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You are here: Home / Gear Reviews / Performance Gear Reviews / Mountain Laurel Designs eVENT Rain Mitt Review

Mountain Laurel Designs eVENT Rain Mitt Review

by Will Rietveld on April 7, 2009 Performance Gear Reviews

Description

It took me nearly a year to use the Mountain Laurel Designs eVENT Rain Mitts enough to give them a thorough testing. In the western United States, rain mitts spend more time in my pack than on my hands, but when I need them, I really need them. In other regions of the country, rainwear gets a more frequent and thorough workout, so performance is very important. The MLD eVENT Rain Mitt is a good choice in either situation. At only 1.1 ounces per pair (measured weight, size Large), they are wicked light, and a no-brainer to carry them in your pack as standard equipment.

Mountain Laurel Designs eVENT Rain Mitt Review - 1
The Mountain Laurel Designs eVENT Rain Mitts I tested are constructed of Gore-Tex XCR in the palm and inside of the thumb (blue), and two-layer eVENT (black) for the remainder. The latest (2009) version uses three-layer eVENT in the palm area. As can be seen in the photo, the mitts have a curved shape to reduce seam stress while holding trekking poles.

Mountain Laurel Designs eVENT Rain Mitt Review - 2
The MLD Rain Mitts have a long gauntlet with an anchored cordlock/bungee cord closure that is easy to operate with mitts on.

Performance

My usual glove size is an XL, so I opted for the eVENT Rain Mitt in size Large (it’s available in Medium and Large). The size Large provides plenty of extra room to wear gloves inside them, even heavy ones. Although the volume of the mitts is more than ample, I still needed the size Large for their length in the hand and gauntlet areas.

The mitts come with a small tube of McNett Seam Grip for seam sealing, and MLD recommends stuffing the gloves with paper to expand them to facilitate a neat job of seam sealing. That’s easier said than done; I find it difficult to do a neat job of sealing anything with Seam Grip! The result is sealed seams, but it’s not pretty.

I tested the MLD eVENT Rain Mitts while backpacking or day hiking in rain and wet snow on numerous occasions, with and without trekking poles. In warmer weather I wore thin liner gloves inside them, and in colder weather I went to thicker fleece gloves inside. I also gave them a try for backcountry skiing.

I found the MLD Rain Mitts to be a real hand saver when I needed them. While hiking in really wet conditions, it’s hard to keep my hands dry and warm, and with glove liners inside they kept my hands dry all day. They also breathed well, and I did not have any problems with moisture buildup (from sweat) in my glove liners while hiking uphill in warmer temperatures. They are waterproof as expected; I did not have any occasions where water penetrated the fabric or seams. However, how I wore the Rain Mitts did make a difference. With the gauntlet worn over the sleeves of my rain jacket, I found that water (under gravity) has a tendency to run into the mitts, but the mitts worn under the sleeve of my jacket shed water very well. If the mitts are worn with the gauntlets under jacket sleeves, it is helpful to place a rubber band around the wrist area to hold the sleeves in place.

Mountain Laurel Designs eVENT Rain Mitt Review - 3
MLD Rain Mitts worn with the gauntlet on the outside (left) and inside (right). Water ran into the mitts with the gauntlet on the outside of my sleeve. The right photo shows my preferred method of wearing the mitts under my sleeve.

The Rain Mitts performed well with trekking poles and did not leak, even with some pumping action from holding the poles. After a year of intermittent use, my test mitts did not show any serious signs of wear from trekking poles, but it stands to reason that fabric abrasion from constant use with trekking poles will probably wear them out faster.

Ron Bell at Mountain Laurel Designs does not recommend using the Rain Mitts for snow sports, and I agree. I used them once while backcountry skiing and realized that they are simply too fragile for that type of use. I much prefer the Outdoor Research Endeavor Mitt for snow sports; they are still light at 3.9 ounces/pair, adequately durable, and waterproof.

Overall, the MLD eVENT Rain Mitt is hard to beat for three-season backpacking. They add very little weight to your pack, and, combined with lightweight liner gloves, make a very effective and versatile handwear system for ultralight backpacking.

Specifications

  Manufacturer

Mountain Laurel Designs (http://mountainlaureldesigns.com/)

  Year/Model

2008 eVENT Rain Mitt

  Materials

Current (2009) version has three-layer eVENT in the palm area and inside of the thumb, two-layer eVENT for the remainder

  Sizes

Medium, Large

  Features

Ergonomic curved shape to reduce seam stress while holding trekking poles, long gauntlet with anchored cordlock/bungee cord closure

  Weight

Measured weight, size Large: 1.1 oz/pair (31 g)
Manufacturer specification: 0.95 oz/pair (27 g)

  MSRP

US$45


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Comments

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    Posts
  • Apr 7, 2009 at 6:43 pm #1235403
    Addie Bedford
    BPL Member

    @addiebedford

    Locale: Montana

    Companion forum thread to:

    Mountain Laurel Designs eVENT Rain Mitt Review

    Apr 7, 2009 at 6:50 pm #1492169
    Matt Lutz
    Member

    @citystuckhiker

    Locale: Midwest

    My testing in Minnesota confirms Will's findings. They are great, but must be worn under your jacket sleeves.

    My brother also used them over last winter, laying over some Powerstretch gloves. He used it mostly for wind-breaking purposes, but also do dig out snow shelters and other wet winter activities. He loves them.

    Apr 7, 2009 at 8:43 pm #1492220
    Steven Evans
    BPL Member

    @steve_evans

    Locale: Canada

    I have them aswell. Awesome pair of mitts. I actually have never used mine in rain yet, only as an overmitt in winter. They work great so far.

    Apr 8, 2009 at 1:35 am #1492263
    Daniel Baettig
    BPL Member

    @btd1-2-2

    I also have the MLD mitts, and I agree with Will. My experience with the MLD Mitts: very light and very good.

    Apr 8, 2009 at 6:21 am #1492292
    Frank Deland
    Member

    @rambler

    Locale: On the AT in VA

    I often do not see waterproof mitts such as these mentioned on gear lists. I have used them in spring rains in GA and wet fall snows in New England. My hands would have become numb and useless without them. OR used to make a pair similar, but with a shorter length and tight elastic cuff. ($40 gortex). Less expensive models of silnylon are also around, and simple patterns are found for sewing your own. The thumb of the MLD pair is a somehow funny, awkward fit, but they work well….a very important piece of gear.

    Apr 8, 2009 at 8:05 am #1492331
    Christopher Plesko
    Member

    @pivvay

    Locale: Rocky Mountains

    I have some of the first round and I like them. I bring them along and use them as a stuff sack for my rain knickers most of the time. When it's pouring they keep my leather biking gloves from wetting out immediately and keep my hands pretty dry.

    For an ounce they are worth it for sure.

    Apr 8, 2009 at 9:26 am #1492365
    Andrew Skurka
    BPL Member

    @askurka

    I've worn these mitts quite a bit, but, like Will, I've carried them for many more miles than I've actually used them. I want to point out three things:

    1- I can't emphasize enough the importance of sealing the seams with SilNet. This is not easily done, but it needs to be done perfectly in order to make them waterproof. Without sealed seams, they are not waterproof, and your hands will get wet. And having cold and wet hands is miserable.

    2- In addition to using them for backpacking, I run with them often in the winter in order to add warmth to my standard running gloves (DeFeet Duraglove) and to shed any precip that may be coming down. I've worn them in temps between 15 and 35.

    3- When backpacking the mitts are part of my 3-season handwear system, the other part of which is usually the DeFeet Duragloves. When morning/evening temps are regularly less than 30 degrees, I prefer bringing the BPL Vapor Mitts made by RBH Designs, which are much warmer (in both dry and wet conditions) and only slightly heavier than the Mitts/Duragloves combo.

    Apr 8, 2009 at 10:45 am #1492390
    Nick Gatel
    BPL Member

    @ngatel

    Locale: Southern California

    Agree with Andy on the seam sealing. Also I don't like to wear merino wool inside them, as the mitts are "slippery." I normally use a Burton Outlast Soft-shell Glove Liner.

    Apr 8, 2009 at 2:53 pm #1492456
    Roger Caffin
    Moderator

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    6618S - frozen poles
    .
    Cold frosty morning, wet tent from previous night, poles frozen into sleeves. I tried extracting the poles with bare hands, but soon gave that up as a seriously bad idea! I was wearing both mitts and liner gloves here!

    Cheers

    Apr 9, 2009 at 4:25 pm #1492754
    greg degler
    Member

    @gregdegler

    Locale: West

    I searched high and low for simply a simple UltraLite shell glove or mit. Impossible to find. Except for the MLD eVENT Rain Mitt. The design and craftmanship and materials used are excellent. I've done over 1000 miles of the Appalachian Trail with these baby's to say that they STILL get 2 thumbs up. Seem to be waterproof, they do actually breath and they are very light. Why can't I get a simple jacket and pant made like this?
    NOTE: A very light and cheap mitten option is: when you wear out your DriDucks or FrogTogs Jacket, put the sleeve on backwards. Then cut it off just beyond your outstretched finger tips and glue/sew this open end
    closed.

    May 12, 2009 at 11:09 pm #1500952
    Adrian B
    BPL Member

    @adrianb

    Locale: Auckland, New Zealand

    I agree sealing the seams isn't easily done. My don't seem to have 'stuck' that well, after a wet weekend they're peeling around the thumb. I dread having to do them again.

    Also I find they tend to slowly slip down my wrist, because there isn't actually anything holding them on your hand. Cinching down a rain jacket over the top helps, but over time as your hands move about they work themselves down. I think a simple bit of elastic just around the wrist (below the wide bit of the hand) would help here (in a similar position to the webbing straps on the much beefier OR Endeavor Mitts).

    Jun 19, 2013 at 6:00 am #1997982
    Ron Bell
    BPL Member

    @mountainlaureldesigns

    Locale: USA

    Update: The current 2013 model uses the latest 15d full 3-Layer eVENT throughout. The wrist draw cord sleeve is designed for long term durability and servicibility and the robust 1/8" bungee cord can be easily user replaced by a simple small flat elastic cord if you want a lower profile cuff to wear under a jacket sleeve. This quick change will save about .5 oz from the pair.. More info on the product page plus a video link for fast and simple seam sealing. Sized for layering and large hands, avialble in two sizes.

    Jan 23, 2014 at 12:48 pm #2065515
    Ben Pearre
    BPL Member

    @fugue137

    Ron writes "The wrist draw cord sleeve [munch]".

    That seems deceptive: there is no wrist draw cord sleeve. If there were, the gloves wouldn't keep sliding off. I guess Ron is referring to the forearm draw cord, which keeps the gauntlet closed, but which does nothing to prevent the mitt from sliding up the forearm because it's, well, not at the wrist where a wrist draw cord would be.

    If you always have something (e.g. hiking poles) in your hands, then the mitts stay on.

    Any pointers for keeping them on? I'd think that just wrapping a rubber band outside the glove at the wrist would do it, if one of the right size could be found. But it can't.

    If they had a wrist drawcord, they'd be a really great item. As it is, they frustrate me the whole way down the trail.

    Jan 24, 2014 at 11:09 am #2065818
    Paul McLaughlin
    BPL Member

    @paul-1

    you can make any size "rubber band" you need with some elastic or shock cord. It's also very easy to sew in a wrist elastic if you have a sewing machine with free arm. I've made several pairs of mitten shells, and for the wrist elastic I just take some elastic, play around with sizing by experimentation, then once I have the size I want, with the ends of the elastic sewn together, I turn the shell inside out, slip it over the free arm of the machine, with the elastic over it, and with the shell stretched out fully, just sew a line down the middle of the elastic all the way around with the biggest stitch size I have. The only downside is now you have more seam sealing to do.

    When wearing a jacket with the shells, just put the sleeve over the shells and the jacket cuff can help keep the mitts in place.

    Jan 24, 2014 at 4:37 pm #2065897
    M B
    BPL Member

    @livingontheroad

    "I'd think that just wrapping a rubber band outside the glove at the wrist would do it, if one of the right size could be found. But it can't."

    I end up wearing several standard # 64 rubber bands on my wrist when hiking. When I take the rubber band off my pot/lid, it goes on my wrist. If I have a 1/8" CCF pad, and take the rubber band off of it goes around my wrist. I often carry a couple spares there. 0.04 oz each.

    Might depend on the person, but seems it would work for me. Dont have any MLD mitts to try it on though.

    Jan 24, 2014 at 4:44 pm #2065900
    Bob Gross
    BPL Member

    @b-g-2-2

    Locale: Silicon Valley

    "standard # 64 rubber bands"

    Oh? You can't get by with a standard # 68 ?

    I store them on my wrist the same way.

    –B.G.–

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