Gloves for cold environments
- Thread starter ethan
- Start date
What you really want is a relative moderate weight soft shell glove and then an outer mitten. Keep your hands in the mittens for warmth but remove them with the soft shell layer on to change settings. Don't expose your hands to the cold for even a minute, even if you avoid frostbite you will loose a huge amount of warmth which is very hard to get back into your hands.
That's the setup I had over new year skiing in colorado when it was -30*C with a windchill down below -50.
When it is really cold then good gloves in them selves don't cut it. You need to make sure your core body is high enough such that it doesn't reduce blood flow to your hands. Also exercise and movements of the hands become important. Something to be aware of if you keep your hand up high holding a tripod at head level then your hands will also receive less blood flow so it is useful to bring your hands below your waste whenever possible. Do lots of shaking.
Also, avoid alcohol until after you have been shooting. It only increases blood flow around your skin so you can feel warmer but it cools your body sooner and if you are really smashed you won't notice frostbite.
Last,y frostbite is no joke. It creeps up on you, you don't really notice it it. It isn't painful until it defrosts. Look for cheeks or fingers going white.
That's the setup I had over new year skiing in colorado when it was -30*C with a windchill down below -50.
When it is really cold then good gloves in them selves don't cut it. You need to make sure your core body is high enough such that it doesn't reduce blood flow to your hands. Also exercise and movements of the hands become important. Something to be aware of if you keep your hand up high holding a tripod at head level then your hands will also receive less blood flow so it is useful to bring your hands below your waste whenever possible. Do lots of shaking.
Also, avoid alcohol until after you have been shooting. It only increases blood flow around your skin so you can feel warmer but it cools your body sooner and if you are really smashed you won't notice frostbite.
Last,y frostbite is no joke. It creeps up on you, you don't really notice it it. It isn't painful until it defrosts. Look for cheeks or fingers going white.
Good advice there D.P! Last time I was out shooting the last meteor shower in the middle of nowhere it was reading -4 on my dew strap controller. Really could have done with some gloves! The worst thing though were how cold my feet were, I wore about 3 pairs of socks but they just didn't cut it - any tips on keeping them warm?
If you don't have the cash look for some neoprene fishing gloves which have folding finger and thumb and fit snug to your hands.
I use them but also use some cream called 'Warm Skin' which is used by a lot of NFL players but unfortunately not readily available in this country. I may also put a thin layer of tiger balm on first and then wear a pair of Nitrile disposable glove under the main gloves so my skin isn't exposed when I fold back the finger/thumb. Probably sounds crazy but it actually works well
I use them but also use some cream called 'Warm Skin' which is used by a lot of NFL players but unfortunately not readily available in this country. I may also put a thin layer of tiger balm on first and then wear a pair of Nitrile disposable glove under the main gloves so my skin isn't exposed when I fold back the finger/thumb. Probably sounds crazy but it actually works well