Everyone ought to buy a pair…

any comment on "one size fits most" ?

I have large hands, need an XL glove, and with some brands an XL is even too tight.

I agree, I love mine… although, I did forget them on a recent hike… and I found myself really wishing I wouldn't have…

As for sizing, my palm measures 3 & 7/8 inches wide (at it's widest point) and from the base of my palm to the tip of my longest finger is 7 & 3/4 inches. The mitts fit me great! Almost snug, but with a little wiggle room for my fingers, which I prefer as this means that there is not a bunch of extra material to get tangled up in. The thumb area is a bit snugger than the finger area, but again, I find this to be preferred. Besides, the fleece material will stretch a little anyway.

Also, I have a pair of large OR PL150 gloves and they fit me pretty good. However, I also have a pair of Mechanix gloves in a size XL that fit me a bit snug… I would actually prefer them to be a bit larger…

If it matters though, you may be able to email them a photo to scale of your hand and they may be able to make sure that they will work for you…

I would consider myself to have large hands, I wear an XL in all the gloves/mitts I own and I was also a little nervous about them not fitting. However, they fit PERFECT! I would call them "athletic fit" for my hands, if that makes sense. In comparison the MLD mitts were too baggy in size large for me. I love the zpacks fleece mitts and would agree with the other comments. I also bought the matching challenger rain mitts and everything works together perfect. I'm super happy.

Thanks for the suggestion Max.

When are people using these when hiking?

When I'm just walking on the trail, I can get by with mittens, but it's when I'm in camp I really need warmth, and dexterity too…

If used as over mitts, I get it. But these are probably ment as the innermost layer.

Do you guys just accept that the trade off is that you need to remove them when fidling in camp?

Cheers

I made similar fingerless mittens – basically, just cut off the ends – both the fingers part and the thumb part. Then I can use it for most camp chores.

While i like Zpacks, i don't understand what's so special about fleece mitts there, that you couldn't find anywhere else? Fleece is pretty basic and ubiquitous stuff.

Not much difference between a lot of fleece out there, unless you're talking different categories or kinds of fleeces. Picture Bubba from Forest Gump, "you got your micro fleece, your regular fleece, your regular grid fleece, your high loft high void grid fleece, your hollow fiber fleece, your micro and hollow fiber fleece.."

Even most cheap fleece is now pretty durable and pills less. A lot of fleece is now micro fleece to make it feel soft (also increases the insulation some).

If Zpacks ever makes a pair of say Cap 4 type fleece mitts, i'd definitely buy them if they were reasonably priced. As far as i'm aware (not that i've looked much at all recently), not a lot of companies are making mitts out of that specific material, and yes, would be a good liner glove, but only slightly better than the micro fleece.

Exactly Jerry. When modified like you did, THEN you have dexterity.

But then it's a different handwear…

I don't really see the value of fleece mitts. Why not just get a pair of Power Stretch Fleece gloves? Just as warm, stretchy so they fit tight. Fingered glove so you have dexterity for hiking and camp chores. Great for sleeping, too. And, they are perfect as "warm" inners under any outer glove or mitt.

The beauty is that when you take off the cold weather overmitt, you still have some thermal protection with excellent dexterity — for example, when removing overmitts to buckle a snowshoe or zip a jacket.

I don't see much advantage to gloves over mittens. Fleece over fingers inhibits dexterity. You want fingerless if you want to do stuff.

If you're fingerless, the difference between gloves and mittens almost disapears. I made fingerless gloves, but then it occurred to me little reason to have that bit of fabric between the base of fingers.

Very easy to make your own fingerless mittens.

If the fleece is stretchier in one direction, make sure it's around your fingers, not lengthwise.

You can make a pattern by just tracing line around your hand. Sew fleece along the line. Try it on and maybe sew a little closer. Maybe make a second row of stitches just to make sure. Cut fleece 1/4 inch from seam. Cut cross ways at wrist and fingers to make it the right length. Turn inside out.

You use so little fabric, you can make several until you get the size right.

Fleece doesn't unravel.

Anyone who's actually spend time in cold climates knows mittens are warmer than gloves. Mittens also use less material and have less seams by the nature of the construction and thus will be lighter in most cases (if you care about that thing). Considering I'm wearing them more hours than minutes operating a zipper/etc I'm fine with taking them on and off, it really isn't that big of a deal and I'll pick warmth over dexterity any day. But to each their own, everyone has different preferences..

It will be hard to talk my out of my old pair of "convertible" rei fleece mittens. Basically just fingerless gloves with a mitten half that folds over. Just over 3oz a pair, they come with Nov-Mar in the PNW or on higher alpine trips.

Joshua, of course, everybody knows that, or at least i hope so…

But i find it interesting that some prefer to take the whole handwear of when in need of dexterity, vs. using liner gloves under overmitts, or fingerless gloves with the mitten flap attached or other similar method instead.

Just curios that's all.

Cheers

When not using fingers, put them in your pocket. That will warm up better than a fold over mitten.

Jerry i like your handwear system. For me though, it would often be too cold to hike with my fingers exposed.

In fairer weather it would be perfect. Especially combined with a down vest with handwarmer pockets.

I don't do super cold. If it's cold I hike with hands in pockets. Pants pockets are good because then I place fingers against thighs which are somewhat warm.

Vest pockets? You must be joking. I don't like to have extra pockets which add weight : )

–

Yeah! Wristies

Actually, I like to cover the base of the thumb a little but those would be just as good

>> I'll pick warmth over dexterity any day.

That's the whole point of Power Stretch fleece gloves. You can leave them on and maintain some warmth, certainly compared to bare hands. I wore a pair camping this week. The only time I took them off was when I needed to tie a knot.

Now, if it's really cold, then no fleece — not fleece gloves, not fleece mittens, not Power Stretch fleece is going to keep your hands warm. Just not wind resistant enough. That's why you would wear them as liners under outer mitts.

I wouldn't be able to get my hands in my pants pockets when sitting down.

I wouldn't like to do rock scrambling with my hands in my pockets. Or any type of hiking…

You should cut the pockets of in your pants Jerry! Tsk tsk ;-)

@ hwc: FWW. You're describing my handwear system. I use wool/fleece liner gloves from Black Diamond, and a waterproof breathable shell mitt from Haglöfs.

The Power Stretch gloves are my go-to glove for around town. Perfect warmth for the car or for hiking on cool dry days. They breath very well so not much overheating or wet hands.

If it's wet, I have a pair of Marmot PreCip over gloves that can be worn by themselves or over the Power Stretch liners.

For normal winter activities (snow shoeing, etc.) I wear the Power Stretch gloves as liners with a pair of GoreTex thinsulate ski mittens.

For really serious cold, I switch to Marmot Expedition Mitts. Down mittens with GoreTex overmitts. Those things are insanely warm. Not terribly convenient for hiking poles, but they keep my hands warm on the coldest days.

The big advantage of the Power Stretch fleece is that it has a hard woven outer surface and is stretchy, so they fit like… uhh…. a glove. It's the tight stretchy fit that gives them such good dexterity.

Here's LLBean's version, but most brands offer them. I have a Marmot pair and an Eastern Mountain Sports pair, both made with the same Polartec Power Stretch.

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/78954?feat=60848-pprrright

The Power Stretch gloves are my go-to glove for around town. Perfect warmth for the car or for hiking on cool dry days. They breath very well so not much overheating or wet hands.

If it's wet, I have a pair of Marmot PreCip over gloves that can be worn by themselves or over the Power Stretch liners.

For normal winter activities (snow shoeing, etc.) I wear the Power Stretch gloves as liners with a pair of GoreTex thinsulate ski mittens.

For really serious cold, I switch to Marmot Expedition Mitts. Down mittens with GoreTex overmitts. Those things are insanely warm. Not terribly convenient for hiking poles, but they keep my hands warm on the coldest days.

The big advantage of the Power Stretch fleece is that it has a hard woven outer surface and is stretchy, so they fit like… uhh…. a glove. It's the tight stretchy fit that gives them such good dexterity.

Here's LLBean's version, but most brands offer them. I have a Marmot pair and an Eastern Mountain Sports pair, both made with the same Polartec Power Stretch.

How waterproof are the Precip gloves, in your experience?