Winter gloves for scrambling

[cottonmountaineering]

Anyone have an opinion based on experience of the Hestra Heli leather mitts vs. Alti mitts? Looks like the Heli is slightly more dexterous, compared to zero dexterity in the Alti.

i have both, the alti mitts are overkill for anything in the lower 48. hestra mitt is appropriate for winter in colorado and the leather is very good, i can do my ski buckles and other things like that with the mitts on

I don't think it's accurate to categorically say the "alti mitts are overkill for anything in the lower 48". I have been out in some truly foul weather here in CO winter where anything else would have resulted in an undesirable outcome. Alti mitts are 100% always in my winter kit every outing, and have seen heavy use over the last 5 years doing winter 14ers and are still going strong.

I've also done plenty of ez third class in alti mitts. For more difficult scrambling (but not sustained) I'll just use the cheap $10 liner gloves (or no gloves for a single odd move) from costco, and when done I'll warm my hands up in mittens. For more sustained scrambling, I've put a few hard years into Hestra Heli gloves, and they have held up pretty well. For either my mitts or the heli, it is nice to have a modular system (shell + Insulator) so that I can dial the dexterity/warmth as needed in combo with a liner.

I did try the Kinco / leather ice fishing glove route, but I didn't like not having a gauntlet / wrist straps / finger loop. They also just felt way too bulky, but admittedly I did not give them a chance and break them in.

to be honest if its below about -25f windchill im just going to wait for better weather, hestra is adequate for everything else

[angry]

Anyone have an opinion based on experience of the Hestra Heli leather mitts vs. Alti mitts? Looks like the Heli is slightly more dexterous, compared to zero dexterity in the Alti.

i have both, the alti mitts are overkill for anything in the lower 48. hestra mitt is appropriate for winter in colorado and the leather is very good, i can do my ski buckles and other things like that with the mitts on

I don't think it's accurate to categorically say the "alti mitts are overkill for anything in the lower 48". I have been out in some truly foul weather here in CO winter where anything else would have resulted in an undesirable outcome. Alti mitts are 100% always in my winter kit every outing, and have seen heavy use over the last 5 years doing winter 14ers and are still going strong.

I've also done plenty of ez third class in alti mitts. For more difficult scrambling (but not sustained) I'll just use the cheap $10 liner gloves (or no gloves for a single odd move) from costco, and when done I'll warm my hands up in mittens. For more sustained scrambling, I've put a few hard years into Hestra Heli gloves, and they have held up pretty well. For either my mitts or the heli, it is nice to have a modular system (shell + Insulator) so that I can dial the dexterity/warmth as needed in combo with a liner.

I did try the Kinco / leather ice fishing glove route, but I didn't like not having a gauntlet / wrist straps / finger loop. They also just felt way too bulky, but admittedly I did not give them a chance and break them in.

Same. I use my alti mitts all the time...not for scrambling obviously, but I'd rather have warm hands than not.

[Wildernessjane]

I don't think it's accurate to categorically say the "alti mitts are overkill for anything in the lower 48". I have been out in some truly foul weather here in CO winter where anything else would have resulted in an undesirable outcome. Alti mitts are 100% always in my winter kit every outing, and have seen heavy use over the last 5 years doing winter 14ers and are still going strong.

I've also done plenty of ez third class in alti mitts. For more difficult scrambling (but not sustained) I'll just use the cheap $10 liner gloves (or no gloves for a single odd move) from costco, and when done I'll warm my hands up in mittens. For more sustained scrambling, I've put a few hard years into Hestra Heli gloves, and they have held up pretty well. For either my mitts or the heli, it is nice to have a modular system (shell + Insulator) so that I can dial the dexterity/warmth as needed in combo with a liner.

I totally 100% agree. Those Alti mitts are always in my pack in winter in case of an emergency and I’ve used different combinations when I’ve been on the move (I’ll pull out the inner liner and use it with a liner glove for more warmth - though not for scrambling obviously). Lol I even used the outer mitt along with a thin liner glove for backcountry skiing on Sunday morning and it didn’t feel like overkill to me. On another note, I loved my Hestra Heli gloves for more sustained scrambling but those are the ones that were destroyed on my last outing, prompting me to start this thread. Though I suppose every glove has its limits and these had seen pretty heavy use, those Hestras are not cheap.

[Conor]

mt baker liners with the alti mitts. Best of both worlds. are we still on scrambling? because my $7 REI fleece gloves have been awesome, as well as the costco "head" gloves. I wear them year round. Not many crimp and crank or open hand sloper moves below 5.8.

[JB99]

I have the very first version of first ascent guide gloves and they’ve been great (nobody tell the baron, if anyone has been on here long enough to get the reference). I believe they’ve deteriorated with the newer models that have less leather so I can’t vouch for them, but I’ve been impressed with the warmth, dexterity, and durability of mine.

[Brevergy]

Finding the perfect winter gloves for scrambling can be a real challenge! It sounds like you're looking for a pair that's warm, waterproof, offers good dexterity, and is durable. While it might seem like searching for the holy grail, there are definitely options out there.

[pvnisher]

You won't catch me out in the cold without 3± pairs of gloves.
Normally a thin fleece liner, a mid weight leather like BD legend, a heavy lobster or mitt (preferably removable so I can use the shell without the insulation if I want), and a light weight all leather like BD kingpin.

Use wax to waterproof rather than gore tex when possible so I can just apply to the palm and fingers and not the back.

I keep them on my chest pockets so they're warm if I need them (obvs switch which ones I keep handy depending on conditions)

[randalmartin]

I have the very first version of first ascent guide gloves and they’ve been great (nobody tell the baron, if anyone has been on here long enough to get the reference). I believe they’ve deteriorated with the newer models that have less leather so I can’t vouch for them, but I’ve been impressed with the warmth, dexterity, and durability of mine.

Nice! I have a pair of those. Only part breaking down is the stitching around the finger tips. And yes, I get the Baron reference. Really miss those threads.

[seannunn]

I love to keep a pair of nitrile coated knit gloves in my pack for summer scrambling. Then I found out that they made fleece lined ones for cold weather and I was hooked. They're cheap, warm, light, and they give you super human grip because the nitrile is rough and tacky.

https://www.wellslamont.com/product/lat ... f-coating/

+1. I just bought a pair for $13 on Amazon. Not sure they would be great in the true winter though. Probably not warm enough as stand-alones.

Sean Nunn