Light and thin rain mittens

[Gregory Stein]

Hello, my fellow backpackers,

First of all, sorry for my poor English. What can you expect from a person who moved from Kazakhstan to Israel at age of 17 alone – what kind of education could he get? So mitts or mittens???

I’m in gearing up for the upcoming family trip to Iceland and currently in search for light rain mittens for all of the family members. 3 years back I bought TNF Hyvent Running Mitts which were great, only 25 grams and $20 for a pair. Unfortunately, they are no longer made (why good products are discontinued?).

I need to purchase 5 pairs, hence things like ZPacks Vertice Rain Mittens for $65 a pair is not an option – I don’t intend to spend so much money. I found these: $28 Borah Gear eVent Rain Mitts (http://borahgear.com/eventmitts.html) but not seam-sealed. I prefer not to seam seal myself – haven’t done it myself so I’m afraid I’ll make something wrong and the mitts will leak… $28 is a bit pricey but doable.

MLD 3-layer Event Rain  Mitts also are not seam sealed and come at an even higher price – $45. Here: https://mountainlaureldesigns.com/product/event-rain-mitts/

LightHeart Gear Rain Mittens (here: https://lightheartgear.com/products/rain-mittens) are at $35 and doesn’t feature “breathable” fabric but waterproof. IMHO too pricey as well

And there is also this: Raidlight Ultralight Waterproof Shell Mitts at $37 and insanely light at 20g!!! https://www.myracekit.com/raidlight-ultralight-waterproof-shell-mitts-p1044

Anyone, ~1oz (30 gram) mitts at under $25? Do such mitts or mittens exist?

 

Thanks and happy trails to everyone!

[J R]

I like the Borah Gear mitts (have a pair myself). Good quality, best price. Seam sealing is not a big deal — a small pain to have to do it, but no need to worry about doing it incorrectly.

[Link .]

1.4oz , $44.95 and taped seams REI Co-op Minimalist GTX Mittens .

I have a pair of OMM Kamleika Overmitt that weigh 22 grams and they are on sale right now for $29.40 and yes they have taped seams

I don’t know much about about the Inov8 mitten but it says they are waterproof and meant to be worn over a glove $30 ALL TERRAIN PRO MITT .

.32 grams and $35 OUTDOOR RESEARCH SHUCK MITTS .

[J R]

P.S. To seam seal these Borah mitts use a urethane sealant not silicone.

And…you say you want to get mitts for the whole family, does that mean younger kids? I ask because of sizing, these mitts (and I think all/most rain mitts) run large. I typically wear a L or XL in a glove, I got the Borah mitts in size L and can wear them with fleece gloves underneath with plenty of room. So I imagine that even the smallest size (M) would be huge for kids’ hands.

[Paul S.]

Andrew Skurka uses waterproof gloves made for working outdoors, fishing, etc. and since they’re not marketed for recreation they are pretty cheap.

Review: Showa 281 Gloves || Inexpensive water- & windproof shell

[Pedestrian]

+1 to the Showa gloves.

I got a pair of the Showa 281 gloves about an year back. Worn with a pair of liners or merino wool gloves they work perfectly in cold persistent rainy conditions.  Order the right size Showa gloves to fit over the merino or other liners.

I previously tried the MLD and Borah mittens; while well made, they don’t work for me in persistent cold rain. They start to wet out in about an hour of persistent wet weather.

 

[Mole J]

Gregory

If you can buy from nearby Europe, these waterproof mitts are light and inexpensive

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/trek-500-overgloves-black-id_8396272.html

 

Re Showa 281

Ok if you have medium small hands.

I recently bought a couple pairs of size 10/XL.  That size is usually fine/large for me in other brands or models of Showa work gloves.

They are too short in the fingers full stop, and not big enough to effectively/comfortably wear liners underneath.

So for hillwalking, only a small window of temperature use for me.

I have relegated them for work. For which they are ideal for certain tasks.

 

[JCH]

@mole – Would it be possible for you to post your hand measurements as Skurka did in his review?  This might allow us to judge fit for ourselves.

Based on Skurka’s measurements I had assumed the XL would work for me, but your experience now throws that assumption into doubt.

[Link .]

The Showa gloves did not work for me either, I have very small hands and the fit was strange, especially trying to fit a liner underneath, I gave mine away.

[Diane Pinkers]

Does your family use trekking poles? If so, this might be an answer:

https://www.yamamountaingear.com/pogies-rain/

I have them, haven’t had to use them yet, but the concept makes sense, and if you are a DIY guy, you could make these easily enough for the smallest members.

[Iago Vazquez]

Like Diane, I love my YMG pogies.

[Pedestrian]

IME these lightweight  rain mitts work best in keeping hands dry in short rain showers especially in warmer weather. The Showa glove with liner is the only thing that’s worked for me in persistent rain in cold weather (in the 40F range) quite commonly encountered at altitude in the mountains in the summer and also in the coastal hills in the West in the winter.

Yes the Showa fit is weird and they can be a pain to get on and off but I’ll gladly pay that price to keep my hands from freezing when hiking with poles in cold, windy rain.

I’d love to hear if anyone has a better solution for keeping hands dry and warm in cold, wet rain.

 

 

[Mole J]

@JCH

I’d  say my hand size is similar to the figures posted by Andrew Skurka in your link.  My fingers are a little longer (middle finger is 3½”)  and where one’s wrist begins is a bit vague?

I’ve just tried my Showa 281 gloves on with very thin polypropylene liners.  (The liner gloves I tried before were thin fleece.). They sort of feel ok but tight, and due to the short fingers feel like I have webbed hands and restricted dexterity. Not for use with trekking poles I think.

 

 

[Brett Peugh]

Since it seems there is no direct conversation for https://backpackinglight.com/ultralight-rain-mitt-review-backpacking-gear-guide/ I thought I would put something in here.  If the OR Helium mitts anything like the new Helium rain jacket, and it seems like they would be since they are both similar fabrics, the mitts will probably wet out and let water in after about 10 minutes in a hard rain.

The OR Revels should last longer since they are Pertex Shield 2.5 but it also has the Diamond Fuse tech video on the product page and items made with that tech are not very waterproof .  Does anyone have any experience and that could chime in?  Thank you.

edit

I did talk to OR and it seems that the Revels are Pertex with the Diamond Fuse tech so they should be similar to the Helium products in waterproofness.  They might be Shield 2.5 also but it sounded from the person that they are the former.

[Eric Blanche]

Brett, have you had a chance to read the full BPL article regarding lightweight rain mitts? https://backpackinglight.com/ultralight-rain-mitt-review-backpacking-gear-guide/

 

Very informative with lots of info. My conclusions are that the Visp is great for the ultralight 3-season while both the OR Revel along with the BD waterproof overmitts would work great for a slightly higher weight and for winter use (where that extra weight is acceptable…to me).

Also very worth considering those Pogies from Yama mountain gear…

 

Edit: Also look into some of the running brands. I know saucony and others make some nice flip up “waterproof” mittens/gloves that allow for extra dexterity if needed. Not sure on weight but can’t be very much!

[Todd T]

Waterproofness, breathability, seam-sealing, and weight are all utterly irrelevant because every rain mitt I’ve ever used has been too darn short.  They need at least an extra 3 or 4 inches to keep water from entering between a rain jacket and the mitt.  Grrr.

[Brett Peugh]

Yes I did Eric and that is all good.  It is just that when I am wearing rain mitts in shoulder season from 50F to below I really want something that will keep my hands dry from freezing cold rain.  It would be nice if it breathes some also.  I have a pair of OR Mt Baker shells that are waterproof and only weigh 5.4oz in XXL.  The article really did not go into the waterproof part which I think would have been great if they would have.

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