Lightweight, very warm mittens?

Hotfingers ski mittens. They are about 5oz (150g) and quite warm. Synthetic. Mine are just large enough to fit over light wool liners. (They also fit inside of OR Firebrand XXL military mitts without the liners, but dexterity is reduced with three or four layers.)

They roll/squish to about the size of a Nalgene bottle. I carry them in a shoulder-strap bottle pocket. Made cuff straps so that I can take them off and just “drop” them when they become too warm.

That said, gloves and mitten fit is important for dexterity (and very individual).

Tjaard…..Check out the following:

Absolute Mitts

https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/product/absolute-mitts/

Mercury Mitts
https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/product/mercury-mitts-mens/?colorid=8420

RBH DESIGNS ULTRALIGHT VAPOR MITT

https://www.rbhdesigns.com/products/ultralight-mitt

@Bill Budney,

I just ordered some Firebrand Mittens, but only XL.  Have not gotten them yet.

I will have a look at the Hotfingers, thanks!

@Ken Larson,

Yes, I have considered the BD absolute or OR Alti Mitts. I might still get them for when I just need something very warm and weight/bulk doesn’t matter much. Although, as mentioned above, I just ordered some OR Firebrand mitts, which appear to be their military version of the same concept (Insulated GTX shell +insulted inner mitt).

I thought the Mercury Mitts had a finger divider inside?

Either, way, none of those are lightweight options.

I might still use them,  but I also need somehting very warm and very lightweight to put in my pack for cold moments, so something light and compressible.

I bought the RBH liners (the regular weight, not the warmest), and I don’t seem to get on with them super well. I love vapor barrier socks, and have experienced loss of warmth from damp mittens/gloves in the past, and so the concept seemed great to me.

But in practice:

• My liners get damp, so very cold if I take the mitt off.
• They don’t really seem much warmer than others at the same thickness.

I will keep experimenting with them, but so far I have not found a great way to use them and get their benefits.

@Bill Budney,

do you have a model name or picture of the Hotfingers mittens? They have many, none stand out from the others,  and they don’t list the weight.

Tag says: RS11D Fall-Line Mitt. Micro-fiber shell, Diamond Grip with PU Reinforced Palm, Hotloft Insulation with Micro-Bemberg Lining. Alpine Dry WPB Insert.

Note: There is no removable insert; the lining is sewn-in. I have not gotten them wet enough to test the WPB claim. I have no clue what a micro-Bemberg lining is, but it is soft like some kind of fleece.

It may be a model sold only by Dick’s Sporting Goods. The closest-looking mitt on Hotfinger’s web site is the CX-216 Rip-n-Go Mitt. The Rip-n-Gos have a webbing strap to cinch the wrist, while my Fall-Lines have simple elastic at the wrist.

It is possible that other ski mittens may be just as good. I just got lucky because the Hotfingers are warm enough, sufficiently packable, and lightweight (5oz/140g in XL).

Yes, Firebrands are the military version of Alti. The Alti is a nice mitten system, but the XL was too small for my hands. I think the Firebrands are larger both because they are military and because they are available in XXL. So your XLs may work for you.

For VBLs, Iago often recommends disposable nitrile gloves. Any VBL will chill your damp hands if you remove them in the cold, so don’t do that. I find that nitrile gloves slip on easily when both glove and hand are dry. When wet they are a struggle. They are cheap, so maybe carry a couple of pairs? 9 mil nitriles are more durable if you intend to reuse them after drying.

EDIT: If I have to use my phone while wearing gloves/mittens, I find that a stylus on a lanyard around my neck makes it easy.

thanks Bill!

Today was the first time it has been cold enough to fully test the Firebrand-shell-over-ski-mitt-over-wool-liners combo. It was warm enough while walking, but cumbersome. I may continue to experiment with other combinations, including using the Firebrand liners instead of ski mittens. (-20F/-30C wind chill: 0F/-20C with 20mph/30kph wind).

In normal sub-freezing weather, the ski mittens-over-wool-liners work great. There is nothing amazing about the Hotfingers except for their balance of warmth/weight+somewhat-packable-size which I find to be ideal for many Winter days.

I suspect that other ski mittens would work as well; if only ski mitten companies would publish their weight and packed volume.