Leather palmed gloves and dry time? Waterproofing?

[sportnoob]

I don't really know anything about fabrics. It seems like there's variation across models and brands of the types and thicknesses of leather used on the palms of gloves (designed for climbing). It also seems like most gloves that are worth looking at that are more than simply a liner or powerstretch (eg for handling gear in the snow or ice climbing proper) have leather palms.

 

I get that most gloves aren't gonna be waterproof due to the seams (and the fact that there's a big-ass hole where I stick my hand in). But I'm wondering about how quickly they dry once they do wet out (like, say, on an overnight trip).

 

I handled some Mountain Hardwear gloves (Hydras, I think) and the leather seemed thin and supple. In contrast, I took a look at some Eddie Bauer Guide gloves and the leather seemed thick and stiffer.

 

Is leather that seems / feels thicker and stiffer gonna dry out slower once it wets out?

 

Also, several folks on the internet praise the OutDry feature of the MH gloves. I could see how this affects the rest of the glove body in terms of staying dry and / or drying out. Does this affect the palm part?

 

The motivation for this question was my experience this summer with some affordable softshell & deerskin gloves I got from Eastern Mountain Sports and treated with Sno Seal. Seems like they wet out relatively quickly, and took forever and a day to dry out.

Edited September 16, 2014 by sportnoob

[KaiLarson]

Not all leather is equal. For example, Pittards leather is treated for greater water resistance.

 

That said, I've found that pretty much every leather glove I've used has become soaked eventually when used in wet and sloppy conditions. That's why I now always carry at least 2 pair of gloves when I'm climbing in such conditions.

[Bronco]

Hydra's are great and my most waterproof breathable glove, love it for biking in the cold rain. Only problem is that on the pair I have is that the thumb is really long, like an extra 1/2" which is really annoying and makes it difficult to perform those delicate things like turn the crank on an ice screw.

 

 

[keenwesh]

There is no such thing as a waterproof glove. The only way to keep your hands warm is to carry several pairs and dry them out overnight in your sleeping bag for multi day trips.

[dfrost]

+1 to Kai and keen's answer: there is no such thing as a waterproof leather glove.

 

There are, however, lots of work-arounds. The cheapest is a pair of insulated work gloves from Costco or Home Depot lathered in Sno-Seal. I rotated pairs of these through 5 years of ski patrol work, and they seemed as good as anything else but cost 80% less. Once the leather gets soaked, it takes a night to dry, so I try to keep it from getting to that point by rotating gloves with one pair in my jacket to warm and "dry" a little. It works most of the time.

 

 

 

[christophbenells]

the few pairs of mountain hardwear gloves i've owned have really been the worst gloves ever. I do not like the outdry, and dry q is bs. If it really was superior all the other companies (BD, arcteryx, marmot, etc.) would be licensing MHW's fabric. MHW uses fabrics like outdry and dry q caude theyre too cheap to pay for gore tex.

 

That being said i do think they make great climbing packs and expedition tents, can't beat the trango tents.

 

My favorite gloves are the black diamond gloves, (leather/ gore-tex) i have the guide glove and the sentry glove, and when i need to i take both pairs with me.