Thin(ner) Gloves for Ice

[WageSlave]

Any recommendations for a thinner/less bulky glove for ice? Preferably something that I can still handle gear effectively in. I'm using a pair of last year's BD Ice gloves, which are nice and warm, but I have to pop em off to do much at all. The BD Punishers seem like they might work, anyone have experience with them?

[Alpinfox]

These cost about $5-$10

 

 

I also have a pair of OR Contact gloves that I like. It looks like OR might not make them anymore.

 

 

 

I used to have a pair of REI "One" gloves that I really liked, but I dropped one in the Mercer Island park and ride parking lot. They used to be made with Schoeller fabric, looks like they make them with Power Shield fabric now. Link

 

[mkporwit]

I use the first-gen BD Dry Tool glove, which I like a lot for ice climbing. The Dry Tool is apparently discontinued after two generations, and has been replaced by the Torque. The Torque is meant to be even more nimble, but offers even less insulation than the Dry Tool.

[Dane]

Big fan of the OR Extravert for cold conditions leeshless...like the Parkway in Canada. Lighter yet works cragging or around here but I get tired of carrying 3 or 4 pair of lwt gloves and changing them out all day as they get wet.

 

http://www.altrec.com/outdoor-research/mens-extravert-glove

 

Mtn Hardware (Epic glove) and REI ( copy of the Epic) make a really light glove that I have used a lot and like but carry 3 pair and big belay gloves if I'm out all day.

 

One spare pair with the Cloudveil Ice flow or a similar glove from Arcteryx the Gamma and the Stinger.

 

Really like the durability of leather palms as well when you start rapping.

 

But no question these are the best bang for the buck.

 

 

 

 

 

[mountainmandoug]

I've spent the last eleven years trying to come up with a glove solution that provides decent dexterity but will keep your hand functioning in the cold and wet. The best thing I have found yet are neoprene kayakers gloves. They are available in a wide variety of variants and most are not that spendy. I had a 35 dollar pair that were as warm as widstopper fleece, but I could work a bic lighter with them on and you didn't notice when they got wet. They had silicone on the palms and were grippy as all get out.The stop contact cold very well, they are awesome for digging in the snow and grabbing rock.

 

Now I'm playing with some 22 dollar ones with a fake leather palm. I think they will last longer but they are not quite as warm.

 

I don't feel the need to carry spares because being wet doesn't make much difference, just don't take them off and let them freeze. It's worth noting that I also tried some of the ones made by "Glacier Glove" and they fell apart quickly. You get what you pay for.

[kevino]

I won a pair of the OR alibi's and they work well hen you are in drier conditions. I want to try these:

http://www.prolitegear.com/rab_latok_glove.html

 

I have the warmer version (more like belay glove)with the same event and the thin approach like glove with same sticky palm. Put the two together and...

[DonnieK]

They aren't always easy to find, but the BD Verglas glove is a great middle-of-the-road option and my favorite all-around ice glove. Not as warm as the Ice Glove, and a little bulkier than the dry tool glove. But they have removable fleece insides that dry easily, the texture they put on the index finger is great for holding onto gear and they are svelte enough that the bulk isn't too bad. I find them warm enough for everything but the coldest days in Canada when I'll use my Ice Gloves.

 

The only downside is no padding, so if you're a knuckle basher, they won't help.

 

 

[Dane]

Thin gloves with a bit of padding for ice are getting hard to find.

[genepires]

I have a pair of the iceflow from cloudveil and they are so nice. I baby those things and only use them for leading, never ever rapping. Should get another before they catch on how good they are and discontinue them.

[G-spotter]

Don't wear a dedicated ice glove... or a waterproof glove. Something with a durable leather palm and a minimum of seams.

 

BD Pursuit works fine. A nice softshell glove, leather palm, not too insulated, bulky or waterproof. Add a $10 pair of winter weight rubber palm gloves for approach and a pair of your trashed old but still warm gloves for belays and rapping and you're good to go.

[dbb]

I use the first-gen BD Dry Tool glove, which I like a lot for ice climbing. The Dry Tool is apparently discontinued after two generations, and has been replaced by the Torque. The Torque is meant to be even more nimble, but offers even less insulation than the Dry Tool.

 

I too loved the old dry tool glove for leading ice. They actually replaced that glove with the BD "Impulse". They categorize it under ski descent, so it is less available at shops, unfortunately. However, it is a rad glove: some light knuckle padding, leather palm, a warm-enough thick schoeller/powershield outter, and a wrist velcro. A real benefit of these over the old dry tools is that they are more ergonomically contoured (instead of totally strait fingers). Much warmer than the torque, though those are excellent gloves as well.

[cbcbd]

I also have a pair of OR Contact gloves that I like. It looks like OR might not make them anymore.

When they first came out with that glove I loved them. Went out and bought a second pair. But...

Both pairs that I had started to unstitch along the tip of the index fingers. When this happened, a string of material would be exposed as a loop that would then start catching on biner noses and get clipped randomly. This was all from regular ice climbing use on pure ice routes. Anyway, both pairs are now sitting in my car's trunk and are the designated car work gloves - both are sporting busted open index and middle fingers.

No wonder they discontinued those gloves - a shame since I liked the padding on the back and the weight of the glove.

 

Big fan of the OR Extravert for cold conditions leeshless...like the Parkway in Canada. Lighter yet works cragging or around here but I get tired of carrying 3 or 4 pair of lwt gloves and changing them out all day as they get wet.

I second these and my buddy would third them as he's also looking to get a pair. Got them to replace my other busted ORs. They are great for climbing in real cold. They do get soaked easily, though, so I always climb with some BD Senseis in my jacket for belays and stash the Extraverts in my pits to warm them for the pitch. So far so good, even after some glove-wringing pitches.

 

Another glove that I just got that am trying out and so far digging (for alpine) is the Marmot Exum.

http://marmot.com/fall_2008/mens/gloves/work_gloves/exum_work_glove

 

[trainwreck]

I find that the OR Alibi can be used about 90% of the time and in much much colder weather than people think. They'll keep your hands warm while climbing and at the belays I just switch them out for BD Ice, Punishers, or whatever I have on my harness. My only complaint is that length, I prefer gloves with a gauntlet, even for M-climbing.

 

Right now I am really liking the BD Pursuit.

[John Frieh]

I have a pair of the iceflow from cloudveil and they are so nice. I baby those things and only use them for leading, never ever rapping. Should get another before they catch on how good they are and discontinue them.

 

Too late. Rayzar replaced the ice floe which they killed this year.

 

Glove fit varies person to person... your finger length will affect how well the glove fits... I cant wear some BD gloves which sucks because they make awesome gloves.

 

I'd say try on a bunch of pairs at the shop... see if you can tie your shoes with them on and also if the shop has a hang board or something try and do a few pullups

[Dane]

I dropped by the OR store in Seattle this morning and got to try on all their glove line.

 

Besides being partial to the "Extravert" ($59.) for cold weather leashless I also found two other gloves I had not seen that I liked a lot.

 

The thiniest one is the Vert glove. Soft shell, cut on the curve, lots of leather in the palm , fingers and thumb. with an elastic cuff that isn't too short and lightly lined. More insulation on the back of your hand and a little in your palm. Reasonable, if they last, at $45.

 

The other is a long cuff, gauntlet style all nylon glove with a rubber thumb, finger and palm. It may be the best of the bunch for cold weather leashless. The "Snowline Glove", is thin enough to comfortably get in a tight set of Nomics. Thinner than the Extravert but still insulated and likely warmer. Almost the same grip thickness as the Vert but obviously a lot warmer. Strap and elastic at the wrist and draw cord on the long cuff. Lightly lined but not removeable. Water proof, breathable liner. Inbetween glove for when the temps really drop or alpine leashless? But still light enough for serious M.

 

Most like my tried and true Mtn Hardware "Epic" but with just a bit more warmth, gauntlet and water proof. Price? Amazing $39.00 FULL retail!

[TrogdortheBurninator]

I have 3 or 4 pairs of extraverts, and they are by far my favorites. I have tried waterproofing the palms, but it doesnt seem to last long and they still wet out.

[montypiton]

I've tried several variants on the thin glove theme, including the thermofits pictured above, the chilly-grip version,(never liked the tactility of that rubberized palm) a couple of different soft-shell types ( liked the MH "torsion" but after wearing through a couple pairs, decided I needed something less expensive...). Tried a neoprene paddling glove, but didn't care for the clammysweats. (even on "warm" days, my hands would get damp, then cold...) recently discovered mechanic specialty gloves in hardwear stores -- padded knuckles, leather palm (reinforced, no less!), and "water resistant" (which I've yet to fully test). The thin leather palm/fingers present acceptable tactile sensitivity, and the padded knuckles serve the same purpose for wrenchers and icebums. They're about halfway between the thermofit/chilly-grip type and the adventure-sport softshell type in terms of price (the ones I got were about $30 with sales tax...) I figure its worth a try -- gonna be a while before I know for sure.

[Chad_A]

Wow, great suggestions. I'll have to go and find those OR gloves here in PDX, and check them out.

 

One more suggestion: the Marmot Spring glove is one I really like. Pretty thin, yet reasonably warm, and incredibly good at handling gear. Did my first trad mixed lead with them this season, and they were great. Easy to manipulate small biners with them.

 

 

60 bucks new, but I'll bet they could be found online for cheaper (2008 models).

 

 

 

 

[NoahT]

Circa $50 dollar schoeller-type gloves are good stuff. Don't baby them--beat the hell out them, and then buy a new pair. Mammut comets are one of my better feeling pairs. Schoeller, padded knuckles, leather palm. I have the punishers now too (very similar), and while I have enjoyed the "waterproof" insert, I didn't appreciate the extra cost or the inner liner that kinda slips around when you pull them off. They don't feel quite as "thin" either, the trade-off being I've been a bit warmer in them.

[cbcbd]

The other is a long cuff, gauntlet style all nylon glove with a rubber thumb, finger and palm. It may be the best of the bunch for cold weather leashless. The "Snowline Glove", is thin enough to comfortably get in a tight set of Nomics. Thinner than the Extravert but still insulated and likely warmer. Almost the same grip thickness as the Vert but obviously a lot warmer. Strap and elastic at the wrist and draw cord on the long cuff. Lightly lined but not removeable. Water proof, breathable liner. Inbetween glove for when the temps really drop or alpine leashless? But still light enough for serious M.

Dane, good find! Just checked those out at REI (clearanced?) although only in a L and S. Everything seems good and what I have been looking for some time (dexterous, slightly warm, not too bulky in the fingers, big gauntlet) but I just haven't had any winter/ice experience with that type rubber palmed gloves. Any experience with that sort of material? One thing I like about leather palms is that even if they freeze up, they still usually give you some friction. Some other materials I've tried just become scarily slick with even a slight frosting.

 

BTW, REI had a whole side of a fixture with OR Alibis on clearance.

[WageSlave]

Circa $50 dollar schoeller-type gloves are good stuff. Don't baby them--beat the hell out them, and then buy a new pair. Mammut comets are one of my better feeling pairs. Schoeller, padded knuckles, leather palm. I have the punishers now too (very similar), and while I have enjoyed the "waterproof" insert, I didn't appreciate the extra cost or the inner liner that kinda slips around when you pull them off. They don't feel quite as "thin" either, the trade-off being I've been a bit warmer in them.

 

US Outdoor has the Mammut Comets on sale right now too.

http://www.usoutdoorstore.com/outlet/mammut-comet-soft-shell-gloves.html

 

[Dane]

I just haven't had any winter/ice experience with that type rubber palmed gloves. Any experience with that sort of material?

 

Only problem I have had is they are too sticky. Place I have noticed it is holding a tube while trying to wind the screw in. Gloves were too grippy on the tube of the screw so you can't spin them in holding the tube. Bad way to place a screw anyway. But never seen them ice up on the outside (and I know what you mean) and they are really tough. Good for lots of rappels.

 

PC had something like 9 or 10 60m raps plus another 12 or so this winter and my other gloves with the same palm show no sign of wear at all. I'm generally rapping on dbl 7.8mm ropes which are slick anyway in a ATC and the rubber palms give you enough friction that it seems like a reasonable thing to rap on even with fully hanging and scary 60m rappels.

[montypiton]

update on the padded mechanic gloves: I climbed four pitches of soft/wet ice/mixed on 3/14. My hands stayed warm, but the thin leather palm got pretty wet. I dried 'em out and waxed the palm (ski-wax and a blow dryer, adding wax until it pooled on the surface of the leather, then rubbing off pooled excess). Now I can hold the gloves under running water without absorbing, and the palm/fingers are slightly tacky. The feel is far more sensitive than the rubberized knit gloves -- but I'll have to put a couple more days on them for a final opinion. So far, so good...