Latex Gloves

[Colin]

Perhaps there is some obvious flaw in this idea that I am completely overlooking, but I haven't thought of it yet. Vapor-barrier socks make your feet warmer, vapor-barrier liners make you warmer (in your sleeping bag), so why wouldn't wearing latex gloves underneath one's gloves increase warmth without decreasing dexterity?

[Smoker]

Good question Colin, here is my answer.

I work at a hospital and have had reason to wear latex gloves while out in the cold working. While I have never worn them under winter gloves I have had them on under insulated leather and normal leather gloves.

The gloves constrict blood flow (unless they are xxhuge in which case they don't stay on) and they are twice as cold once you sweat into them which happens almost immediately (something to do with latex I think). Finally, they shred by repetive motion against anything.

Nice thought but I think in true cold it is frostbite waiting to happen.

Thats my hands, maybe yours will be different.

Smoker

[Guest]

I thought of this too but was too lazy to get the gloves from the first aid kit. So haven't tried.

But what about those plastic gloves used in the food industry? Will try to get some from the cafeteria but not sure will be in a cold this weekend.

[Alex]

Shake n Warms are way better for cold hands than trying to figure out a vapor barrier system. You will seldom encounter cold cold enough to warrant thinking about VBL gloves of some sort - if you are then

1) you have Raynauds, which can be a very serious problem even in mild temps

2) your gloves suck in the first place, time to replace them

3) its cold enough to be using mittens or lobster mitts, a great alternative on colder days

4) its cold enough to use shake and warms

I have only encountered cold temps a few times where I hesitated wearing my gloves, and that was ice climbing at various times in Banff.

Cheers! Alex

[chriss]

I have seen others do something similar to this. And have done it myself.

Except we were using dishwashing gloves between liners and shells. The shells were leaking and the rubber gloves keep your hands from getting wet. You don't use VBLs directly next to your skin.

chris

[goatboy]

Like many innovations, it sounds like its worth a try. The key, in my opinion, would be to wear a very thin liner glove against your skin, then the VBL (hopefully one that won't shred too easily), then an insulated glove on top.

I sometimes use waterproof (?) mitts and take my right hand out of the mitten to fumble with gear, leaving the mitt hanging in the leash, in the well-driven tool in the ice. Then slip my hand back into the leashed mitt when I'm ready. Works pretty well for me except on very wet or very cold days. Any cold I accumulate while my hand is out of the mitt is rapidly compensated for by the fingers all warm together in the mitt (rather than having fingers separated by a glove). I'm sure people have their own systems, this is just the one that seems to work for me, for now.

I've also seen those black rubber "ice gloves" in various magazines, but have never tried them. As I think about it, I haven't seen those glove ads in some time, maybe they went out of business? Maybe for good reason?

The mystery continues....

[Dru]

Latex gloves are too thin to be warm and too unbreathable to keep your hands dry. tight dishwashing gloves over liners are dry but not super durable. best thing i've found is MEC mixmaster gloves - at only $65 a pair I can afford one a season - ice all winter and then alpine all summer and it's time for a new pair come November. But I have no complaints re:dry and warm from them and I can put screws in without taking them off.

[Illimani94]

The idea of glove VBLs sounds appealing; even the most waterproof shells can't prevent inners gettin wet from your own sweat. However, I have yet to find gloves dextrous enough and sturdy enough for climbing. The THIN latex ones, exam or lab gloves, don't seem sturdy enough. Dishwashing gloves might be dextrous enough if I could get ones to fit closely. Thin neoprene gloves might be dextrous enough, but don't expect to get them off easily once you start perspiring in them. ONE POSSIBILITY that I have seen but never tried are a particular type of lab glove made from nitrile. These things are way more stretchy than latex, and have a reputation for being pretty sturdy for as thin as they are.

I'm like goatboy. I wear mitts, I place gear barehanded (or if it's cold I weenie out and wear a thin liner glove - powerstretch or some such), leaving the mitts parked in my leash. So far my hands have stayed warm in most conditions. Even really damp, messy conditions are OK for good waterproof mitts. 'Course for multiday trips you need two sets of liners, and you need to be drying one all the time. Could be worse; you COULD be working.