Handwear Systems for Backcountry Travel: Protecting Your Hands in Sun, Cold, Rain, Snow, and Wind

@Ryan,

You mention you like a leather palmed softshell glove for mountaineering, but the BD Hygrid Light glove you list has a fleece palm with silicone print.
Did it perhaps change?

Any chance we could get a more in depth review of the RBH mitts? Pictures and reviews are pretty limited but they seem to be some of the best heavy mitts for cold winter use. Great thoughts as always. I got a pair of the flurry gloves after your review and use them all the time.

Tjaard – the gloves I used to use for mountaineering were made by Outdoor Research. Softshell outer, microfleece lining, synthetic (full coverage) palm. Sadly, they are worn out and no longer available. The BD Hybrid Lights are the closest thing I can find. Not ideal – but I do like the full coverage palm, and close fit.

KevinO… I thought there was a review sometimes between 2005-2007.. but maybe it was just the socks. https://backpackinglight.com/rbh_designs_vapr_thrm_socks_spotlite_review/

Also some discussion in podcast 76

As a side note: I use hiking poles. Sun Grubbies can keep mosquitoes from biting the backs of your hands. I’ll sometimes add a spritz of Deet and then take the gloves off later, when I’m cooking. But the fabric itself is pretty bite proof. Anyone’s who’s been out in high skeeter season may know the misery at night especially of having a hundred bites on the backs of your hands!

No scrub-gloves? 

scrub gloves…I would think mosquitoes would bite right through those…?

Sorry J Scott, I wasn’t replying to your post, more to the overall thread.

I agree, mosquitoes would easily get thru scrub gloves.

Damart is a European commercial brand, don’t know if they are well-known in the US, but their Double Force gloves are fantastic as standalone for friction, or undergloves for a mitten. I heard of them as they were used in a 1970s Everest expedition, and their experience was they were amazingly hard wearing. (Chris Bonnington’s Everest the Hard Way) I still have my original long cuff pair after 30+ years, not much trad climbing but lots of rock scrambling, tree branch gripping etc. Have subsequently added some shorter/thinner fabric versions.

They are some sort of synthetic (chlorofibre) which feels like cotton with a brushed liner and Levi’s-like tough exterior, far tougher and warmer than they look/feel. Great value.

Ian, do you have a link? Google led me astray.

To answer my own question, I might try these gloves for fall-winter-spring use skiing or mountaineering:

https://www.truckgloves.com/products/tour-ski-glove?variant=13617497309263’

Softshell, uninsured, no membrane back, leather palm, touch screen. And, the leather palm wraps all the way up and over the fingers, unlike some thinner gloves.