Hi,
With ever transitioning weather in different parts of many worlds here on earth, could members help suggest “cold” weather gloves and/or mittens ?
example? Softshell Convertible Mittens | Orvis
Any convention attendees have suggestions they would be willing to post?
thank you!
Not related to shooting, but the system I’ve been using for years is a thin underglove (usually with some type of rubber on the palm side for gripping) for manipulating things and a thick outer glove (usually mittens) for long stints working in the snow or staying outside in very low temps. For me, this was for MN, WI, and IL winters where I was walking about a mile to work in the snow, or clearing snow for hours out of driveways.
I started out with Underarmor football gloves and oversized winter gloves from Wmt. They worked OK, but I found that I preferred:
Between these two, I’ve never needed a heated glove, could work through snow and sub zero temps without my fingers freezing, yet could rip off the mitts in a second for things that required more dexterity, like reaching into my snowblower to turn on/off the gas shut off, or grabbing my keys out of my pocket to get into the car.
Although I know some people like Mechanix gloves, the footbal/liner gloves often gave me more palpable and positive feedback for whatever surface i was touching. However, Mechanix gloves, or similar, might be better if you are constantly manipulating rougher materials (like bricks, wood, etc.) that might abrade liner gloves more easily. Here you would be trading more touch feedback for abrasion resistance.
When I was racing bicycles I was introduced to Fuzzy Gloves. I’ve used them in long rides down to about 10f and they work really well. I’m not sure how well they would work for trigger feel, I don’t shoot with gloves so I’ve never tried them. The other thing is I ‘Think’ they are made for active wear so if your just hanging out they may not be as effective.
I have Raynaud’s which makes keeping my hands warm a struggle.
I like the convertible mittens for when things are fairly cold but I occasionally need to use my fingers. Not sure the ones you linked to would be all that warm. I usually use fleece ones with a wind blocker lining. I prefer ones that don’t have individual slots for the fingers as this just keeps them separated and colder. But that style can be very hard to find. Haven’t seen any in a thick enough material for the past several years.
I use thin gloves with a neoprene back and leather grip area for the less cold conditions I usually shoot in. They fit pretty snug and don’t affect my shooting. They don’t make the ones I use anymore.
For really cold conditions I wear boiled wool mittens under a waterproof breathable shell. The shells have wrist straps so I can pull them off to briefly use my fingers.
If you are hunting you may be inactive for long periods of time, so you might consider hand warmers inside of the mittens. My hands and feet were always cold here in Michigan. In a blind or up a tree made no difference. But I am a coldhearted bastard!
I think I would steer away from fingerless gloves for shooting — too much uneven effect on your grip and potential to fumble trigger and other controls when the edge of the shortened finger catches.
I wear a mechanic-type glove for as long as the weather and my activity will allow — nimble enough that they actually improve my shooting grip, but significant protection from cold for short exposures. Mittens over these, or a grippy liner, when pockets aren’t enough.
My objective in difficult weather is to stay just one level more nimble and one level more comfortable than potential assailants are likely to be in anticipated conditions. If everybody is wrapped up like snow balls to survive, you probably won’t need Ninja speed and agility. Just stay clear of the “slash and grab” who only expects to be out in the weather for 30 seconds if you need to be bundled to survive the next hour.
