Introduction
Protecting my hands from inclement conditions and injury – and maintaining the grip and dexterity required for tool use and fine motor function – is one of my critical priorities in the backcountry. Grip, dexterity, warmth, moisture management – everything depends on keeping them functional.
I learned this the hard way during a circumnavigation of the Wind River Range in the early 1990s. Wanting to save a few ounces, I left gloves at home. During nineteen days of high altitude, rock scrambling, and snow climbing in wind, sleet, snow, and sun, I paid dearly: sunburnt, wind-chapped, cracked hands that took weeks to heal.
That trip taught me that hand protection isn’t optional. It demands a flexible, layered system that adapts to sun, cold, rain, snow, and wind without excessive weight or complexity.
Table of Contents • Note: if this is a members-only article, some sections may only be available to Premium or Unlimited Members.
- Introduction
- Environmental Factors and Handwear Needs
- The Handwear Layering System
- Conductive Treatments for Touchscreen Use
- Palm Grip Strategies and Materials
- Handwear for Specific Conditions: Example Systems
- Selection Criteria for Backpacking Gloves
- Care and Maintenance
- Conclusion
- Featured Gear
- Related Content
The following table summarizes my core glove systems. The rest of the article provides the rationale for it, and the specific brands and products that I’m currently using – and why I’m using them.
| Conditions | Glove Liner | Mitten Shell | Backup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desert or Summer (Heat and Sun) | fingerless sun gloves | none | none |
| Summer, Long trips, when Rain/Wind is also Expected | fingerless sun gloves | ultralight shell mitt | none |
| Shoulder Seasons | midweight windproof fleece | ultralight shell mitt | none |
| Winter | lofted fleece glove | long-gauntlet shell mit | high-loft insulated mitt (down or synthetic) |
| Extreme Cold | midweight windproof fleece | fleece vapor-barrier mitt with integrated shell | high-loft insulated mitt (down or synthetic) |
| Summer Mountaineering | softshell glove with full-grip palm | ultralight shell mitt | midweight windproof fleece |
Environmental Factors and Handwear Needs
Sun Exposure
In the alpine or desert, unprotected hands take a beating. Ultraviolet radiation increases by 10 to 15% for every 1,000 meters (roughly 3,280 feet) of elevation gain. Hikers are exposed to 2.5 to 10X more cumulative UV radiation than non-hikers in their lifetime. It’s this cumulative exposure that creates the highest risk for skin cancer. So while a sunburn may not seem like a big deal here and there, minimizing sun exposure of your skin via clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen is a vital strategy for your long-term health.
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Discussion
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Companion forum thread to: Handwear Systems for Backcountry Travel: Protecting Your Hands in Sun, Cold, Rain, Snow, and Wind
Learn how to build a lightweight, versatile handwear system for backpacking that protects your hands from sun, wind, rain, snow, and cold. This guide covers layering strategies, material science, field-tested tips, and real-world lessons to keep your hands functional and protected on the trail.
@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?Â
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.
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