Most winter hikers carry several pairs of gloves and switch between as their needs for breathability, dexterity, wind resistance, waterproofing, or warmth change during the day. No one pair of gloves can satisfy all of these needs, so it’s best to carry of collection of different gloves or mittens that you can switch between and actively layer, just like your winter hiking clothes.
Winter Glove Layering System
Most winter hikers base their glove selection around a three-level glove system that includes:
- Highly breathable, lightweight fleece or wool gloves, glove liners, or softshell gloves
- Waterproof shell mitts or gloves that can be worn with or without liners or layered over other gloves and mittens
- Single-layer waterproof insulated gloves with high dexterity that are warm enough to use with metal tools
1. Highly breathable, lightweight gloves
When you’re hiking or snowshoeing vigorously, your hands generate a lot of moisture, and you can easily soak gloves or mittens if they’re too warm. You can avoid soaking your handwear with perspiration by wearing highly breathable gloves or mittens and by carrying an assortment suitable for different temperatures or activities that you can switch between. Thin fleece, wool, or softshell gloves are highly breathable, and they can be used as a base layer in a multi-glove laying system, by themselves, or inside a windproof and waterproof outer shell.
Most hikers will still blow through two or three pairs of these thinner gloves on an all-day hike or snowshoeing trip, but they’re quite lightweight and often inexpensive, so carrying multiple pairs isn’t a great burden.
In my experience, the best liner gloves or mitts (which you prefer is a matter of personal preference) have a smooth, tightly knit exterior that is easy to brush snow off of. You want to be vigilant about this to keep them as dry as possible for as long as possible. Fuzzy fleece gloves work very well because they are so breathable, but snow adheres to them, and they can quickly become wet. Powerstretch gloves, thin wool gloves, and softshell gloves are also very good, but you’ll have to experiment to dial in the thickness and warmth level that minimizes perspiration buildup for your metabolism.
Here are some of the lightweight, highly breathable gloves I use. I typically bring two to three pairs for an all-day hike.
Note: While these lightweight line gloves will keep your hands warm enough if you’re out of the wind and below the tree line, they’re not windproof. If you find yourself chilled wearing them, it can help to put a waterproof/breathable over mitt on top from category three below, waterproof/breathable shell mitts, or gloves with liners. For example, an uninsulated breathable overmitt will trap warm and prevent the wind from chilling your hands while still letting moisture evaporate.
If you sweat through multiple pairs of lightweight gloves on a hike and want to reduce the number of pairs you must carry, you can use the Nitrile Glove Hack. If you wear nitrile examination gloves under your lightweight gloves or glove liners, you can prevent hand perspiration from making them damp. Just be careful to remove the nitrile gloves in a warm place like a tent. If you take them off in cold or windy weather, you’ll experience a “flash off” effect where the moisture on your hands will evaporate quickly and make your hands very cold, potentially causing frostnip. It is most unpleasant.
2. Waterproof/breathable shell mitts or gloves
The next tier of gloves are uninsulated shells that can be worn over your tier one lightweight, breathable gloves. They have to be large enough to accommodate your liners. It helps if they’re made with a waterproof/breathable fabric (so your liners can dry inside them when worn) and have wrist gauntlets to provide more warmth. It really pays to buy a highly breathable shell mitt or glove – I’m still using the ones I bought 14 years ago and only use for winter hiking. Be advised that these shells are rarely sold standalone and often come with a separate removable inner glove, which is typically too warm for active use when hiking or snowshoeing vigorously.
One trick I like to use is to wear fingered glove liners inside shell mitts to increase my dexterity when I pull my hand out of my shell. You’re always adjusting something on winter hikes and that extra bit of dexterity lets you keep your hands covered at all times.
Here are some mitten shells that are currently available. I’d heard that Ragged Mountain was going out of business, so I’m not sure how much longer their clothing, made in New Hampshire, will be available.
3. Waterproof insulated high dexterity gloves
For colder, windier, or wetter conditions, it’s useful to carry a heavier-weight glove that still provides enough dexterity to use metal tools like a mountaineering ice ax or to unscrew the top of a water bottle without taking your gloves off. These gloves are usually single-layer with a sewn-in insulated insert.
I typically wear this kind of glove above treeline in more exposed conditions where I’m moving slower, perspiring less, and needing more warmth for my hands. They’re also useful at the end of the day when you’re hiking out, want warmer hands, and don’t care as much about sweating inside them because you’re heading back to your car.
Gloves in this class have a sewn-in lining and leather or synthetic palms that provide durability and thermal protection when handling cold tools. Ice climbing gloves are usually a good option if they’re moderately warm.
The key is maintaining a functional level of dexterity while providing more warmth than the glove liners and shells you use for more vigorous hiking. For example, you’ll want to be able to hold an ice axe in the ready position wearing these gloves. That can be impossible with many gloves, including ski gloves, because the fingers are too fat to wrap around the pick and adze.
You’ll probably need to experiment with the gloves that are available to find a good fit and the warmth level you want. Remember, you will be active and generating body heat when wearing these gloves, so they just need to be moderately warm. Here are several good warm, high-dexterity gloves to get you started. I typically bring a single pair for an all-day hike. When fitting these, bring an ice axe so you can see whether you can grip it in the ready position. You’ll be surprised at how many gloves make this impossible.
Winter Gloves for Backpacking
The same glove system also works well for multi-day winter backpacking trips as long as you take care to dry out your lightweight insulated gloves or glove liners each night. This is best done by placing them between your baselayer and your skin (on your shoulders is ideal) and sleeping with them in your sleeping bag at night. While it’s true that your sleep insulation will absorb some of their moisture, this is the only way to reliably dry your gloves at night. You can also use Nitrile Glove Hack described above, a vapor barrier technique useful on multi-day winter treks.
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