Windproof durable palm gloves

[charlesclaassen]

I've been looking for a glove that can do everything...keep it in the daypack during quick summer day climbs to wear if it's chilly during breaks, spring and fall cool weather wear, thin enough to be super dextrous (picking up loose change off the floor) but warm enough to be worn alone during (relatively) dry winter climbs, and able to be used as a liner in a moderately oversized gauntlet glove or expedition mitten (for when I get up to Alaska). Another requirement is a palm material tough enough to take a few seasons worth of rappels.

 

I've been looking at Arc'Teryx Hardface and Gamma gloves, but I'm hesitant to layout $85 for a pair of gloves. Not that I wouldn't if I knew they would be awesome. What types of windproof fleece gloves have you all been using and to what effect?

[mattp]

I'm not famililar with the products you mention, but my guess is that the $85.00 wonder gloves aren't going to do all that you describe. I don't think you will find any gloves that will allow you to pick up a coin from the floor and also keep your hands warm on cold winter climbs and I'd be surprised if there is anything sold as a liner gove that will withstand "a few season's worth of rappels" unless you don't rappel very much.

 

I think you'll be better off getting a few different pairs for different conditions, and if you are concerned with cost there are some cheap alternatives out there. Many will say my system is "totally inadequate" but most of the time I use a wool liner that costs less than $10.00 and leather shell mitts are easy to come by at a bargain price. For ice climbing, I'm thinking of trying the vinyl love, and for cold weather nothing beats Dachstein mittens. Even on a single day's outing you may want more than one option: while skiing or snowshoeing uphill, your hands will be sweating in any glove warm enough for standing around in the cold and if you sweat them out on the approach, you'll have cold hands on the climb.

[DPS]

REI has Black Diamond Windstopper fleece gloves on sale. They have a leather palm and are as likely as anything to do everything you want them to do. I generally agree with mattp, though. Better to have a number of gloves, even for a one day climb. (Approach, climbing, belay)

[cj001f]

Don't buy Windstopper Fleece Gloves. They're great - until they get wet. At which point they will never, ever dry.

 

Wool Gloves or Standard Fleece Gloves are better.

[plexus]

Like what DPS just said. We went climbing yesterday in the Flatirons. I wore my thin glove liners, had a pair of my mid-weight OR fleece gloves and had my leather belay gloves. Wore the liners all the time, even to climb in, had the OR fleece gloves on while hiking or stopping and use the leather belay gloves when, well, you can figure that out.

 

I've always been hesitant to belay somebody/rappel with fleece gloves on, I always throw on some leathers. Couldn't the friction burn through the gloves? Or am I being paranoid.

[DPS]

Don't buy Windstopper Fleece Gloves. They're great - until they get wet. At which point they will never, ever dry.

 

Wool Gloves or Standard Fleece Gloves are better.

 

Doh! Now you tell me! I just bought a pair because they were on sale and I had an REI gift card.

[hakioawa]

I have a pair of Kombi windstopper gloves. Got them at outdoor and more. Paid something like $20. THEY ARE FANTASTIC! I think the are the Orko model. They do stay worm when wet, you can climb in them. They easily work as liners. The breathe well, cut the wind. If you do a really fast rappel you may melt the reinforced palm, but other than that they are about the best piece of gear for the $$ I own.

[willstrickland]

Take a pair of $8 200wt fleece liners, stick 'em in a pair of plain leather work gloves. Viola! Removable liners, tough enough to go big walling or logging for firewood, warm enough, windproof, dexterous, can strip down to just the leather for summer stuff, and cheap cheap cheap. Put some snow seal or nikwax or something on them to make 'em sticky and waterproof. This is my daily glove set-up.

 

Windstopper gloves are great for cold weather biking, but I always tear them to pieces in short order doing anything remotely resembling climbing (two pairs destroyed in three weeks, gave the third pair to my dad).That's my $0.02

[slothrop]

Ditto. I only wear my windstopper gloves for biking on days like today, as they never dry out when wet.

 

You could buy my Dry Tool gloves and wear them with liners for winter climbing. They're nicely dexterous, just too small for my long skinny hands. You could rappel with 'em, too -- they've got nice leather palms.

[Tod]

The OR Gripper glvoes work great. They are much more durable than standard windstopper gloves because they wrap the gripper part around the first two fingers.

 

I've used OR Gripper gloves for B/C, mtneering, hiking, climbing, ice, etc. They're durable, keep the wind out and keep your hands relatively warm as long as you keep them dry. I think they are $69...

 

There's also a ton of other high end cilmbing windstopper gloves from various other companies that are probably just as good....

[Bronco]

If I wore a large, I'd buy those BD Drytool gloves off of slothrop. I have a pair and have used them for ice climbing, general mountaineering, skiing and mtn biking for a couple of years. The leather is wearing through on the finger tips now but they've held up to abuse pretty good. I belive I paid about $29.99 on www.sierratradingpost.com (still see them there from time to time). They are $59.00 on the BD website. These would be similar to the Arcteryx gloves you mentioned (softshell & leather construction)

 

I also have a pair of the BD windstopper gloves and they are not nearly as durable or weather proof but are more comfortable and nice for cool weather hiking and running. I never really noticed they take longer to dry but, I guess that would make sense considering the windproof membrane. Probably not a big deal if you're only out for the day.

 

Other glove makes to check out:

 

www.cloudveil.com

www.mec.ca

www.marmot.com

www.patagonia.com

 

Like everyone else said, there's no one perfect glove out there so you should accept the fact that you may eventually end up with half a dozen different gloves. I find that I buy a new pair to replace some old worn out gloves and decide that maybe I can keep the old gloves as "back ups".

[griz]

Yeah, I don't waste my money on windstopper stuff anymore. The crap is COLD- wet or dry. Good ol fleece is warmer, breathable,lighter,cheaper and DISPOSABLE. My OR Windstopper gloves only come out now when I want to look cool for the women and just need really marginal warmth protection...

They make some leather work gloves that have a fleece lining sewn in if you want leather for rapelling.

[Kevin_Ristau]

My new favourite glove is the Black Diamond Patrol - Leather and Schoeller construction with a (non-removable) fleece lining. Warm enough, good dexterity, waterproof and durable. Maybe a bit too warm for summer use, but I have not found anything lighter that really waterproof except for sealskinz.

[Cpt.Caveman]

gloves are worse than shoe or boot questions.

 

You will get more than enough answers.

 

I have tried the glacier glove underneath multiple shell systems to work good for most ice climbing.

 

For skiing it also works. But just approach skiing I usually wear just a glove linger. Sometimes I wear a marmot ultimate ski glove but the sewing on my pair has proven to be sub standard and I wont buy them again. I got a free pair of gore tex mtn hardloser gloves but the lining is so thick they proved to be lame for ice climbing - figggured it out on o jack.

 

gloves are like socks and shoes. One size and style does not fit all..

 

Some people like freezer gloves and some like wool. Wool is reliable material...

 

Search seek sample sue and style.