synthetic shell over them. On REALLY cold adventures, I put a hand warmer in with the dry wool mittens. If this still doesn't provide enough warmth, a pair of primaloft or down mittens, coupled with hand warmers, under a water resistant synthetic shell would be the best option.

 

[Maddy]

Another thought...

Bought a pair of nice mittens last year that have a zip pouch on the outside where you can place a handwarmer.
Unfortunately they did not work out. Not enough heat was transmitted to my digits. Placing them on my wrist does not work either. They need to be in my palm to keep me warm and I can wiggle them around. They do better is not crunched up.

Agreed that folks with icy hands should wear mittens, not gloves. Our fingers need to be in close contact with each other as described in other posts.

Another suggestion is don't wait until you are out on the trail to get your warmers out and put them in your mitts.
I did that one night last year on a full moon hike and once I had fanagled with the dog, my pack, microspikes, by the time I got about 100 feet up the trail I could not even open the packages. My hands were that cold.
My friend helped me out but it took a long time for my fingers to warm up inside those mitts with the warmers in.

This condition is a real nuisance for members of the Society for the Preservation of Winter People but we are very adaptable!!!

 

[daxs]

I also have Raynaulds and agree with what Tom said. Once my hands get cold its very difficult to warm them back up. It usually involves me stopping my hike and sticking my bare hands into my or my boyfriends armpits for awhile and using body heat to warm up. I always use chemical hand warmers in the winter and carry a variety of liners, gloves, mittens, shells and extra hand warmers. My pack looks like a glove/mitten store. I have a pair of longer length down mittens that i always carry in the winter and I have used them on several occasions. I really like the wool glittens with the flap you can pull back for when you need your fingers. Wear a liner under these. I have the additional problem of having small hands. Many womens small glove sizes are too big for me. I have several pairs ot mits that are childrens large size. I find using my poles int he winter seems to make my hands colder too.

 

[timmus]

It took me 5 winters of intensive hiking/bushwhacking to figure my perfect system.

I hike with these

(http://en.ortovox.com/home.html)


When it gets too warm I wear these

(http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/mountain/gloves/heavyweight)

I wear these when I stop above treeline

(http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/ski/snow-gloves/mercury-mitt)

Have a great winter (and don't listen to Mookie !)

 

[mookie]

Have a great winter (and don't listen to Mookie !)

Thanks, not many people listen to me....

 

[leaf]

i found that not listening to mookie actually warms my ears. but thats not much help for your hand issue.

 

[rup]

Saw mittens that seemed tobe made of rubber? at a store last week. Billed a great for cold. What's with that??

 

[DougPaul]

Saw mittens that seemed tobe made of rubber? at a store last week. Billed a great for cold. What's with that??

Do you mean wet-suit fabric (foamed neoprene)?


You might consider vapor barrier gloves under mittens/gloves to reduce evaporative cooling and keep your mittens/gloves dry. Hardware stores carry nitrile gloves in their paint departments which should work. eg http://www.acehardware.com/product/...es&origkw=nitrile+gloves&searchId=42672414103 or http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?acti...e=4294967294&Ntk=i_products&Ntt=nitrile+glove


There is an old thread which contains some useful info: "Cold Hands" http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=10853&highlight=cold+hands

Doug

 

[leaf]

Hardware stores carry nitrile gloves in their paint departments which should work. eg http://www.acehardware.com/product/...es&origkw=nitrile+gloves&searchId=42672414103 or http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?acti...e=4294967294&Ntk=i_products&Ntt=nitrile+glove

or come by my office. i've got about 2,394,829,357 pairs of 'em. i'll give you a box of 50.

 

[SLB]

Have you tried sandpaper mittens ?

 

[Hobbitling]

For that matter, I do not believe extra glove layers really helps prevent this condition. For me at least, it is mostly a reaction by my body to conserve heat by restricting blood flow to the extremities. ]

My mama always said. if you're hands are cold, put on a warmer hat. She never said anything about boxes of chocolates, but eating chocolate may help supply necessary calories to keep you warm.

my advice. keep em dry. wear layers, use hand warmers. I've heard they work well not just on the finger tips, but when placed near the wrists to warm the blood as it flows into the hand. they actually sell wrist bands with little pockets for hand warmers.

I've also heard that neoprene ice fishing or kayaking gloves are a good liner and vapor barrier. haven't tried it myself. anyone???

 

[Tom Rankin]

My mama always said. if you're hands are cold, put on a warmer hat. She never said anything about boxes of chocolates, but eating chocolate may help supply necessary calories to keep you warm.

my advice. keep em dry. wear layers, use hand warmers. I've heard they work well not just on the finger tips, but when placed near the wrists to warm the blood as it flows into the hand. they actually sell wrist bands with little pockets for hand warmers.

I've also heard that neoprene ice fishing or kayaking gloves are a good liner and vapor barrier. haven't tried it myself. anyone???

I wear a hat. I eat chocolate. I keep 'em dry. I wear layers. Sometimes they still get cold. Then I use hand warmers. (Sometimes before that). I've tried the wrist-type, but it was a miserable failure. YMMV. Have not tried neoprene.

 

[TCD]

I'm with ya, Tom. I have Raynaud's, and I get all the standard suggestions all the time.

I tried Neoprene years ago and was disappointed. I have found that any compression of the fingers, even a very slight compression such as is introduced by a neoprene glove, will greatly accelerate Raynaud's onset. I didn't try a "baggy" neoprene glove...I don't know if anyone makes a neoprene mitten.

Bottom line as far as I can see is: do everything right; wear mittens and use chemical heaters; and still plan on getting frozen fingers occasionally that will force you to stop and either swing them, or put them in your armpits.

TCD

 

[Tom Rankin]

I'm with ya, Tom. I have Raynaud's, and I get all the standard suggestions all the time.

I tried Neoprene years ago and was disappointed. I have found that any compression of the fingers, even a very slight compression such as is introduced by a neoprene glove, will greatly accelerate Raynaud's onset. I didn't try a "baggy" neoprene glove...I don't know if anyone makes a neoprene mitten.

Bottom line as far as I can see is: do everything right; wear mittens and use chemical heaters; and still plan on getting frozen fingers occasionally that will force you to stop and either swing them, or put them in your armpits.

TCD

After a long day, I find that my skin is not very warm, including my arm pits. I don't feel cold, but maybe I am getting close.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Heated Gloves!

These are expensive, but they may be worth it.

Note: 'Campfire' is the brand, not the heating method!

 

[daxs]

Maybe i should email this link to my boyfriend

 

[TEO]

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.

 

[Little Rickie]

Maybe i should email this link to my boyfriend

Can't you keep his hands warm?

 

[DougPaul]

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.

The mitten in the picture looks like a Dachstein.

Doug

 

[TEO]

According to The Mountaineer, the Ortovox "Dachstein" wool mitten is not an actual Dachstein mitten. The description says that the Ortovox is made in Germany; Dachstein mittens are called that because they are made in Dachstein, Austria.

Furthermore, a friend succumbed to purchasing those $50 eek Ortovox mittens from The Mountaineer and discovered that they are not as thick as traditional Dachstein mittens and the end of the thumb is stitched together instead of knit together.