ise - 04 November 2010 07:27 AM
To keep my hands warm I use another Rab product, the Modular Mitts. Like the name suggests they’re mittens!
the cold is one of my top fears in the mountains. bad circulation runs in my family unfortunatly. i’ve had winter mountain bike rides ruined by cold feet or cold hands so i’ve got plenty of experience. some people are lucky they are a bit warmer and sleep warmer.
WOOL, and good quality gear at all levels. even tho i’ve got some 9euro decathlon plyester-crap gloves for unders which i love and i’ve just bought some 10euro winter gloves from them which are snuggly too.
i’ve got a similar pair of gloves to mentioned above, except mine are just an out, millet from au veux campeur. depending on the warmth i’ll wear different thicknesses of liner underneath. when its really cold, cos i got a size bigger, i can squeeze full on ski gloves inside. the liner has no warmth to them until you build it up within yourself. in spring i wear just them cos they keep my hands dry in slushy conditions and they are perfectly warm.
going back to wool. i’ve got a merino wool base layer which works wonders in all conditions. wicks sweat in the heat or keeps you toasty in the cold. its more expensive than polyester, but worth it , feels nicer too. consider getting a long sleeve merino top and leggings.
for socks i go for mostly wool with a bit of man-made in it so they don’t wear out too quickly and on the thinner side. yeah thinner side! It doesn’t squeeze the foot and cut off circulation = keep those toes wiggling. A good set of liners (can you get them for snowboard boots?) will help keep you warm too. intuition springs to mind, but if you browse an american blog/forum/site where they have really cold winters, such as wildsnow.com they will mention serious brands. for denali, alaski, i think Lou took overboot covers.
i’m not experienced with ‘down’ clothes. but they are meant to be super warm if kept dry so consider lie ISE said a mid of the gillet. sounds toasty actually, wish i could afford one…
easy now!