As a snowshoer and general outdoor enthusiast, I’ve always struggled to keep my hands warm and often it isn’t pretty. I have been known to wear so many layers of mittens that I can barely grip my poles. That was … Continue reading →

Your hand is constructed of 27 bones. Hurt one of them, they're all going to hurt you right back. But can't I use the gloves in my van down by the river?

As far as I'm concerned, nothing ruins a good winter trip faster than a lousy set of gloves (except maybe leaky boots, but that's a story for another review). If they leave my fingers cold, or make my palms sweat, or make it tough to use my hands, I'm just not interested.

In reality, there probably isn't much new technology out there to improve on the concept of the glove. Manufacturers got the whole wind protection, insulation formula down years ago.  But that isn't to say that the Majik Wands glove from Columbia doesn't do a great job of doing what gloves do best.

One thing I love about Marmot's products is that they never underperform in a pinch.  Marmot makes tough, stylish outdoors wear and I never have been disappointed by what I review.  Recently, I had the chance to review my first jacket and glove combo: the Marmot Andromeda softshell jacket and softshell gloves.  This duo can be easily stored in a daypack and provide decent warmth during off-season snowshoe outings.  Although I wouldn't recommend the Andromeda jacket and gloves for cold, sub-zero snowshoeing, they're perfect for the more unpredictable fall and spring seasons.  

I once owned a pair of gloves – don't recall the brand name – that advertised to be the thinnest, warmest available.  They were made with wet suit material, which made them relatively thin and mildly warm.  What I didn't like about them was their inability to work with Velcro.  The wet suit material would stick to the Velcro and then slowly fray at the fingertips.  That sucks!  Although they were good gloves, I unknowingly gave them to a homeless man after misplacing them on the downtown bus.  Whoops.  I now have a new pair of gloves that are thin and warm AND work with Velcro: the Ibex Kilometer Gloves.  Sweet!