MLD rain mitts or ???

I've used the MLD mitts in the past, but didn't like the fit of them. I think it was more of the mitt vs gloves idea rather than the design of the MLD mitts. I just found that I like having the dexterity of gloves a lot more than I do mitts. I settled on the OR versaliner gloves. They are a lightweight liner glove that also has a separate waterproof shell that can be worn over the liners. They also have a zippered pocket on the glove to keep the waterproof glove in when not being used. The versaliners weigh 2.8oz in size large, and cost about $30-40.

I have the OR Versaliners and used them a lot last winter/spring in Oregon. They are definitely not waterproof – only mildly water resistant. My hands always ended up soaked in them and I would consider them only good for blocking the wind or packing up a wet tent. They did work well at preventing mosquitos from biting my hands when fishing.

I tried the Luke's mittens and also found them not waterproof.

I have recently bought the ZPacks mittens but haven't needed to use them yet. These actually seam waterproof and durable and the taped seams are nice. I normally wear size medium gloves and the mittens fit me well. I think being able to layer my gloves underneath will be useful.

I agree with John on the Versaliners. They're just too far away from waterproof. The seams aren't sealed/taped and the fabric seems to leak almost immediately.

The MEC CloudRaker Mitts (2.5oz) are a cheap way to go ($19). I have these. They seem about as waterproof as any mitts – so mostly waterproof but in all day rain your hands end up wet. They do fit pretty big, as they intended more as an overmitt for the winter. I have medium hands and I wear in a small in these.

I wouldn't pony up big bucks for eVent for mitts. Given the conditions where they are used, you're unlikely to benefit from added breathability (ie. hands are a high wear area where the DWR is going to fail pretty quick, the fabric will saturate and breathing will be close to nil).

Edit: I wrote this before seeing the replies from John and Dan.

Thanks for pointing out that option, Brian. I had looked at OR's site, but filtered for mitts so I missed them. I figured that gloves would be problematic due to all the seams. The reviews for these are mixed, and it seems that they may still benefit from some seam sealing. Do you use trekking poles? I wonder if the Pertex has a high enough HH rating to resist the added pressure from pole use.

I would also prefer the functionality of gloves over mitts. The weight of these seems reasonable given that they are both liner and shell. Would match my Helium II jacket nicely.

I've been using a pair of MLD rain mitts since 2009 that I bought for a PCT thru-hike. I'm still using them. I mainly use them for warmth on cold mornings and they do provide a surprising amount of warmth for the weight. There aren't many other choices for a pair of gloves/mitts that only weigh an ounce (on my scale, but the new models may be slightly heavier). These replaced a lightweight pair of MH windstopper fleece gloves. After being in a snow storm with those and having the fingers get wet and thus cold in the strong wind, I decided waterproof mitts were a better choice. Going with mitts also makes it easy to layer a glove underneath if you really need the extra warmth though I rarely bother.

As for their continued water proofness despite being 5.5 years old and carried for at least 8 months of total hiking, I don't really notice them not being as waterproof though I'm sure they must less be given how eVent wears. But my hands have always been damp wearing them, even when they were new; I think more from sweat then rain. But as my hands don't feel cold in the rain it doesn't really mater to me which it is.

Gloves are REALLY hard to water proof. Even if the fabric is truly waterproof there are all those seams. And all that flexing on those seams, making them more likely to fail even if they are waterproof new.

If made of the same materials, mitts are warmer.
Overmitts with liners are a good solution.
You can use some thin gloves or fingerless gloves inside and pull your hands out when dexterity needed.

Billy

The MLD rain mitts are pretty much the king of the cottage industry.

From a breathability performance aspect, the only thing that has even been able to beat them was the *previous* version of the rain mitts from zpacks (the very last white wpb version.)

Unless a person was *specifically* after a VBL pair of rain mitts, I do not see any reason for buying the ones from Lukes Ultralight. Except in a situation where VBL is a desired factor, why would you want a pair of non-breathable rain mitts. (rhetorical question, sorry)

If you are after fingered gloves, and weight is not all that much of an issue, and neither is spending good money on a truly exceptional pair of gloves, the KUIU ‘Yukon Gloves‘ have, by far, the best breathability and fabric of any fingered glove I have ever seen or encountered.

If you are after the lightest pair of (semi)breathable rain mitts, the Black Rock Gear ‘overmitts‘ are IIRC the lightest pair ever brought to market.

I, like Dan, use the MEC Cloudraker over mitts. They have proven very durable and waterproof for me but they do run large so size down. They are unbeatable on price and are more durable than eVent, which is NOT ideal from an abrasion perspective. Which is why they are not ideal for gaiters as well if any bush waking is involved.

I had an old pair of MLD mitts that were 1.1oz after seam sealing. They delaminated after what I consider minimal use even though they were several years old (they spent most of their life in the pack). I bought a new pair and they were 1.4oz before seam sealing. The material of the two is not the same so hopefully the new ones hold up better. I couldn't say for sure though as I have never used them. I bought a pair of heavier but durable extremities tough bags. They are 2.5oz for the pair, but they are gore tex seam taped with a better fit and a super durable palm.

I would also look at the haglofs gram mitt if they still make them.

"the *previous* version of the rain mitts from zpacks (the very last white wpb version.)"

Explain why only the previous version and not the current ?

I personally have had a far different experience with my Veraliner. First off, I only use the shell…and I combo it with Marmot Midweight Baselayer gloves (Men's/M) – 0.9oz. I took the time to stuff and seam seal them (about 2hrs.) using a toothpick just as you have to do with mitts. After doing the JMT this year with them, and how I used them (ie – keep in my hands warm in the cold and sometime damp morning packing up a wet Spinnaker shelter, fishing during the cold mornings, filling up water during cold mornings) …even submerging my hands a bit in the lake or stream when filling water…I never had a problem. Even hiked with them over my sun gloves on really cold early morning starts. I really appreciated the dexterity of the gloves vs. mitts and could not imagine being able to do half the things I did while wearing them had I been wearing mitts. I would have had to take them off repeatedly…especially to take pictures holding a cold camera.

I really like them. I stuff the Marmot Midweight Baselayer gloves in one liner and wrap with the other liner to keep all my gloves together and keep the Midweight Baselayer gloves dry should my pack get wet. I purchased the Versaliner set for $27-30 and think if you take the time to seam seal them well, their worth their 0.7oz. (Shell Only – Seam Sealed – Women's/L) weight in gold! BTW, women's L is the same as the men's M if you can only find the women's pairs.

My AR seam sealing:

HTH

KJ

When I was 22, I had some extra income and I bought the MLD Rain Mitts. I've used them every winter and fall/spring since, and I haven't seam sealed them yet. I might never- I think it vents better.

At any rate, they keep my hands dry and comfy. I'm glad I bought them. They show no signs of wear. They pack up smaller than a stick of gum. I leave them in my raincoat pocket all the time so they're there when I need them.

I highly recommend.

"They pack up smaller than a stick of gum."

that's a bit of an exaggeration.. they pack down small, but not *that* small.

no seam sealing. Interesting. My pair aren't either and each time they are used in rain, my hands get soaking wet.

Gloves/mittens are high wear stuff and hands don't sweat much when it is cold -which is when you need gloves/mittens.

I'd recommend trying waterproof non-breathable versions if you can find them. I see a lot of potential there yet they are not common place. The only commercially available ones I've found are neoprene gloves. In diving shops or cycling stores.

Neoprene does not feel warm but it keeps hands at a reasonable temp, no matter how much rain. Hands get damp from inside but nowhere near as damp as I've always got them in prolonged rain. Dexterity is quite good with 2 mm neoprene, acceptable with 3 mm.

I do use mine with trekking poles. Mine are also seam sealed. They dont have much use on them, but they did not leak when i submerged them in the sink after sealing them. Mine will probably never see much use because all my trips are in the hot and humid southeast, and wet hands dont bother me during the warmer months.

"Gloves/mittens are high wear stuff and hands don't sweat much when it is cold -which is when you need gloves/mittens."

Define cold, because I need WP-handwear in wet circumstances, even when air temperatures are high (two digits in °C) and then my hands certainly sweat ?

Cold is whatever feels cold for you. It depends on several factors of which ambient temp is only one. In the hands, a very variable factor is exposure: if you keep using poles, an ice ax, need handholds… is very different from being able to walk hands in pockets.

It's not clear to me whether your problem is humidity-induced cold or the humidity itself. In the latter case, non-breathable will probably not work for you but keeping completely dry hands in rainy weather is a very tough call no matter what.

On double digit centigrade wet weather, I'd probably wear nothing above 15. Non-breathable gloves/mittens would be fine for me below 15 if windy.

I don't have issues in 'dry' weather, only when it effectively rains.

"On double digit centigrade wet weather, I'd probably wear nothing above 15. Non-breathable gloves/mittens would be fine for me below 15 if windy."

And have you never experienced circumstances (e.g. in the Pyrenees) where the air-temperature was in the double digits, but the rain made it feel like just above freezing ?

Guess so. 10 C with rain and wind can get chilly.

Just an example: I used to wear nothing on my hands (that were sweaty from indeed using poles and doing other things) and on my torso only a T-shirt and a windshell. My hands were no cold at all. The air must have been around 10 *C or even below and the sky was foggy. My hands were no cold at all.
But when it started to rain, my hands started to become cold (even for me who is often called a living heater :-))rather quickly. And because those hands did active things and being sweaty, non WP/B gloves/mittens wouldn't have worked for me.

It's not that simple. Once again, there are many variables. Humidity is one of them, ambient temp is another, wind chill yet another and they may work together so combinations are many. With waterproof, non-breathable gloves, you may keep some humidity in but you eliminate the wind chill. That's a dramatic improvement over wearing nothing.

Anyway, the point of non-breathable stuff is whether it makes you drier than WP/B. And my point is that in the hands this is often the case: because hands are tricky to waterproof so WP/B stuff doesn't work well as far as the waterproofing goes. And because hands don't show much insensible perspiration when kept on the cold side of comfortable.