Best winter gloves

littlepod

littlepod

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    • Oct 16, 2012
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    #1
    Curious on what people wear during the really cold months. Do you wear heavy winter gloves and pull them off before shooting or is there a do-it-all glove that allows you still good tactile feeling in your trigger finger but still warm enough for the hands?

    Any recommendations? Wife wants to get me a Christmas present :)
     
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    #5
    I'm in the Washington, and it's like 30 degrees F on match days in the winter and breezy. I know without gloves on, my hands get cold pretty quickly as I'm holding the tablet for scoring. For next year, finale in PA in December, so I want to start getting used to prepping for cold and getting used to shooting with gloves on.
     
    #6
    I have a couple different pairs of the Sitka gloves that I’ve picked up on sale because I refuse to pay full price. I usually take my heavy gloves off when shooting but bowhunting is where my hands struggle. The Sitka seem to do a good job of blending warmth and being less bulky. I don’t wear gloves usually unless it’s sub 0 weather.
     
    #7
    Outdoor research makes some fine gloves if you have a place to try some on. My warmest gloves are some carhart but pretty bulky to shoot in.
     
    #8
    There’s actually a guy in the px now selling outdoor research gloves and mits. Mill surplus but brand new. Retails like $380 selling for $120 or something close to that. Those are bad ass.
     
    #9
    www.snipershide.com

    Accessories - FS: NIB Outdoor Research Firebrand Mittens - Size Large

    High - altitude patrol and work Mitts for extremely cold conditions. Fabric Performance Waterproof Windproof Breathable Compression-Resistant Warmth Design Features Goat Leather Palm Moonlite Pile Fleece Functional Details MonoCinch™ Gauntlet Closure Removable Wrist Cord Velcro® Hook and Loop...
    www.snipershide.com www.snipershide.com
     
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    #11
    Simonsza1 said:
    www.snipershide.com

    Accessories - FS: NIB Outdoor Research Firebrand Mittens - Size Large

    High - altitude patrol and work Mitts for extremely cold conditions. Fabric Performance Waterproof Windproof Breathable Compression-Resistant Warmth Design Features Goat Leather Palm Moonlite Pile Fleece Functional Details MonoCinch™ Gauntlet Closure Removable Wrist Cord Velcro® Hook and Loop...
    www.snipershide.com www.snipershide.com
    Click to expand...
    I’ve got the whole set of the artic OR gloves. They are nice and toasty,?haven’t had a reason to wear them since Alaska though.

    The question has already been asked, but how cold is cold. Multiple gloves can cover a wide temp range. Some aren’t compatible with shooting, like overmittens, but trigger finger mittens make it possible to shoot. Sometimes it boils down to having a nice set of “anti-contact” gloves to do the bidness with and then swap to a warmer option. We used to move with overmittens or trigger fingers on, but alwsys kept a lighter set on in case we needed more dexterity
     
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    #12
    work on core warmth first and foremost

    tons of studies done about limb temperature and gloves/boots compared to chest/core temperature (one with navy divers in particular)

    as can be imagined the warmer the "guts" are the more willing the body is to send heat to the extremities

    you can have heated gloves and boots on yet your core is poorly insulated and tests have shown that people fail quicker than with a heated vest and no gloves and boots

    im always doing the glove dance, what i found works pretty are the hand muffs like football players wear

    toss in some heaters and after a few shots stuff my hand inside while wearing a thinner glove so i dont ham-fist the trigger
     
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    #13
    My Mechanix gloves are comfortable in 50-100 degree weather but don't seem to last. After 2 years the gloves fingertips wore through so I just cut the tips off and keep using them. Not sure they would survive a real workout beyond weekend fun.
     
    #14
    Like to add for those considering the handmuff like the football players wear route the Sitka hand muff is definitely the best.
     
    #15
    brianf said:
    work on core warmth first and foremost

    tons of studies done about limb temperature and gloves/boots compared to chest/core temperature (one with navy divers in particular)

    as can be imagined the warmer the "guts" are the more willing the body is to send heat to the extremities

    you can have heated gloves and boots on yet your core is poorly insulated and tests have shown that people fail quicker than with a heated vest and no gloves and boots

    im always doing the glove dance, what i found works pretty are the hand muffs like football players wear

    toss in some heaters and after a few shots stuff my hand inside while wearing a thinner glove so i dont ham-fist the trigger
    Click to expand...
    Lots of things to consider. Layering is always your friend and better to dress down and be a little chilly then get sweaty because then you will really get cold and run the risk of injury.
    Something to check out, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21697-vasoconstriction
    The opposite https://www.healthline.com/health/vasodilation#takeaway

    Both are important to know, understand and figure out the effects of temperature on you.
     
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    #16
    I agree with the core temp thing also. But it gets freaking cold here during hunting season like below 0*F
    Watson gloves makes some deer skin gloves with no lining, I buy them a size small so they stretch to fit. It's the best thing I have come up for shooting with gloves on.
     
    #17
    Yeh my body is pretty warm. I got good layering for my torso, legs, and feet. Just wanting the balance of gloves that I can keep on to run the tablets and not be too bulky to pull the trigger. Maybe a do-it-all is too much. Maybe just a thicker glove that has some sort of touch screen conductivity to click on the scoring tablet is enough, then just pull it off to shoot.
     
    #19
    Baron23 said:
    www.thegunglove.com

    The Gun Glove

    www.thegunglove.com www.thegunglove.com

    Yeah, mostly popular with shotgunners but they are very high qual and will work with rifles.

    Frankly, I used fingerless wool gloves when rifle target shooting. If its too cold for that, then its too cold for target shooting (as opposed to hunting! haha).

    Cheers
    Click to expand...
    Wonder how a set of nomex aviator gloves would compare to those?
     
    #20
    Well, I have a set but they are from 1973 or so! haha

    The Nomex gloves I have are not as closely fitted as the Gun Gloves and IMO, while they may be usable, I don't think they are optimum.

    But, they make a nice picture, yeah? haha

    1670280822414.jpeg
     
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    #21
    Most gloves tend to make my hands sweat. I like to wear a sweatshirt with a front pocket and insert my zippo handwarmer. I lit it yesterday around 1:00 pm. Still putting out heat as I type this.
    images (3).jpeg
     
    #22
    I’m a big fan of glomitts. I have some Hotshot Huntsman ones I’ve had for several years. They’ve seen some cold and windy days hunting and shooting in Idaho and Utah winters
     
    #23
    Also take into consideration if your hands are cold when inside. My hands stay hot. Mechanix gloves are fine, even with snow and 30 mph winds. I can tuck them in a jacket pocket and they stay toasty. If I'm duck hunting and it's blowing ice out of the sky, glommits are fine too, but I rarely wear them.
     
    #24
    I hunt a bunch in Canada down to temps of -30. When it's that cold, I wear a thinner pair of gloves (UA base, Mechanix) and then put my hands in my Kuiu North star Glo Mitt with a Grabber Hand Warmer in each mitt. Hands stay toasty and when I need to shoot I just pull the mitt off. I certainly wouldn't be shooting a match in that weather.

    I did shoot in Oklahoma this past March where it was rainy, snowy, windy and about 35 degrees. This setup worked great without the under gloves. Just keep the hands warm in the mitts, pull them off and shoot for a couple minutes, then put them back on.
     
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    #25
    For continual shooting/ range/ training, and doing things with your hands these are the best option I’ve found by far. Others have made good posts/ recommendations for mitt type stuff if your going to be sitting in below freezing temps on end, and then taking one shot.

    skdtac.com

    PIG (FDT) Cold Weather Glove

    PIG Full Dexterity Tactical (FDT) Cold Weather Glove
    skdtac.com skdtac.com
     
    #26
    Not exactly just shooting. But while hunting coyotes in the cold I wear a thin pair of liner gloves, with a pair of Kinco mittens over the top. Most of the time my right hand isn't wearing the mitten so I can run the remote. Overall my hands do fairly well down to -25ish. I also believe in keeping the core warm like posters above mentioned.
     
    #27
    Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Since I RO/Score keep, my hands are always out of my pockets holding the timer and the scoring tablet. If I didn't have to deal with that, then mittens to just be behind the spotting glass would make my life much warmer :)

    The Pig DFT Cold Weather Gloves look like a pretty good top pick. I started Googling top running gloves since Runners want something tactile (they use their phone a lot) and the same sort of warmth. Also a lot more runners than shooters so I had a lot more reviews, so it was interesting. I'm trying out these smart wool https://www.smartwool.com/shop/merino-sport-fleece-insulated-training-glove-sw017365?variationId=001 though not tactical. I'll probably give the Pig DFT Cold Weather gloves a try too.
     
    #28
    pocket warmers in most gloves keep my finger toasty warm then again I am shooting 6.5 creedmoor so I have sunshine on a cloudy day when it's cold out side i have the month of may lol
     
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    #29
    The warmest gloves ive ever used are actually neoprene gloves made for wakeboarding. They kept my fingers warm and allowed ample dextarity during winter mountain warfare training last year, and ive used them ever since.
     
    #30
    Butterburger said:
    The warmest gloves ive ever used are actually neoprene gloves made for wakeboarding. They kept my fingers warm and allowed ample dextarity during winter mountain warfare training last year, and ive used them ever since.
    Click to expand...
    ive played with neoprene a few years ago but i found my hands getting moist/clammy

    happen to you..maybe i had a crappy pair
     
    #31
    As of right now these are my cold weather gloves. I have had the pig cold weather gloves too but in my opinion they are ony good to the 14°f ish. Unless you are shooting pistols then they are great. Im also not picky about feeling the trigger.

    Leather Insulated Driver | Mechanix US

    Buy Leather Insulated Driver at Mechanix US.
    www.mechanix.com www.mechanix.com
     
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    #32
    About 10 years ago I snagged a pair of Wiley X gloves for $5 (normally $120) since they were brand new but had seam not sewed about an inch long.

    They are leather in the palms and bottom of fingers and some flame resistant synthetic material. They also have the hard knuckle shields.

    I never would have paid full price then.....but knowing how amazing they are.....I'd gladly pay that now.

    They keep my hands warm down to about 10F if I'm static but have a warm core.

    The comment about about a warm core has the most solid info in here.

    If I have my layers to include my ECWS level 7 pants on ......and my hands get cold in these gloves.......I make sure I have a couple different backup plans....example....truck to get into if coyote hunting, stuff to start a fire of truck won't start, or a cabin I'm not too far from to get warm.

    Hunting in subzero temps in a foot of snow and windchills on top of those......separates the men from the boys and if not properly clothed.......hands are gonna get and stay cold no matter what.

    I will say the body/chest warmers that Hot Hands make are pretty awesome at assisting in keeping core warm. If you gents haven't tried them.......they are good.

    Also, the zippo that lights is awesome too that someone mentioned above👍👍
     
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    #33
    Most of my cold experience comes from LE and hunting. I don’t generally wear gloves for warmth above 25*F unless the wind is whipping badly.

    These were my “it’s getting cold” gloves, bought around 2007/2008. Hatch Winter Patrol Glove:

    7B0A6986-2662-4AC9-9764-C56B7AC8444E.jpeg


    For times where it was cold and wet, I went with the Pro Series YETI. I bought these around 2009:

    945B7E7B-0B94-461E-96D1-1410FF7C0727.jpeg

    650179D1-DF18-434C-93BB-6F402AA67954.jpeg


    For extreme cold, generally under 0*F and wet….Mechanix Winter Armor. These were from around 2010:

    FFF26946-82FC-4B61-8804-3B6A27E55BA6.jpeg



    Since all of these are at least a decade old, I can’t say how good the current versions may be (they may be better…)

    Here are a couple more pics:

    856ADAFA-583E-4512-B9A3-3DAF500A2A82.jpeg

    F7EF47F3-5827-4B2B-8456-ECBA9D1E9A1F.jpeg
     
    #34
    I'm in Colorado. I usually, down to about 10f, do a combination of Mechanix gloves, heavier on the left hand, lighter basic cheapies on the right, with trigger finger cut off (i keep the heavy right glove handy to swap into when not actually shooting). Pre hunting season, I just practice with gloves, get used to feeling the trigger with them.

    My wife has really cold hands (or she just whines a lot) but she really likes the smartwool runners gloves shown above. When it gets really cold, or if less active, we both use the OR mitten system, she has mitten liners, I use liner gloves.

    Dave
     
    #36
    Living in AK it’s a constant battle with keeping your fingers warm most of the year. Need dexterity but need warmth. Best set up I’ve found by far is gloves such as these with hand warmers in the flip over mitt part. Has utterly changed my ability to shoot when it’s single digits. Flip mitts off, build position, shoot string, off the gun, flip mitts on and be religious about it.

    What I look for,
    - Very light fabric fingers for dexterity, don’t want completely open fingers or whatever your holding sucks the heat right out of them.
    -Heavier thumb to keep that isolated sucker warm
    -Flip over mitt with handwarmers
    -Magnet instead of Velcro to hold the mitt open.

    Order a bulk pack of hand warmers.
    C8C4AABE-8B02-4BBE-AC28-B64CD7AC606D.jpeg


    Take a Thermos of your preferred warm liquid and eat before you leave/take food along. Of course core temp with cloths as well but that’s easy to address.
     
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    #37
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    #40
    j-moose32 said:
    For continual shooting/ range/ training, and doing things with your hands these are the best option I’ve found by far. Others have made good posts/ recommendations for mitt type stuff if your going to be sitting in below freezing temps on end, and then taking one shot.

    skdtac.com

    PIG (FDT) Cold Weather Glove

    PIG Full Dexterity Tactical (FDT) Cold Weather Glove
    skdtac.com skdtac.com
    Click to expand...
    Ditto, these. And yes, touchscreen.
     
    #41
    Know any lineman. These keep me warm enough to pull my hand out to shoot down to about 10 below. They come with different liners. Ive yet to need the wool liners. The cotton liners do well enough in northwest Ks.
     

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    #42
    A few years ago, I lost an awesome pair of mittens that had an opening in the upper palm and a leather flap that covered it. You could easily slip a finger or 4 out quickly if needed for a shot (or scoring) then right back inside the mitt. Loved those things and have searched the interweb unsuccessfully many, many times. Lots of great memories of hunts and fishing trips with those mitts.

    Was in Costco over the weekend and noticed they had some sort of battery powered heated gloves, might be an option for you?
     
    #43
    #44
    StrayDog said:
    Ditto, these. And yes, touchscreen.
    Click to expand...
    I third. There's plenty of grip on the gloves, the tips are touch screen. They're warm, functional, and cost less than a number of other ones. My favorite part is the finger seams. Instead of sewing over right at the end (where they dig into where your nails are) these pull the fabric over the top of the finger tips and then sew them. Te fit is also a lot more tailored so there's less excess fabric and a proper fit.
     
    #45
    smoooth1 said:
    A few years ago, I lost an awesome pair of mittens that had an opening in the upper palm and a leather flap that covered it. You could easily slip a finger or 4 out quickly if needed for a shot (or scoring) then right back inside the mitt. Loved those things and have searched the interweb unsuccessfully many, many times. Lots of great memories of hunts and fishing trips with those mitts.

    Was in Costco over the weekend and noticed they had some sort of battery powered heated gloves, might be an option for you?
    Click to expand...
    The gloves with the “palm hole” are archery hunting gloves.

    The hole is for the release when it’s wrapped on your wrist it has a way out from under your clothing.

    I think my pair are from scent lock
     
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    #46
    1A0A8091-2148-48FC-A20D-C690C2EB1DC2.png

    This is one of the pairs I use for bowhunting. They aren’t very heavy but will give you some insulation without being bulky. Also will give you control of you fingers tips for shooting or use with the tablet. I wear a heavier glove on my left hand for holding the bow but this keeps my release finger uncovered.
     
    #47
    After almost 13 years in Montana I have found what works for me 99% of the time.

    IMG_20221213_114555721.jpg
    Rocky Mountain Gloves Deerskin with 100 grams of Thinsulate.
    The first pair lasted 4 years; seen next to my new pair here.
    IMG_20221213_114627527.jpg
    I wear cheap knit liners underneath but roping gloves work great as well.
    I can remove the leather glove for things requiring more dexterity.
    I have had a frost bite on my trigger finger before but not since using this combo.
    IMG_20221213_121422099.jpg
    I treat them with a leather preservative for water and rot resistance.
     
    #48
    When its below freezing, I wear Merino Wool liner gloves underneath a pair of thick heavy insulated gloves.

    I will tug the sleeves of the innermost wool shirt I am wearing underneath the elastic cuff of the liner gloves.

    That way the skin on my wrists, hands and fingers will never be directly exposed to the cold air, even when I remove the heavy gloves or pull back the "trigger finger cover" of the heavy gloves.

    Two examples in different thicknesses:
    shop.aclima.com

    Liner Gloves

    Description Light, soft and comfortable garments in pure Merino wool. Will not only keep you warm in cold weather, even when your clothes are wet. LightWool also has a cooling effect on warm days, making it a great choice for everyday activities all year round. Material: 100% Wool (Merino)...
    shop.aclima.com shop.aclima.com
    shop.aclima.com

    Liner Gloves

    Description HotWool is made from Aclima's terry wool fabric. Terry wool is a mixture where wool is the main component, and it is mixed with other fibres to make the garments thicker and more hardwearing than pure wool garments. The loops on the inside ensure superb insulation by creating a layer...
    shop.aclima.com shop.aclima.com
     
    #49
    I like as much dexterity as possible in my fingers for trigger work - I have various liner gloves from Arc'teryx, OR and others that did the trick. Warm up between strings with heavier/propper gloves.

    But I hate the cold (I'm a bad Canadian), so I now live in AZ where gloves are rarely required....
     
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