Glove Advice - Not sure if I have Raynauds

[CommanderKeen]

Good Morning

Another glove advice thread unfortunately - hoping you guys can give some advice though.

Prior to searching the forums, I'll admit that I hadn't heard of reynauds before. Having a look on the NHS site, it does look like I get some symptoms (very cold fingers, and often toes/white fingers when cold) - but none of the others, so I reckon my circulation just isn't the best. I get cold fingers easily while hiking, and often cold toes when I'm not walking. Is it possible to have a mild form of Raynauds?

Regardless, I'm looking for advice on some very warm gloves.

I've gone through a few pairs, with my current pair being Sealskinz Winter Gloves

(These ones: https://www.graniteworkwear.com/p_859_sealskinz-1211409001-winter-gloves)

These just aren't cutting the mustard, and quite often I just need to resort to clenching my hands into fists inside the gloves in order to get a bit of heat back into them.

I have no requirements other than warmth, so was maybe thinking mittens? Any advice is welcome - budget isn't a factor and don't use poles, so all I really require is probably being waterproof.

I thank you in advance for your time and insight,

[kmai1961]

You're right, this subject that does come up now and again, and like so many equipment questions (water filters, poles, etc.), you're likely to get tons of different opinions and recommendations.

Regardless of the gloves I wear "on top," (and tbh, my favorite on-top version is a £5 pair of ski gloves from Lidl bought several years ago) I always, always, always have at least two pair of the £1 (or so) stretchy knit magic gloves in my rucksack, year-round. I've been known to buy them by the dozen. One pair often doesn't come off my hands at all during a walk. Sometimes, you can get them with device-compatible fingertips -- whether or not these work seems inconsistent, and more often than not, they quickly become "fingerless" anyway. Obviously, they're not waterproof, which is why I take multiple pairs. It means that my hands are rarely uncovered. Keeping them as warm and dry as possible limits the onset of symptoms. That is, once they get cold, and bloodless, and start turning all varieties of colour (white, blue, purple, red etc.), it takes a long time for them to return (painfully) to "normal" so the key is to prevent that from happening.

They're more or less the same as silk liners, which others might recommend, but possibly a bit cheaper. They wash easily, and although they do tend to wear quickly through the fingers, I still use them that way as well.

[mrssanta]

Think of getting a "Whitby warmer" great bit of kit stays hot all day.

[gld73]

I think I've inherited my mum's Reynaud's. I've got multiple pairs of gloves of all different makes and materials, but the ones which I find keep my fingers warmest are a pair of Sprayway mittens. In fact, unless it's really really cold, I find my hands get to warm, in them and I need to switch to gloves.

Mittens aren't ideal from a dexterity point of view, and that pair are the only pair I've got, but it's worth giving them a try to see if they improve circulation in your fingers.

[Sgurr]

Dachstein mitts are still available as are gloves

https://www.climbers-shop.com/1377025/products/dachstein-mitts.aspx

[Ben Nachie]

Buffalo mitts. Toasty, and equally warm when wet. Windproof too.

[Cairngorm creeper]

Buffalo Mitts with Extremities Tuff bag waterproof mitts to put over them if it's wet.

[Poocini]

I know your pain. I have it as well, and the best gloves I've found for it were a pair of Tesco 'thinsulate' Ski gloves of all things!
I can recall wearing them on Narnain a couple of winters ago where the temperature was -10, but with windchill it supposedly felt like -15! They kept my hands warm and toasty on a day when the water in my backpack froze!

The only problem I found was that when we stopped for a coffee and a snack, my hands very quickly lost heat and were soon giving off that ice/dead flesh thing that they do after 10 minutes or so. The advice about having an inner pair of woollen gloves is probably good. Still, having warm gloves didn't make it anymore bearable when we started walking again, and the blood started to course it's fiery way back into my hands...

[davekeiller]

In answer to one of the original questions, yes mittens will keep your hands warmer than gloves. This is because mittens allow the fingers to "share" heat and keep each other warm.
A system with thin liner gloves and thicker outer gloves might be the most adaptable system, but beware of compressing your fingers too much if you think you have poor circulation.

[Sack the Juggler]

just to follow on from davekeiller's point about compression.

In my loft (somewhere) I have a pair of extremities gloves. They are very lightweight, filled with primaloft and waterproof, but I tend not to wear them because they feel slightly too big for my hands.... however, they are the warmest gloves I have even owned, probably because the warm air circulates around inside the gloves. I wore them when we summitted Kili and my hands were toasty.

I was in the Hestra shop in Stockholm around Christmas and bought myself a pair of leather gloves (also with a Primaloft layer) and the assistant there said that if the glove fits too close then the insulation wont work as well, so best go a bit larger than usual if you want to keep your hands warmer. These gloves have also been toasty and I bought them for walking to and from work in the winter as my fingers were getting cold, especially in the wind, even when wearing my ski gloves.

So the moral is, maybe, buy a size up?

[EileanB]

Not very high tech, but I have Reynauds and I find the only things that really keep my hands warm are sheepskin mittens. You just need a spare pair (or 2) with you for when they get wet.
Other than that, wearing a thin pair of gloves with thick gloves or mittens on top seems to work better than one thick pair.

[Bungo]

I've had it for at least a decade - not nice - fingers can be fine and then the circulation restriction kicks in, you can't feel anything, fingers go white, sometimes dark blue and black. It makes you appreciate good zipper pulls and hasn't inhibited outdoor stuff at all!

For gloves - first things, get yourself some climbing wrist gaiters - the Extremities ones are excellent and hard-wearing - they're made from polartec. underneath these I wear another pair of Woolpower merino fingerless gloves - this gives an excellent and warm pairing which works well. I don't winter climb, so can't attest to their use in such conditions, but for general wind-chilled walking, they work well. I pair them up with a pair of Buffalo mitts for really cold weather and again it works well.
For feet - always two pairs of socks - a liner - I use an old pair of Thorlo, and then a longer slightly thicker pair over the top. Wool is best, but again I've had good results with synthetic Thorlos too.
Felt insoles work well (again Woolpower) though they have no support to them, but in general work use, I always use felt - it is brilliant stuff. My one other tip is if you use thick socks, they'll be no good on your feet if the cuff cuts in - you need as much blood as possible getting to your extremities. For general work-a-day use, bamboo soft cuff socks from Sock Shop - two pairs in winter - they don't isolate your circulation as they were designed for diabetic use and people with oedema. For walking, like I said just make sure it is something that stretches well, but doesn't keep falling down

Hope this helps - it isn't pleasant, but is dealable with without the horrific drugs the docs give you - made me think I was having a stroke. Best thing is always to keep moving and if you have to be still make sure you're wearing something like a Buffalo shirt - the greatest bit of outdoor kit ever made (in my opinion).
Cheers

[Bungo]

Sorry - forgot - I've found most gloves to be hopless - even expensive ones, simply because your finers are isolated from each other - your fingers are effectively dead because of lack of circulation and you've entombed them in lovely insulative tubes that, er, keep the cold IN.
Mitts are better because you can clench your fingers into your palm if need be - that works well . . though obviously they're not as convenient to use.
Again, talking from my own experiences - everyone is differerent. If you think you've got it get it confirmed by the docs, and avoid the tablets.