Which Overmitts do you use?

[hikingfish]

Hi!
Temps are starting to drop slowly, colors will soon start to change, it's apple picking season...this can only mean one thing: WINTER'S ON IT'S WAY!

With that in mind, I've been looking at changing my current gloves (Out-of-Bound MEC gloves...terrible for winter! Not enough insulation, although I probably took them a tad too small...syndrome of losing so much weight, you want everything tight fitting haha).

In anycase, I have a pair of polypropylene gloves (although they are rather thick I find...anyone has success stories with those uber-thin polypro gloves??) l've been using as base layer. I wanted to purchase a pair (or two) or simple fleece gloves (MEC has double fleece mitts for dirt cheap). My problem is with the overmitts. MEC's selection is very limited. So I was wondering which overmitts you guys (and gals) use?

I'd expect to have a couple of special "features" on an overmitt, mainly:
1) Waterproof/Breathable fabric (doesn't need to be gore-tex)
2) Grippy palms and thumbs
3) Full-Length overmitts with draw cord to keep snow out.
4) Tie cords to clip them onto your jacket so you lose them.
5) I'd like to be able to fit a primaloft/hyperloft mitt instead of fleece mitt inside, for those cold days.

I think I'd prefer not to buy an overmitt that comes with a liner, as so far I haven't been very impressed with those that I've seen and would probably throw them in my closet.

One final question (more curiosity than anything else): Would you even consider getting those expedition mitts (big enough to fit over poly base layer + fleece) for those "Dang, I should of stayed at home" kinda days?

Thanks a lot gang!

Fish

 

[jfb]

I use Black Diamond Mercury Mitts and Fox River Three Layer wool gloves.

Fox River gloves

Mercury Mitts

 

[linehant]

Mercury Mitts.

With Ragged Mtn. Glacier fleece gloves and Pata-Gucci liner gloves.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

Outdoor research overmitts with one or two pairs of ragged mountain fleece mittens inside. The mittens are two different sizes so they fit inside each other. Both pairs will slide into the overmitts and it doesn't compress my hands at all. This is very important in keeping your hands warm. You can't have so much insulation on that it is actually clamping all the vessels closed. Keeps my hands toasty warm and dry even the in coldest weather, even when I'm sitting around doing nothing in camp.

Keith

 

[hikingfish]

Outdoor research overmitts with one or two pairs of ragged mountain fleece mittens inside. The mittens are two different sizes so they fit inside each other. Both pairs will slide into the overmitts and it doesn't compress my hands at all. This is very important in keeping your hands warm. You can't have so much insulation on that it is actually clamping all the vessels closed. Keeps my hands toasty warm and dry even the in coldest weather, even when I'm sitting around doing nothing in camp.

Keith

Hi Keith!
I've went to a local store yesterday and they had a bunch of OR overmitts. They seemed fairly solid. You've describe the setup I tried yesterday: base layer glove, fleece mitt, OR fleece liner and OR overmitt. My only worry is that I had to take XL mitts in order to have all of those layers fit, however should I choose to use only the OR fleece liner, the mitts would be a bit too big. I guess that's a compromise I'd have to live with, right!

Fish

 

[giggy]

for the real cold days - use a thick fleece mitt that i got at EMS (their brand) a few years back - no clue the name - but any thick fleece will work -
(usually have a thin liner as well) and then the OR overmitt shell - (the bare bones basic bottom of the line one they make (or made)) - I am big fan of layering. This system works great for cold days when the gloves won't cut it or at night in camp. but the gripping is not there that you need.

I have heard great things about the mercury gloves as noted above.


Yea - tight fitting is not the way to go - found that out the hard way.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

OR overmitt. My only worry is that I had to take XL mitts in order to have all of those layers fit, however should I choose to use only the OR fleece liner, the mitts would be a bit too big. I guess that's a compromise I'd have to live with, right!Fish

Hi Fish,

I just looked on the OR site for my overmitts. No suprise they are not there anymore. What I want to make sure I made clear was that the OR overmitts that I am refering to are just a waterproof/windproof shell. They have no fleece attached inside. I am not sure if the overmitts you are talking about do. It sounds like they might fleece built in. That probably would make them too big to use without the extra mitten.

An my overmitts have the idiot cords. I also agree that they are essential.

Keith

 

[hikingfish]

Hi All,

Thanks a lot for all your posts. I think it really helped me clarify what I needed. I've sent an email to MEC's customer service dept. to see if they will offer their CloudRaker overmitts (no liner, gore-tex shells). If not, I'll try looking at what OR offers as I won't be near an EMS for a little while.

I've already checked out the Mercury mitts, but wasn't that impressed. I'll have to take a closer look next time I see them at the store.

So I guess nobody actually buys those big "expedition mitts" eh? They are sooo comfy, but would be completely useless unless on an 8k summit bid hehe.

Fish

 

[Neil]

My overmitts are MEC Cloudrakers. Full featured and Gore-tex XCR. Underneath I like my Dachstein boiled wool mittens. However, 90% of the time I'm wearing a flimsy pair of woolen gloves. In fact, I'm going to get a second pair so when the first pair is soaked I can throw on the dry ones.

Boots, crampons, mitts. Next will be sleeping bags, skis, snowshoes, stoves, skiable slides...Hey, how about a winter pack contents thread?
All of these winter threads won't bring on the snow any quicker BTW. Keep it coming just the same.

 

[Rick]

I have found over the years that I would rather stay away from any kind of mitt with a nylon or goretex liner (or shell) preferring OR uninsulated goretex overmitts along with several of the following, depending on the weather and temps

Simple polypro liner gloves for doing basic tasks around camp or hiking in milder conditions

Windblock fleece gloves - for colder drier windier days, but my OR overmitts are always at the ready to go over them if needed.

Thick fleece 200 or 300 wgt mitts that can go over my liner gloves (as a general rule) and I then pull the GTX overmitts right over them.

I really like this setup because I can wear anything with anything else and the gloves and mitts all dry in a snap. My concern with insulated mitts is that they can get clammy and damp inside and are difficult to dry out.

I also strongly agree with an idiot cord it is amazingly easy to lose a glove or shell to a 30 MPH "breeze" when trying to pull them on.

 

[rambler]

Just adding a pair of unlined overmitt shells over gloves or mittens can amazing make a difference between having cold or warm fingers and hands. If you are just wearing liners as you hike and your hands still start to get cold, add the shells before other gloves or mittens and that might make the difference. Ovewrmitts are an important addition to winter gear. I would also rather have the fit too big than just snug.

 

[Mad Townie]

OR Goretex overmitts with thin polypro liners and honkin' thick ragg wool mittens. If your liner gloves are at all damp from sweat, it feels really cool (I mean cool, not ) when you take the mittens off to do something like taka a photo. When it's really really cold I'll use a thinnish fleece glove with Thinsulate lining instead of the polypro liners.

Works for me.

 

[Jkrew81]

Fish -

I think some of us might be a bit confused by expedition mitts vs shells. Generally speaking, most people use one or the other, but not both at the same time. For example, Marmot's Expedition Mitt might be the warmest mitt on the planet, but it's so large I doubt you could put a shell over it. On the other hand, you can 'build' the warmth of their expedition mitt by choosing various types of mittens and then adding the shell.

It isn't that one is better than the other per se, it's more a matter of $$ and personal preference, and just how many different mitten systems you can accumulate before your partner says "Enough! with the mittens".

I use a fleece liner with a primaloft mitt (cheapo but effective EMS mitt) with an unlined GTX mitt, but I do not use an insulated mitt over that. When I think of Overmitts I think I of the kind you see Ed Veisturs wearing on 8K peaks like you said. I would like to think that I have been out in some crazy cold weather like the rest of us here, but I have definatly never needed anything of that nature.

 

[mudhook51]

Unlined OR gore-tex over-mitts, rag wool or fleece mitts, smartwool glove liners, for cold days, make sure they aren't to tight as sar-emt mentioned. You can vary the layers depending on the temp. or conditions. Plus in an emergency you can fit heavy socks under them or add a chemical heater. They are light and take up no space. I usally tie them together and wear them around my neck. The biggest drawback is they are rough on the nose.