in search of waterproof gloves

[counterfeitfake]

I went skiing yesterday. It rained all day and was generally crappy, but I had a great time because I stayed pretty dry and warm. Except for my hands, which stayed extremely wet. This didn't surprise me, because my gloves cost $20.

 

My buddies who had spent much more money on their gloves WERE surprised that their hands got equally wet.

 

Is there such a thing as a waterproof glove? I've never worn one, but I've never dropped any serious cash on a pair. Maybe now I'm willing to. Advice appreciated.

[fenderfour]

Same thread every year.

 

I've spent a lot on gloves, trying to find something that's truly waterproof. I've given up. Most times I wear some Dachstein wool mittens. If it's windy I put some OR overmitts on.

 

I've seen SealSkins which claim to be waterproof, but I've never tried them.

 

The only thing I've found that is truly waterproof are rubber gloves. Youo can get some bitchin insulated gloves at fisherman's supply store. They are sometimes called freezer gloves.

[knotzen]

I've found that Gore-tex overmitts work well at keeping the wet stuff out (I've used them for winter scrambling and climbing--not skiing).

 

Another option is neoprene gloves. I picked up a pair at Mountain Equipment Coop in Vancouver several years ago. They're like a wet suit for your hands--your hands get wet, but they stay fairly warm. Might be worth a try.

[Weekend_Climberz]

One piece of advice I would give with the overglove/overmitt crowd to make your hand stay absolutely dry, make sure that you do not put your gauntlets on over you jacket, but your jacket over you gauntlets. Yes, it makes taking them on and off more difficult, so if you are ice climbing this may not be possible. If you do not need to take them on or off frequently, put your gloves on first and then your jacket so the arms of the jacket cover the extended glove gauntlet. It's rather simple if you think about it, if you put your gloves on over you jacket when your arms hang down (natural position) then the water streaking down the jacket will seep right into your gloves. No strap, no matter how tight can prevent this seepage.

[crazy_t]

One of the main problems/challenges with gloves being waterproof is the amount of stitching needed for fingers, etc. That combined with the pressure you put on the seams and stitching when you are using them forces water through the membrane of standard gore-tex type fabrics and through the stitching. Hard to get by those issues.

[dylan_taylor]

The ultimate solution: Vinylove!

100% waterproof, 0% breathable, and relatively disposable (only costs about $10-$15 in a marine supply store near you)

 

Besides Center-for-disease-control orange, they also come in UN-weapons-inspector Blue!

[Weekend_Climberz]

Absolute Gloves

[jt]

As far as I know, true waterproof gloves don't exsist d/t there being so many seams to seal. They would cost like $200 to make it work and not too many people are going to spend that. There are likely mitts out there that are seam sealed, but you will have to look and see if they are. In my experience, best is to get gloves that are good shells that have a thick removable liner, just deal with being wet, at least they are warm, then hang them dry at night.