What gloves are people wearing? Any suggestions for UL backpacking in the UK?

S

Stuart

Section Hiker
Builders gloves are much cheaper than anything branded for "leisure". I've had these for about three years, worn regularly as bike commute gloves and for outside work:

https://www.selcobw.com/maxidry-thermal-gloves-size-10

I've never bought any but (proper) builders shops sell a range of thermal gloves, some on the Selco page above are sold as good for -30 degrees! For less than a tenner.

I think that some of the USA long distnce walkers have cottoned on to builders' gloves. Not seen them much over here.

I have some waterproof overmitts but I always struggle getting the second one tucked into my sleeve to stop water running down inside them.
 
Gavin Summers

Gavin Summers

Summit Camper
Stuart said:
Builders gloves are much cheaper than anything branded for "leisure". I've had these for about three years, worn regularly as bike commute gloves and for outside work:

https://www.selcobw.com/maxidry-thermal-gloves-size-10

I've never bought any but (proper) builders shops sell a range of thermal gloves, some on the Selco page above are sold as good for -30 degrees! For less than a tenner.

I think that some of the USA long distnce walkers have cottoned on to builders' gloves. Not seen them much over here.

I have some waterproof overmitts but I always struggle getting the second one tucked into my sleeve to stop water running down inside them.
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Cheers Stuart. It reminded of the workgloves I used last summer to tile the bathroom that I bought from Screwfix for about 2 quid. They were excellent. I'm going to give them a go and see how I get on!
 
EM-Chiseller

EM-Chiseller

Thru Hiker
My favourites and new from last year have been a pair of tkmaxx £12 merino liners by a brand called Kombi.
Very light, feel great and surprisingly warm, even in a cold wind. They don't like grit stone.
My other light and warm are extremities fleece liners.
For waterproof gloves, I've been using some Anshell industrial gloves. Bought the from a car boot a couple of years back and after having made bad choices on gloves... These are winners for me.
Cold and damp, I was given some buffalo mits... Can't fault them and for what they weigh, make a great bivi glove.
Full winter, I've some old mountain range mits and another brand similar, that are heavy fleece with coudura type outer and taped seams.
I've a pair of rarely used goretex part leather BD Alpine gauntlets. They've a removable line glove that is part wool fleece? And part primaloft.

Some of the running gloves can be pretty good with tuck away wind/water resistant mitten style covers.

I've fancied trying tough bags... But I'm pretty happy with what I've got after having made Loads of bad choices.
Montane Prism gloves springbto mind. I thought they were rubbish.
 
Robert P

Robert P

Thru Hiker
I mainly use Buffalo mitts - light, warm and surprisingly versatile. Some light wind resistant gloves too, but I tend to prefer the convenience of being able to take off the mitts easily (nothing worse than trying to get hands in/out of cold wet gloves)
On the industrial gloves front I'm trying a pair of Showa 281s as recommended by Andrew Skurka. What I'd really like would be a mitt version of these, as more sophisticated waterproof mitts have been a bit of a disappointment to me (there are 3 pieces of outdoor kit I consistently destroy - gaiters, waterproof trousers and waterproof mitts...). It is very difficult to find simple waterproof overmitts in tough material like used on work gloves. With a liner I doubt that breathability would be an issue, and the fabric used by Showa is allegedly breathable.
 
Mole

Mole

Thru Hiker
I bought 2 pairs of Showa 281s after reading about them a couple of years ago.

I have the largest size, and found they are ok worn alone, but fingers too tight n short for comfortable use with liners for me.

But if it's warm enough to wear them standalone in rain, I find it's probably warm enough not to need them anyway (apart from a very narrow temperature/windchill window). I prefer liners + the Decathlon WP mitts, or the mitts alone.

I use the showas for work, and find them excellent for certain jobs. (I'm a gardener/tree worker)
 
Enzo

Enzo

Thru Hiker
The size I got were a little small so I just use them for clearing out drains and gutters now.
 
Mole

Mole

Thru Hiker
Robert P said:
I mainly use Buffalo mitts - light, warm and surprisingly versatile. Some light wind resistant gloves too, but I tend to prefer the convenience of being able to take off the mitts easily (nothing worse than trying to get hands in/out of cold wet gloves)
On the industrial gloves front I'm trying a pair of Showa 281s as recommended by Andrew Skurka. What I'd really like would be a mitt version of these, as more sophisticated waterproof mitts have been a bit of a disappointment to me (there are 3 pieces of outdoor kit I consistently destroy - gaiters, waterproof trousers and waterproof mitts...). It is very difficult to find simple waterproof overmitts in tough material like used on work gloves. With a liner I doubt that breathability would be an issue, and the fabric used by Showa is allegedly breathable.
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But you are right. A mitt would be great. Especially if a darker colour rather than smurf blue
 
G

Gneiss Boots

Trail Blazer
Chiseller said:
My favourites and new from last year have been a pair of tkmaxx £12 merino liners by a brand called Kombi..

I've fancied trying tough bags... But I'm pretty happy with what I've got after having made Loads of bad choices.
Montane Prism gloves springbto mind. I thought they were rubbish.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Not got a pair of Prism gloves but often nearly did having been looking for a light warm pair to back up my basic softshell gloves I use most of the time but instead of buffalo mitts. They looked warm but not rugged or waterproof which was fine. What was rubbish about them?
 
WilliamC

WilliamC

Thru Hiker
I have a pair of cheap acrylic fingerless gloves with fold-over mitten flaps that I got new from a charity shop. They proved fine at minus 8, with little wind, which I admit surprised me.
If it's below zero and windy, I really like the Montane Prism gloves, but size up. Unlike Chiseller, I don't use them alone in rain; I add Zpacks cuben/event waterproof mitts.
IME, no non-waterproof glove - including Buffalo mitts - is truly warm in the long run when it's cold and wet.
 
S

Stuart

Section Hiker
A question for mitt wearers.

Do you tuck them into the sleeves of your jacket?

If so, how do you get the second one in?? The first is fine as I have a free hand but trying to pit a mitt into a sleeve using a hand that already has a mitt on is always a struggle. This is typically with a Marmot Precip as the fitting around the wrist is quite tight.
 
EM-Chiseller

EM-Chiseller

Thru Hiker
WilliamC said:
I have a pair of cheap acrylic fingerless gloves with fold-over mitten flaps that I got new from a charity shop. They proved fine at minus 8, with little wind, which I admit surprised me.
If it's below zero and windy, I really like the Montane Prism gloves, but size up. Unlike Chiseller, I don't use them alone in rain; I add Zpacks cuben/event waterproof mitts.
IME, no non-waterproof glove - including Buffalo mitts - is truly warm in the long run when it's cold and wet.
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It was a hail shower... Not rain. They wernt sodden wet, but they were wet and my hands were on poles, so tightish around the hands.
Wife has them and she likes them. Doesn't rate them as very warm but Her hands run cold.
 
Padstowe

Padstowe

Thru Hiker
Stuart said:
A question for mitt wearers.

Do you tuck them into the sleeves of your jacket?

If so, how do you get the second one in?? The first is fine as I have a free hand but trying to pit a mitt into a sleeve using a hand that already has a mitt on is always a struggle. This is typically with a Marmot Precip as the fitting around the wrist is quite tight.
Click to expand...
I take it you mean tucking your sleeves into your mitts? In which case I don't, cause if it's raining the water will run in under the mitt given time I find.
If not then it's pretty easy to pull the sleeve over the mitt & close it down with the Velcro strap at the end of the sleeve.
 
S

Stuart

Section Hiker
Padstowe said:
I take it you mean tucking your sleeves into your mitts? In which case I don't, cause if it's raining the water will run in under the mitt given time I find.
If not then it's pretty easy to pull the sleeve over the mitt & close it down with the Velcro strap at the end of the sleeve.
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I did mean tucking mitts under sleeves, but it's not easy on my jacket. @Enzo has solved this with impeccable logic!
 
Padstowe

Padstowe

Thru Hiker
It was the tucking them into the sleeves that confused me, tucking them under makes more sense.
edit: another way if you already have your jacket on might be to pull your sleeves up a bit put your mitts on then pull them back down over the top of the mitts?
 
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Shewie

Shewie

Chief Slackpacker
Staff member
Stuart said:
I did mean tucking mitts under sleeves, but it's not easy on my jacket. @Enzo has solved this with impeccable logic!
Click to expand...

I’ve had the same with my Tuffbags, especially if it’s elasticated cuffs on the jacket, it’s a faff but I mess with them after I’ve set off walking again.
 
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