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down mittens


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  • #1265270
    Greg Miller
    Member

    @1234abcd

    I'm trying to find a really warm pair of down mitts. I tried the ones made by Canada Goose, but I didn't find them warm enough. To me, they didn't really seem to have that much loft. Also, a careful reading of the tag inside the mitts showed they're 75% down and 25% feathers.

    Are there any down mitts that have a substantial amount of high-quality fill?

    #1662312
    James holden
    BPL Member

    @bearbreeder-2

    pretty pointless unless you can find 800 fill … primaloft one will work just as well as a lower fill version and be water resistant to boot

    even then is the down sealed so that it never gets wet?

    #1662319
    Bob Gross
    BPL Member

    @b-g-2-2

    Locale: Silicon Valley

    In my opinion, down mittens are not too practical. Due to the nature of how you wear them and how you use your hands, you may find that a stiff synthetic insulation is good, or else a heavy wool with nylon overshell. This is especially true if you use trekking poles or ski poles.

    Lots of people get cold hands when they are backpacking, but a lot of that comes from shoulder straps on the pack that are reducing circulation.

    –B.G.–

    #1662322
    Greg Miller
    Member

    @1234abcd

    #1662332
    Ben Smith
    BPL Member

    @goosefeet

    Locale: Georgia

    Greg,

    What is your intended use?

    #1662333
    Greg Miller
    Member

    @1234abcd

    I have cold hands much of the time. I want to have a really warm pair of mitts for general winter use; warm enough that I don't have to layer or use hand warmers (both of which I find mildly annoying).

    #1662334
    Ben Smith
    BPL Member

    @goosefeet

    Locale: Georgia

    If you don't plan on using them for climbing, or other abrasive use, I can probably make you a pair.

    Send me an email at [email protected] if interested.

    #1662539
    James holden
    BPL Member

    @bearbreeder-2

    mercury mitts … unles yr on an artic expedition or climbing everest … your hands wont ever get cold

    theyre totally bomber with a removable liner and leather palm

    the gold standard for a mountaineering mitt

    not exactly lightweight … but hey thats life for something that survives at summits … lol

    http://www.backcountry.com/black-diamond-mercury-mitten-mens?avad=1768_c10536b1

    if for some reason you decide that you are climbing everest in your backyard … or have polar bears on your porch ….

    the OR alti mitt … thats what they use on 8000m peaks

    http://store.everestgear.com/or71870.html

    #1662565
    Michael Febbo
    Spectator

    @febbom

    I use the Alti Mitts in NE winters… mitts of this type are really only good for grasping the head of an axe or using poles with straps. They are too bulky for almost any other use. Given that, you will still need to wear a liner glove (powerstretch is my choice) as you need to remove the mitts in order to do anything (unzip a jacket, take off your hood, scratch your nose…).

    My Altis are JUST warm enough for me when it gets below zero. They are XL, and my thumbs begin to get cold due to the slight tightness of the fit in that area. The insulation is simply too bulky in the thumb.

    That said, they are a tough and versatile system. The outer shell is insulated, allowing you to wear a thicker glove instead of the bulky liner mitt when conditions allow. The shells make great "belay mitts" due to this.

    #1662573
    Bob Gross
    BPL Member

    @b-g-2-2

    Locale: Silicon Valley

    What is general use?

    I would say that general winter use is for hikers and backpackers that don't fit into a special category such as Mount Everest climbers, roped rock climbers, skiers, ski lift operators, etc. Each of those specialists uses mittens in a way that will wear them out faster than normal.

    –B.G.–

    #1662578
    James holden
    BPL Member

    @bearbreeder-2

    i found the mercury mitts plenty warm with a light liner … down to about -20+ C

    a few times i found myself climbing in them when it hit -25+C … luckily i was following that time and didnt need to place screws … but they worked fine leashless with quarks

    theyre my winter belay glove

    #1662597
    Michael Febbo
    Spectator

    @febbom

    Bob- I should have clarified my question insofar as I was really asking about the specific activities that the mitt was needed to accomplish.
    If you want a warm mitten for campwear or for snow slogging in dry but very cold areas, then down seems fine to me. If you want a warm mitten to use while active, I'd go for synthetics due to increased moisture control.
    If the intention is to stay out for days at a time, I also prefer a removable liner both as extra insulation at night and in order to dry them out in my sleeping bag… perhaps this is general use, but that is what I was attempting to decipher.

    Eric: there is no way I can climb leashless in any mitt. If there is too much material between my hand and the handle I do not feel secure, leading or following. That's why it is nice to be able to lead a pitch wearing a good ice glove and throw the Alti mitt shells on over the gloves at the belay.

    TS: if you do want down, Prolite appears to have both Rab and Valandre options for under $100

    #1668485
    Greg Miller
    Member

    @1234abcd

    Has anyone tried the Valandre Oural mittens? They sound super light (120g) and super warm with 850 fill goose down. Is 50g of fill considered a good amount for a mitten?

    #1668553
    Danny Milks
    BPL Member

    @dannymilks

    Locale: SF Bay Area

    Mammut makes a mitten similar to the OR Altai: Mammut Extreme Arctic Mitten

    It weights 290 grams and has 600fp down. They could use higher quality down and lighter fabrics, of course, but they are darn toasty. I got these for my wife, whose hands get really cold. If her mittens don't keep her hands warm then I have too. So in a way, I bought them for my sake. I also got them on a really good sale a while ago.

    #1777746
    Tim Fleming
    Member

    @timdeb1098

    Locale: Colorado

    Check out Black Rock Gear down mitts: http://www.blackrockgear.com/undermitts.html

    Never tried them to know how warm they are but ultralight & pricey. Ther're also in the process of offering a rain mitt in cuben fiber – looks interesting.

    #1778705
    Stephen M
    BPL Member

    @stephen-m

    Locale: Way up North

    Hi,

    I have a pair of gooses feet down mittens (weighs 43g) which I place inside a pair of Primaloft mitts.

    #1916308
    beely huang
    Member

    @beely

    Hi all,

    Seal skin mittens are what the Inuit traditionally use, as they are very warm – even in the middle of the winter in the Arctic! I spent some time in Nunavut, and have since learned to make their traditional 'pualuks'. I make them in all sizes (adult women/men; children). you can check them out here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/102530910/inuit-seal-skin-mittens

    #1916408
    Walter Carrington
    BPL Member

    @snowleopard

    Locale: Mass.

    Check out the hot tent campers in Canada; they use what they call plunge mitts. When you take the mitts off for some task, they hang by straps so you can immediately plunge your hands back in. http://www.wintergreennorthernwear.com/Accessories-Hands/924-78080-Plunge-Mitt.html
    http://duluthpack.com/plunge-mitts.html
    http://duluthpack.com/pathfinder-plunge-mitts.html
    These are definitely not ultralight.

    I used to have snowmobile mitts that had the advantage that they were long and came well up my arm most of the way to the elbow; this made them warmer. I think the blood in the forearms was kept warmer which made my hands (and body) warmer. You might have to make your own for this.

    #1916539
    Brian Barnes
    BPL Member

    @brianjbarnes

    Locale: Midwest

    these are great:
    http://www.rbhdesigns.com/product/38&cfid=1806089&cftoken=64437234/hybrid-vaprthrmsup-and-sup-mitt-liner.htm

    combine with OR endevors… solid cold weather setup.

    #1916606
    Don Selesky
    Spectator

    @backslacker

    I got both the lightweight and heavier versions of their mitts, figuring I'd use the lightweight ones while hiking or until it got really cold. So far, I've never needed to heavier mitts, and that's down to at least 0F. I will add either a thin or thicker glove inside, but that does the trick for me.

    #1916688
    Charles Jennings
    Spectator

    @vigilguy

    Locale: Northern Utah

    "Has anyone tried the Valandre Oural mittens? They sound super light (120g) and super warm with 850 fill goose down. Is 50g of fill considered a good amount for a mitten?"

    I own a pair and like to use them in below zero weather. Had a customer use them in northern Alaska down to -40F and stayed pretty warm, but at those temps, he told me that there was some slight leakage of cold thru the seams. Valandre uses a high grade of goose down, anyway they work for me. I would not use them for hardcore climbing or mountaineering, but they are fine for general use in very cold temps. I like to use a lightweight glove liner with them.

    I also own a pair of black rock gear undermitts…. nice, but no way would I use them for sub zero temps.

    DISCLAIMER: I am a Valandre Retailer. (But I also use their stuff).

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