High Sierra Topix

Does anyone have reccomedations or thoughts regarding gloves?

I plan to climb Mt Russell, Cloudripper, and do some other class 3 passes this summer.

I was thinking about getting some gloves.

I am interested in general protection, sun protection, off-trail performance.

I have only used gloves for warmth in the past.

Do you have any thoughts on wearing gloves for climbing, if so do you have any reccommendations?

Thanks for your thoughts!

Why do you think you need gloves? If your trip is in the summer, you don’t need them for warmth. I would guess you won’t be using/needing a rope on Class 3, so you don’t need gloves for abrasion protection. For technical climbing, I prefer to have my hands free of any layers to maximize grip and tactile feel for the rock.

I have struggled with glove choices. In the past I’ve used cheap, $10 for 3 pairs work/gardening gloves for belaying and scrambling. They fall apart quite fast and aren’t warm at all. There’s also the thick garden gloves, more durable, but poor dexterity. Not great for scrambling, but they work for class 2/easy 3. I’ve also used the latex coated ones that are used by everyone to grip the cables on Half Dome. Maybe I should give them another shot?

This year, my brother-in-law got me some nice Arc’teryx gloves with a leather palm. I suspect they’ll be more durable, not sure if I’d buy them with my own money though.

So idk. Cheap ones that you replace every 2 years are probably the best choice. The holes provide extra ventilation. :-P There’s also crack gloves for climbing, but that’s a whole ‘nother topic.

I've never used these for climbing but I use them all the time for home projects. The last forever. I have good dexterity with them on.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EO ... UTF8&psc=1

I rarely used gloves climbing, but it is good to have some that you can wear while climbing just in case it turns really cold. Frozen fingers do not work very well while climbing. You might consider some fingerless bicycling gloves; be sure they are not so tight that circulation or movement is restricted. The photo below shows fleece gloves that I cut out the finger tips. I always climbed in a light wind jacket- this one is a bicycle jacket. Almost every summit I have been on is very windy. Bright colors help when climbing so others can easily see you and not kick rocks down on you. I am also big on wearing a climbing helmet -some only weight about 8-10 oz.

I have used these in the past:

https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/ ... ped-Gloves

I bought them at Home Depot for $5 a pair. They're lightweight, breathable, good balance of feel versus protection, the Cut level 1 is good for abrasion resistance, it'll stop cuts from most granite edges, but it's not going to stop a knife, of course. The higher cut levels (2,3, and 4) really sacrifice feel, in my opinion. It depends on what you want, protection level versus feel for off trail travel.

So many variations: for just walking I now always have OR sun gloves, they protect my wrists as well as my hands. For class-3 climbing and some small warmth I cut off the fingers of any thin work gloves that fit well with a durable palm-face material. When it gots colder for the class-3 climbing I replace the thin work gloves with a thicker fleece, but they do get chewed up. For brush gloves I have been using the new-style nitryl-coated work gloves, as they are lighter, durable, and cooler because they have fabric on the back.
I seem to be less tolerant of cold hands than I used to be.
I seem to be less tolerant of _________ than I used to be. (Fill in the blank with anything you can think of)

Dear HST community,

Thanks for the thoughtful responses and various perspectives. I think I will do a little experimenting this summer with a couple different glove options mentioned in this tread. Thanks again1

I hope everyone has a great summer with lots of time in the mountains!

Like Wandering Daisy already mentioned, I use fingerless cycling gloves. Basically free for me as I also cycle, and retire gloves where the padding isn't what it used to be. Way cheaper than hiking gloves anyway, as I buy discontinued models and such when they go on sale. You don't want them too big or too small, but too small is worse IMO.

I have been using these fingerless OR Sun gloves for years:

https://www.outdoorresearch.com/us/acti ... ves-250152

With a history of melanoma in the family, I try to keep covered from the sun as much as possible, and these protect the backs of my hands and wrists. They also take the brunt of the friction with my cork hand grips on my poles. I used to get blisters occasionally on my hands--no longer. They are very light and not at all hot, but they do wear out after a season or two. Now that I am used to them, I would never leave them behind. Note: they will NOT keep your hands warm if that is your objective...not their purpose. Nor would they protect your hands much from rocks when climbing. Also not their purpose.

Having warm gloves is always important, no matter when you go to the Sierra. The vast majority of heat loss is through extremities--head, hands, and feet, and I always want warm ways to cover them all if necessary. For my hands I carry some fleece gloves. Light, warm even when wet. I love them.

I haven't really answered your question--I presume for climbing you want something that protects from cuts and abrasions, and would think some of the climbers here will know much more than I do. But thought I would chime in in case others are attracted to the gloves thread. On the other hand, REI has about a thousand different kinds of gloves, like these, that may or may not be better than your run of the mill garden gloves.

https://www.rei.com/product/183671/outd ... ght-gloves