4.18.2014

North Ridge Mitts - In the WILD WET WORLD - How did they do for me?




Been using THESE for a while.

I was given a pair for testing by GO OUTDOORS, which was very nice of them.

With hindsight, maybe I should have not gone for MITTS.

Used them biking (MTB) and also in Scotland and the Lake District on multi-day hikes.

I will probably stick to using them locally on the bike now though, I reckon they will be ideal for that. For shorter jaunts, as long as your hands are nice and warm at the start they seem to work ok.

But, in the field, once you have to take hands in and out, which you often do walking. You ever tried having a pee with bloody great mittens on? Then they gradually get damper. And if you put them on when hands are getting cold, or slightly damp, which happens up a windy wet hill, then the inner gets damp, and stays damp.

They are filled with Primaloft, and this does insulate well when everything starts out ok.
Definitely the wind does not get through, and that is a plus point.

If it is dry, and your hands start warm they are quite a good glove.
They do keep your hands warm, and in light rain are waterproof.

However take them out in high wind and persistent continuous driving rain, and they eventually wet through.

Then they take an age to dry because the leather gets wet, and once the inner gets damp, there is nowhere for the damp to easily go.
Add to this the fact that they have built in finger inner that you cannot get out, then the downside is that once your hands get wet and cold then these begin to fail badly.
Also because of the fingers, it is hard to get your hands into them once they are damp.

Even after they got back home it took a day to get them properly dry.
And there is no central heating or radiators in a wild camp tent!

They are well made, but they did not really function as a wet weather walking glove for me.

Interesting that a Review on the Go Outdoors web site for the
North Ridge Mitre Peak Waterproof Glove equivalent said they were good and waterproof.

MY REVIEW which I put on a few days ago and was an abbreviation of some of my main comments here can be found clicking on the link.

The other thing about the review is where they were tested.

Maybe the gloves really are better and waterproof. Maybe they weren't in Scotland!

Considering the price difference, the gloves at £19.99 discounted look a darn sight better value.

They also have that strange dangling blue strap that I am sure is intended to stop them blowing away or falling to the ground, but it is just plain annoying.

The easy to tighten draw string was good though.
But as I said, I took the long dangling blue straps off.
On a bike I might well keep them on as added security, but with poles and walking they got in my way.

I think they may well be quite good as a skiing/boarding glove as long as your hands stay warm.
Once they are cold it was impossible for me to get them warm again in these gloves.

As a walking glove in my opinion as someone who has done a lot of hill walking in all conditions they were just not up to the job.
Or maybe they are just not up to the job for my hands.

And they do not come in cheap, at £49.99 discounted price,
and originally £80.00 Full price.

The biggest problem is that they are trying to be BOTH Gloves and Mitts.

BUT.. Mitts are Mitts and Gloves are Gloves, and these are not a great combination.

Buy proper Mitts, or Buy proper Gloves.

Some others may like them

But they are definitely not for me.
Even at the discounted price.

However I am very grateful to GO OUTDOORS for allowing me to have them to use, and I will continue to test on bike and see how they do longer term in terms of usage, and also wear and tear.

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