Hands are often the first thing to get cold during the winter but the most easily overlooked. Keeping our outermost extremities warm can make the difference between a fun or miserable day out.
Layering for our hands follows the same basic principles of layering for the rest of our bodies. We should consider three important layers: base layer, mid (or insulating) layer, and outer layer. These three layers make up a holistic approach to keeping our fingers both dry and warm.
Base Layer
The base layer is the layer most close to the skin. This layer is important because it is the layer directly on our skin. As we are going about our climbing day from the approach, to belaying, and climbing we generate a lot of heat. This layer should have some basic warmth properties and at the same time wick away moisture from our hands. Hands sweat too! A great material for a thin base layer glove is merino wool. Merino wool originated in Spain and no largely comes from Australia. Merino wool is a fine fiber that is soft, warm, and anti-microbial making it the perfect material for outdoor pursuits. Although merino wool can come at a high price it can be mixed with a few other materials like polyester to create an affordable alternative that also has some wind blocking properties.
Mid-weight Layer
The mid-weight layer can also double as an outer layer; but it should still sport the same characteristics of both. A proper mid-weight layer will provide insulation in the form of down or another man made insulation such as Thinsulate or PremaLoft. On the outside the glove must be wind and water resistant. If we are ice climbing or skiing, we this layer to feature a grippy leather palm.
Outer Layer
An outer layer glove can come in many flavors but the basic is this: it must be weatherproof. This outer glove can be broken into two categories. Shell or combo gloves. A shell glove will fit overtop both the base and mid layers snugly to eliminate extra bulk. The shell should also tighten around the wrist to keep out weather.
Many outdoor brands now sell a combo that includes a liner gloves inside already. This is often a mid weight weather resistant glove made of polyester or a polyester merino wool blend. I highly recommend a base layer glove to take up any extra room and provide even more dexterity when working with zippers, crampons, carabiners, etc.
Below is my glove set up.
Ice climbing glove set up. From left to right: Black Diamond Guide, Black Diamond Punisher climbing glove, Rab merino wool/ polyester base liner glove. I carry an extra mid layer glove with built in handwarmer pockets.
Personally, the way I use this system is, excluding the extra pair of glove son the right, I start with the Rab thin liner glove for two reasons: my hands run between a size Large or XL this gives me the opportunity to include a thin liner glove and I have more dexterity for lacing up crampons. Black Diamonds Punisher glove comes next. It’s both water resistant and has some but minimal insulation. This is the glove I climb in. These come off whenever I need to belay.
Pro Tip:
Once arriving to the belay station I’ll pull out my big warm BD Guide gloves out of my jacket and slide the Punishers inside my jacket to dry and keep warm. This trading off gives my hands time to warm up from the climb while belaying and needing a bit less dexterity. Additionally this method keeps one pair of gloves almost completely dry in case the day ends up being longer than anticipated.
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