Winter Gloves

[hockeynewf]

You'd think that after living in upstate NY for most of my life, I'd have this figured out, but I can't seem to find a pair of gloves that keep me warm on dog walks when the temp dips below freezing. I have very warm mittens, but they are inconvenient and cumbersome when I have to take them off to leash and unleash 2-4 dogs during the course of a walk or hike. I thought some of you Newf.netters, especially those north of the border might have some brand suggestions. Thanks in advance!

 

[wrknnwf]

No brand, but I knitted (very easy to do) a pair of fingerless mittens that are great for dog walking or anything where you need a grip. Not the best for -0 temps, though.

Maybe you can find someone to knit a pair. Since your temps are so cold, they could be lined with polartec, fleece or similar fabric. Also, you could have mittens made with fingertip end that folds back, so you can clip those leashes on and off. Basically, they are knitted with a horizontal slit and you just slide your fingers out when you need to. Or here's a slightly different version http://crafts.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-knit-convertible-mittens--craft-17310 Scroll down to see how they work. They can also be made from socks. You could double up a pair for each hand for more warmth. Pretty easy DIY. Just Google for ideas.

I know they make technical gear gloves with fold back fingertips, so you might try some of the outdoor gear shops.

Or you could try modifying a pair of fingered gloves (or mittens) by cutting a slit (but don't cut off completely) on the inside of the glove where the first joint of your thumb, first and second finger are. I wouldn't slice all the fingers (unless it's a mitten), since you only need those two fingers and thumb to do most things. And maybe you only need that feature on one glove. If you're not handy with sewing, enlist someone and have them bind the cut edges with a zigzag, blanket stitch, some soft binding, or other method, depending on whether they are fabric or knitted.

You can get ideas of what I mean from looking at what's for sale online.

 

[Leonard and his bud Snuffles]

I know what you mean, and I always have to take them off to pick up poop, since I can seem to work a bag right with them on. Maybe what you need are those chemical hand warmers hunters put in their gloves. Never used them mainly because it could get costly.

 

[hockeynewf]

Yes - poo pick up is a challenge with mittens and with a couple of dogs checking out just why you're picking up that poop! I have tried the gloves with the fold-down mitten top and it's a great idea, but I guess I just haven't found a pair that is warm enough. It was -7 when I walked this morning. There are a lot of gloves out there, but they don't do what they say they're going to. I recently bought a pair of wind stopper gloves ($40 -expensive to me) at an outdoor shop that were supposed to be warm to -10. I think they're about as good as bare hands. So then I bought a pair of merino liners for them - not much better. Now I have a nifty glove set for spring for around $60! The hunt continues.

 

[CathyC.]

Nope. No warm gloves exist. Mittens are warmest. By far the warmest mittens I've ever worn were a pair of leather ones made by First Nations people in northern ontario. Obi loves to chew them because of the fur on the cuff so I have to watch them carefully! Though they did come in handy when training pick it up!

How about if you wore those magic gloves inside mittens. Then you could take of the mittens to do the scooping but still have a moment of warmth.

 

[ElvisTheNewf]

I just recently discovered that wearing a pair of leather gloves under a pair of wool mittens is about as warm as I can get. The mittens slip off easily if I need to pick something up or adjust Elvis' leash but the leather gloves are too cold to wear the entire time alone.

 

[victoria1140]

I have a pair of lined gardening gloves that arent bulky and l have thermal gloves that are almost like a second skin glove which are lightweight .combine the two and it really works well.

In not so cold weather l have a pair of mittens with the top part being detachable .cant beat good gloves or socks in the cold weather..l cant wear pure wool so have to be careful.

 

[hockeynewf]

Thank you for all of the suggestions. I do have a pair of mitten/gloves with the flap that folds back, but they aren't terribly warm - I'm going to try a different brand. Yesterday I wore the Outdoor Research Biosensor glove liners with a pair of handmade felted wool mittens lined with polar fleece. My fingers stayed really toasty and because the mittens are a bit large for me, they were easy to pull off. Got the dog to hold the mitten while I bagged the poop. I do have a pair of Manzella convertible mitten gloves on order - we'll see how they are. In this weather, I can never have too many mittens or gloves.

 

[jane]

The secret is...mittens!!!! Get yourself a good pair of mittens! Keeping the fingers closer together keeps them warmer! I have the mittens my ex used for snowboarding and my fingers are never cold!

 

[mudji]

What about a pair of shooting gloves? I just thought that they have gloves that have the trigger finger knit separately. Maybe something like that might work. Check Orvis, or LLBean, maybe.

 

[Jeannie]

I have a pair of regular gloves that I wear inside the mitten gloves. That mittens keeps my hands warmer than gloves but when I take off the mittens part I still have the warmth of gloves. Both are lighter weight but layers are warmer. I am outside a lot since we have the dog kennels and my fingers/hands stay warm.

 

[hockeynewf]

So far, Jeannie, that seems to work the best. We're in for subzero wind chills and temps barely reaching the teens for this weekend, so my wool glove/mitten combo will be put to the test.