Seeking long-term commitment liner glove.
I’ve got combo liner glove/mitts from Nathan that have served me well. They are, however, beyond their expiration date, and besides, the mitt portion adds some bulk on the back of my hand I’d rather do without when shoved in a larger insulated glove. Here’s what I’m looking for and would love reader input on:
Seeking…dreamy liner glove wearable under most gloves and mittens. (Not too worried about mittens because mine are rather voluminous.) Thin enough that you possess unhindered dexterity. Able to buckle-fiddle, de-skin, re-skin, and swipe a phone screen if navigating by phone. Maybe have the capacity to wipe a runny nostril, but not mandatory.
In the cosmic realm of human needs, I’m not asking much. Or am I?
With the scores of options out there, what thin liner glove works best for you? My hands are in the market. Thanks for any input.
Jason Albert comes to WildSnow from Bend, Oregon. After growing up on the East Coast, he migrated from Montana to Colorado and settled in Oregon. Simple pleasures are quiet and long days touring. His gray hair might stem from his first Grand Traverse in 2000 when rented leather boots and 210cm skis were not the speed weapons he had hoped for. Jason survived the transition from free-heel kool-aid drinker to faster and lighter (think AT), and safer, are better.
16 comments
An excerpt from an article on this site published November 19, 2019:
“ Gloves
Three weight classes worked well for me. The North Face Gore Closefit Tricot glove was fantastic on the lower mountain and warmer times on the high mountain.”
These liners work very well for me.
Have recently been using a pair of Montbell “Jogger Gloves”. The fit/dexterity is great, although they are definitely on the lightweight side however. My main use of liners is mostly wicking away sweat/preventing hot spots/having some barrier between me and the wind when fiddling with skins,phone, etc so these work for me, however if you want the liner to provide significant warmth, these are probably not the ticket.
I just got the Arcteryx Rivet Gloves without thinking about them too much because I misplaced my previous light gloves and this was what was available last minute at my local shop. I figured they would be just fine, but they’ve turned out to be pretty amazing in fit and function and seem like they will be durable and long lasting. Very nimble and comfortable and the touch screen fingers work better than any I’ve tried. I would recommend.
Previously I had a very light pair of spandex and fleece Craft brand running gloves that had rubberized grip strips on the fingers that worked well, too, but I don’t think they make anything like them anymore.
I’ve given up on pretty much all formal liner gloves. They get shredded and they’re expensive.
This is what I use now: https://job.hestragloves.com/en-us/gloves/multi-use-protection/72450-iridium/100/
Cheap, durable and much better grip. They also make some other models that are slightly thicker if desired.
Hits the most important things on your list and they have proven to be more durable than their $30+ counterparts.
Adding some conductive thread takes care of the touch screen compatibility.
An old cowboy from Kanab once told me “The only thing you can do with gloves on is piss your pants.” Translated to skiing: you’re better off with warmer main gloves/mitts and no liner, so you can remove your bare hand and adroitly do what you need to do, then return it to the warmth of the mitt. I use Flylow leather mitts with a handwarmer, and can do all my transitions with them still on. If your phone navigation program is dialed, you shouldn’t need to be tapping away for very long.
Highly recommend looking through the liner options on the Montbell website – they provide pretty detailed fabric descriptions so you can see what best matches you. Their chameece gloves have been my go to summer glove/winter liner glove for 4 years now – still on a single pair, still like new. (I’ve even seen positive durability reviews for scrambling with them on). Also, the Montbell liners are all very reasonably priced.
These are primo as snow really doesn’t like to stick to them, so you can do your transitions etc without soaking out your gloves. Really nice and light so not too hot (I use in spring on their own as sun protection up on the glaciers). https://montane.com/collections/mens-gloves/products/montane-power-dry-gloves?color=Black
I just found the Black Diamond Lightweight Screentap glove that works well for me.
https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/product/lightweight-screentap-gloves/?colorid=5922
Have you checked out Klim’s series of liner gloves? They have 3 different models. I’ve been using the 1.0 this season, and been quite happy with it.
https://www.klim.com/Glove-Liner-1-0-3218-000?quantity=1&color=9
I have been using Black Diamond Lightweight Softshell gloves for all my touring needs. If it gets really cold I will switch to a heavier glove, but here in the Pacific NW where it barely gets cold, I can usually wear this glove all day long. Excellent dexterity. Durability has been good and at $35.00 pretty reasonable.
Nitril/polyester work gloves from the hardware store. The really thin ones are best, since they slide in and out of your heavier gloves or mittens easier. The Showa Atlas 370 model is better made than other brands, but costs a bit more. Still less than $10 a pair. Keep your heavier gloves or mittens on leashes around your wrist so you can remove them to do delicate work without dropping them in the snow.
I learned this the hard way, climbing radio towers in mid winter to repair microwave gear. That’s a great test for proper hand wear. For skinning uphill on colder days, use another pair of thin gloves like others have mentioned if the 370s are too cold. I always have both in my pack.
Canmore xc skiers are crowing about this Canadian company that’s producing thin liner gloves that are electrified. http://motionheat.com/
I think the company developed its very complete heated vest/insole/glove setup for Canadian oil rig workers. I’m tempted to go for the whole setup, and if I was still climbing towers, I wouldn’t hesitate.
Not a liner, but TRUCK Gloves Tour glove is my go-to glove basically for everything, warm on the up, I rarely need to change gloves for the down, can use my phone with it still on, dexterous enough for boots, zippers, skins, beacon, all under $30. I’ve got over 150 tours on a pair of them with minimal wear. Just a solid no fuss, never a problem pair of gloves. I highly recommend
I used unlined leather gloves (https://vermontglove.com/products/the-uphill-skier) as my do all in the backcountry; I often wear just the glove on the up then add a liner for the down. If it’s too hot for those gloves I use a pair of my favorite mountain biking gloves from https://www.tasco-mtb.com/ for the up then pull the leather shells over for the down. I’m very hard on my gear and went through countless pairs of traditional “liner gloves” before I settled on this
I use Mizuno Breath Thermo Knit glove as a liner. They look like basic black mini gloves, cost about $25, and are woven with a fibre that apparently kicks off heat when it gets wet. They fit inside every mitt and glove I have and being seamless they don’t cause any hot spots or friction. They do deliver on being surprisingly warm even when damp, but are not at all windproof. My first pair lasted 5 seasons, they work on a phone screen without any of the wierd silicone dots or grippers. Love em so much I bought a second pair.
I use Defeet Duraglove ET Charcoal Wool w/Black Grippies. Technically made for cycling but stretchy for a low profile, dextrous fit, while still thick enough to add some warmth. They come in different colors that don’t have any wool content but those aren’t warm enough. Have to stick with the grey wool model, but even those are still like half nylon content so they last forever. They work with touch screens and have little grip material applied to the fingers and palm.