One year winter was coming and a friend of mine said that it’s time she bought a pair of gloves as she had none. I couldn’t understand this as I have gloves ready for every occasion. There are the gloves that I wear out for a day with friends or family, the gloves I wear for running, fingertip-less gloves for photography, thick gloves for walking, waterproof gloves for bad weather and gardening gloves for when the weather improves. For each of these activities I have more than one pair of gloves as after all, as it’s said “one is none, two is one”.
Even in the middle of summer it can be cold in the early hours so gloves can be vital year round. I have found a certain affection for clothing that supports my love for the outdoors and once I’ve found something that works, I see no reason to stray from it when purchasing replacements once I’ve worn the old ones out.
It’s surprising how well a camera can still be operated when wearing gloves but there will always be some styles that aren’t ideal for this purpose. There’s no point having a pair of gloves in your bag that you can’t use in a hide because you’d have to remove them to operate the camera. I normally begin with my ‘Sealskinz’ waterproof gloves if I’m outside rather than in a hide. I then tend to move on to my ‘X Dry’ Extremities gloves when my hands need to get toasty quickly. I often opt for fingertip-less gloves when in a hide and then again move to the Extremities when it gets colder. Whilst they’re thick I can still operate the main keys on the camera.
I suffer from Raynaud’s, which is when your circulation is affected and for me personally, this means my fingers turn white when I get cold. Before this started happening I purchased Garlands Neoprene Shooting Gloves for photography, which works well as you can velcro back the part covering your index finger so your shutter finger is free. Whilst they’re waterproof, they’re not very warm so if you also suffer with Raynaud’s they might not be as appropriate in colder weather.
Over the years I dabbled with hand warmers though what you choose again depends on your activity. For a re-useable hand-warmer that provides a quick burst of heat, I find self-heating gel cushions (that have a metal plate inside to activate the gel) work really well. This is particularly good if you have been out in the wild and then want to warm up when you’ve returned to the car or a tent. They also work well if you only feel cold because of a prolonged period of time outside rather than being cold for the entire time that you’re out and about.
For a lengthy cold stint it is better to have something that will last for hours. I marvelled at the genius behind the Whitby and Co Hand Warmer, which you fill with lighter fluid, light and then pop in its soft protective bag to hold on to for as long as you need toasty hands.
So whilst one item cannot cover all bases, a selection of the right products can make for a far more comfortable time out of doors. After all, happy hands make a happy adventurer.
If you are interested in the gloves mentioned in this blog post, you can look into purchasing these or something similar below: