Thursday, March 11, 2010

Needs more juice


I know we're on the tail end of winter, so this is more something to log in your memory for next season than anything else. Or, if you end up traveling somewhere that requires winter gear, this will certainly help you.

I fiddled with a few combinations of glove options this year, and will admit I haven't totally solved it. I really do hate giving bad reviews, but after this pair of gloves was so strongly recommended by someone I feel that I should warn the world. Or something.

I bought the Mountain Hardwear Power Stretch gloves a few months ago, with the idea that they'd be perfect for hiking and backpacking. As advised, I bought them with a simple mitten shell to layer over them once at camp. Sounded like a good idea at the time, and it really is a pretty solid piece of advice. Minus the detail of these gloves.

My hands were never warm. I couldn't feel my fingers after awhile. I was warmer with a much thinner, non-warmth-promising shell by itself than I was with these things. I tested them in wind, not-wind, mist, not-mist... but always cold (duh).

When I went to return them, I was told "but you have to be *active* for them to work properly. [ie. not just sitting around]" Ok.......busting my butt up the side of a mountain with full pack and actively moving trekking poles.... not active enough to activate the power of the Power Stretch? *Rolls Eyes* Whatever. Something's wrong when all of you is sweating, save for your fingers which you can't actually feel.

Search elsewhere, these gloves are not it. They weren't for me, anyway.

2 comments:

  1. Interesting. I've been using them for a few years now with no problems even in the dead of winter. With that said, a great modular kit would be a thin liner glove, a fleece mitten, and a waterproof/breathable shell mitt. I've yet to need such a system but have started acquiring the components just in case.

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  2. I have to disagree with EB (a rarity). These are some of my favorite gloves. I do agree with The Salesperson that in order for them to work optimally, you have to be in motion, but for the most part, these are my go-to gloves when hiking or cold-weather running. For camp, I have a thinnish pair of Outdoor Research wool gloves that I lurrrve.

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