Warmest Mitts?

[DetachedFlake]

Anybody got high altitude experience with mitts/mittens and have a favorite pair? I have BD Mercurys and I'm not sold they'll cut it over 20000 ft. Anyone tried the Rabs?

[Dane]

Over 20K feet "where" is the question....

[hydroman]

I've tried Mountain Hardware's warmest mitt on Aconcagua and various Ecuadorian peaks and though they worked I didn't find them as warm as I had hoped. Upgraded to a pair of OR Alti Mitts for Denali and found them much warmer and user friendly, though much pricier.

 

I'm about to list a bunch of cold weather gear for sale and will be selling the Alti Mitts. Basically they look like new and were only used for cold days up high, so very little use. Shoot me a PM if you have any interest.

[Le Piston]

The warmest mitts I found were made by Granite Gear, but I don't think they make 'em anymore. You might try some of the chemical heat packs in your current mitts to make them work better in high altitude/extreme cold. I have the Mercury Mitts and have been pretty happy with them in winter here, but haven't used them over 16,000 feet, so not a good reference.

Edited October 20, 2009 by Le Piston

[PeakDream]

I used BD's Mercury on Aconcagua. Never got cold hands.

[Hoosierdaddy]

Reportedly the warmest on the planet:

Technical Advantage Gear

 

These look like they'd keep you warm on ANY planet!

[DetachedFlake]

Whoa! Yeah, probly warm, but what they aren't is light. 21 OZ vs 12 and change for the OR's provided OR isn't being, er, ambitious about the weight.

[Marko]

Dachsteins. Maybe add a windproof overmitt if it's really nasty up high. They've never failed me even after other gear has frozen solid.

[tvashtarkatena]

OR Altis. They're amazing.

[ASmith]

I like the OR Alti for mitts but I find I use gloves 95% of the time and mitts only as a back-up. I recently took a look at the BD mitt but if I'm correct the shell is not seam taped so I past on them.

 

So.... I'm looking for a better (best) glove combination. What have you all found to be the best for you for say Denali, Cho Oyu and the Himalaya?

 

BTW, I have seen a few using the HEAT warming systems in both gloves and boots now for summit days for insurance.

Edited October 21, 2009 by ASmith

[Captain Crunch]

I've got to give a strong vote for the BD Absolute Mitts.

 

http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/mountain/gloves/absolute-mitt

 

I've been living and working at the South Pole for the winter (February - November). I've come to really love these mitts. I used them almost exclusivly when the temps are colder than -60F, and that has been virtually everyday for the past 8 months. When it gets really cold (ie -80F to -95F) my hands can get cold, especailly if I am holding something, or if I have them out of the mitts too much. But really...-95F with a -145F windchill what do you expect.

 

 

There might be warmer mitts, but there is more to a glove system than just warmth. I love these mitts because the shell is insulated with primaloft. Most other mitts have a really thick liner that goes into an uninsulated nylon shell. What I do it remove the liner from the right mitt (I'm right handed) and I wear a modest fleece glove (OR Gripper) on my right hand. Without the liner, the right hand goes in and out of the mitt easily. This give me the dexterity to do almost anything. This does not happen if you are trying to use a fleece glove with a mitt that has a fleece liner. If you were to try this with most other mitts, you wouldn't have any additional insulation provided by the shell. Thus it wouldn't be much warmer than your fleece glove alone. In extreme cold (like we have down here) exposing skin for a few seconds = frostbite (been there - done that). For my left hand I just run the mitt stock since I don't usually need that level of dexterity in both hands.

 

www.freezedriedengineer.wordpress.com

[thin_air_aaron]

Does anyone have any experience with the Mountain Hardwear Absolute Zero mitt and how they would/have perform(ed) in various high altitude environments?

Edited November 2, 2009 by thin_air_aaron

[ASmith]

I like the OR Alti for mitts but I find I use gloves 95% of the time and mitts only as a back-up. I recently took a look at the BD mitt but if I'm correct the shell is not seam taped so I past on them.

 

So.... I'm looking for a better (best) glove combination. What have you all found to be the best for you for say Denali, Cho Oyu and the Himalaya?

 

BTW, I have seen a few using the HEAT warming systems in both gloves and boots now for summit days for insurance.

 

 

I just bought two pairs of BD Guide Gloves for my wife, anyone using these? I think BD makes a warmer glove however I got these for $70.00 ea. so I thought that I would give them a try. What warm gloves would you suggest?

[MattS]

I used to use the BD guide gloves. I really didnt like them. They weren't at all as warm as I had hoped and I found myself with cold finger tips several times while in the 20 degree range. Also they had very little dexterity.

 

I sold em, and switched to the OR Northwall mitts and have been very happy with those. They aren't super durable but the warmth on them is very nice. I hate being cold and these have worked well for my winter objectives.

[kurthicks]

I've used the BD Guide gloves to the summit of Denali a few times with good results. With all expedition-weight gloves you lose dexterity compared to a thinner glove, but I find that overall I retain more dexterity in gloves than mittens--meaning I futz with gear less and move faster. I use Marmot Expedition Mitts for when it's super cold and I'm more concerned about warmth than dexterity.

 

Some other things to consider that affect how cold your hands get are A) hydration and B)conductive heat loss (think holding an uninsulated ice axe).