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What are your favorite paddle gloves

For winter and early spring whitewater paddling in cold air and mountain meltwater, almost everyone in my club used these strong and very inexpensive Nitrile gloves over thin and cheap polypro gloves. That combo keeps your hands warm and completely dry, especially when tucked under the rubber wrist gasket of a drysuit, while maintaining good tactile feel on the paddle.

If they ever do get wet inside, they will dry out by turning them inside-out over night and using a second pair of cheap polypro gloves the next day.

I've had the same pair for 35 years and now use them around the house.

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I like that idea! No issues with rotating paddle shaft?
I do have a pair of neoprene gloves. Warm and waterproof but too grippy for my taste. I paddle 95% flat water and use J or other corrective strokes.
 
I've never found any gloves that I really liked for paddling, but I have had success with a solution. On a cold West Virginia morning at a put in for a whitewater run I made some pogies out of plastic tarp and duct tape for myself and a couple friends. Surprisingly they worked great! My buddies started leaving them on paddles late fall thru early spring and slid them out of the way for warm days. Next fall the first cold trip they ask for another set (I'd always have plastic and duct tape in the van.

They were just a crude rectangular envelope of clear plastic (10 mil?) and duct tape that kept the wind off. There was no insulation, but keeping the wind off and having a bit of space inside seem to be pretty warm. We went out on some pretty cold days. Of course there is such a thing as real insulated pogies.

I guess they would be unworkable for hit and switch paddling.
 
I have the Upsurge gloves and like them for cold weather paddling. I usually start out with them and have the Patagonia R1 gloves as backup for more extreme conditions (like when I paddled out of Lows Lake in a snowstorm one November). My warm weather gloves are the NRS Boaters gloves.
 
I wear fingerless gloves down to 45 (like today) or maybe 40. I like the NRS Guide Gloves for days like today since they are warmer than other fingerless gloves. I thought about your post today as I paddled, for me the Guide Gloves aren't the least bit sticky...maybe it's because they are well-used or maybe the little ribs all over the palms keep them from being sticky.

The OR gloves on your link look nice so if you get them please let us know if you like them.
 
Mostly I wear white leather gloves from the hardware store. But it doesn't get that cold here in Maryland. I'm seldom out when it's below freezing. Leather gloves are fine when it's 40F. I sometimes use neoprene gloves, like the Glacier Gloves when it's colder. I don't like gloves with a "grippy" palm because they make twisting the paddle unpleasant.

If McGrady says nitrile gloves work, I'm not going to say they don't. I've never tried them, and he usually knows his stuff. What I will say is that hands sweat a lot. A few years back I found some well insulated winter gloves at the hardware store which claimed to be waterproof, and they are. They are great for a short outing, but if I'm out a few hours they get very wet from perspiration. The insulation is fleece and thinsulate, and they still provide some degree of warmth after they get wet, but the longer I wear them, the wetter they get and eventually they are not that warm. And, unless I put them on a glove dryer, they don't dry out very well. Waterproof works both ways. No water in, no water out. At least with the nitrile over poly gloves, you can separate the inner and outer layer to dry them out.

Goretex ski gloves work, but they are pricey.

Fleece gloves are about my favorite when it gets colder. You can find a lot of them on Amazon. The one's I have are LL Bean and identified as Polartec Wind Pro. The label says they have "digitally embossed synthetic palms," which are now wearing out. Of course, the curse of good gear, applies. The curse is that once you have owned and used the product long enough to say, "dang, these are good gear," you can no longer buy them because the marketing cycle moves on. I just chatted with Laura on the Bean site. Closest they have to my old gloves is https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/122...GN3&csp=a&gnrefine=1*MATERIAL*Synthetic&pos=1

I also learned Polartec is out of business. And in reply to my question, "what is primaloft?" Linda replied: PRY-ma loft- A microfiber polyester insulation that is easily compressible and is treated for water repellency so it retains virtually no water when wet; high loft-to-weight ratio. Funny about the spelling, because Bean products cite "primaloft," not PRY-ma loft. But it sounds like a good material for around the water.

In summary, my favorite is the plain old leather, uninsulated glove. And I'd love to know the answer to your question, so when you end up with something you like, please post an update.
 
Good stuff, Guys and than you for chipping in your experiences. Always appreciated!

Chip,
I like the leather hardware store idea! I think leather holds the answer for what I am looking for. I ordered the Upsurge gloves and will report my findings.
 
I don't get my hands wet so I wear the same gloves as when I'm backcountry skiing, which is lined leather Kincos from the hardware store. I don't use the ones with the tight stretchy cuffs, too hard to get on and off. When it,s cold or windy I also wear the tops of my wool blend socks that have worn out as wrist warmers to seal out the cold. If it's real cold I'll add an overmit.

If I though I might get my hands wet I would use the kind that Glen mentioned. If you do use this type glove make sure they fit over an insulating layer and they will be quite warm. They saved my hands one day at work handling aluminum poles at 30 below F.

One more thing, if your going far from the car bring an extra pair.
 
I was in the lumber store today and made an impulse buy: Kinco Frost Breaker gloves.I like the latex fronted gloves for poling--great grip. Don't like them as well for paddling. These frost breakers are thick and look like they'll be warmer than the knit/latex gloves I used before. Lowangle's post makes me think it was a good impulse buy.
 
That looks like a good choice for paddling Chip and I have worn that type of insulated glove at work where I needed dexterity, but they are not as warm and are not as easy to get on and off as the lined leather ones I prefer. I recommend having a pair like Glen suggested that will fit over them for extra warmth, especially if it's windy.
 
I've never found any gloves that I really liked for paddling, but I have had success with a solution. On a cold West Virginia morning at a put in for a whitewater run I made some pogies out of plastic tarp and duct tape for myself and a couple friends. Surprisingly they worked great! My buddies started leaving them on paddles late fall thru early spring and slid them out of the way for warm days. Next fall the first cold trip they ask for another set (I'd always have plastic and duct tape in the van.

They were just a crude rectangular envelope of clear plastic (10 mil?) and duct tape that kept the wind off. There was no insulation, but keeping the wind off and having a bit of space inside seem to be pretty warm. We went out on some pretty cold days. Of course there is such a thing as real insulated pogies.

I guess they would be unworkable for hit and switch paddling.

Pete you really have me wondering about you. "You always have plastic and duct tape in your van." Did your paddling friends nick name you Dexter or Candy man? ;)
 
My wife wears neoprene gloves from MEC on cool weather trips. They are grey and black, have somewhat sticky palms and full fingers. I should know what they look like because all summer long she reminded me. My wife has the same self delusional attitude to misplacing things as her late mother "Someone has moved X so I can't find it?! X should be right where I always keep it!!" This applies to kitchen whisks, winter hats, laptop cords, and paddling gloves. Heaven help you if you even approach said article with helpful intent. You're better off just standing a safe distance away and pointing at it "I found it!! " And then accepting whatever blame is to be dispensed. No I did not wear them to rake the leaves. No I did not wear them to re-shingle the roof. No I did not try them on to see if there'd go with my outfit. But yes I" must've picked them up and arbitrarily moved them just for the sheer spite of it." What the frig. But all's well that ends well. Just before our autumn trip she found them. Right where "someone left them." Peace at last. Her hands were happy and I was happy. I don't wear gloves to paddle in cold weather but do slip on a thin pair of pile gloves when we camp and portage. Sometimes I misplace those. But let's not go there.
 
Atlas Temres 282 gloves or Chilly Grip H2O, A324 gloves for cold weather
Outdoor Research Upsurge Gloves, full-finger for cool weather
Stohlquist Warmers Barnacle Gloves, full-finger for warm and hot weather sun protection
 
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