Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Gloves for Backpack Hunting

I keep striving to improve my gear and gloves are next on my list. I have been on hunts with thick gloves but my hands were still always cold. This is mostly rifle season at high altitude so the temps can get down to 10 degrees. On one hunt I had a pair of cheap motorcycle gloves that were very warm but I have since lost them (rather one of them). I always cut a slit in the trigger finger at the second joint for shooting, so that probably blows the waterproofing. I am looking for a pair of warm, water-resistant, lightweight, fast-drying gloves. Since these are for backpack hunting, I am curious if I should get gloves with a liner for quick drying or just carry two pairs. Also, is down an option or preferable?

A few that look interesting are:

Outdoor Research Highcamp Glove
Outdoor Research Alti Glove
Canada Goose Down Glove

Have you tried mittens that fold back so you can shoot?

i like the fingerless mittens that fold back and have rubber dots on them but they are getting hard to find around here. the wool ones seem to dry faster than the fleece, but the fleece is warmer if dry.

the last pair had rubber on the palm which was ok but requires you to grip the rifle a little harder.

I have a pair of glov-mitts with very lightweight fingers. That thin fabric really helps on a cold barrel. The one thing about them is that the mittens are held back with magnets. That could screw up a compass or GPS in a pack. I've considered replacing the magnets with velcro.

Manzella makes mitts with velcro.

Best bang for the buck is Kinco Alyeska rag wool gloves.

They have a fleece/wool blend lining and are available as gloves, half finger gloves or convertible mittens. Good fit around the wrist. The convertible mittens do use magnets which I like. Velcro is too noisy for me when bowhunting in a treestand.

When it rains I use a thin gtx-like mitten over.

I use waxed leather gloves. They are tough, mostly water proof, and don't snag on anything. If I'm moving much at all these will take me down to pretty cold temps. If I need more, I have a pair of glo-mitts that I wear over them.

In the search for the perfect glove, I'm constantly disappointed and keep coming back to USGI wool glove liners.

Definetely a best buy, especially if they are free. Smartwool liners work about as well and fit better. The Manzella fleece gloves are the next step up in warmth without giving up any dexterity.

Marmot Exum Guide Gloves. No Questions. They rock.

I have never tried mittens and that appears to be the warmest option. If you look at extreme cold weather gear, it almost always involves mittens. In a hunting situation, mittens seem impractical to me but the fold-back mittens may be the solution. I have never tried them. Magnetic holders could be a problem for backpack hunting using a compass but if you are aware of it, you could work around it.

The Kinco Alyeska rag wool gloves come with a fold back mitten style called Alyeska Ragg Wool Pocket Glove. They have the PVC dots and a magnetic holdback and are less than $20 online. I think I will order a pair to check out.

The Marmut Exum Guide Gloves have great reviews but are hard to find in XXL. It seems like they may be discontinued or this is the wrong time of the year.

Has anyone had experience with the Sitka Men's Incinerator Mitt? They are pricey but should be a good fit for backpack hunting.

Take a look at the GI issue Trigger Finger Mittens. I just picked up a pair for a CO elk hunt later this year and I believe they are going to work well. You don't have to pull off your glove to shoot but, you can tuck your trigger finger in and out the mitten when needed. I bought a pair larger than I needed so I can wear them over regular gloves. They seem to be well made and they are cheap.

If you find a pair of gloves that are warm, but lack grip it is easy enough to add gripper dots by dabbing on adhesives. E-6000 is my favorite, but Barge Cement, Shoe Goo, silicone caulk, or probably anything else that does not dry hard/smooth would work. Works well on the wool US glove liners which are a bit warmer than Manzella knit gloves and adds the Manzella's grippy capabilities.

if you can,find a pair of the old arctic GI trigger finger mittens,they will have fur on the backside.the standard mittens do work but not as warm.

I used to think that a pair of non-insulated Gore-tex gloves would be ideal for wet weather when it was above freezing. Not so. I've had 2 pairs and both had the same problem - taking them off. They get clammy inside and the fabric sticks to your fingers. The liners aren't attached to the outside layer because that would compromise the goretex. You can't get them off without inverting the inside layer, then you can't get them back on again.

Those backs are for wiping, not warmth.

I wear wool knit gloves most of the time. The warmest gloves I've worn are insulated leather gloves.

Manzella at the warmth rating your body dictates.

Best [bleep]' gloves ever made.



Travis

The issue with most water proof gloves is the big hole in each one necessary to put the hand through. At some point the jacket cuff will ride off the glove cuff and the dry hands are pretty much over at that point.

Agreed. I am a bit of a glove hound and have tried many different brands. My go-to deer/elk hunting glove is a pair of fleece Manzella gloves.

Ditto.

Try Glacier gloves, but sneak over to the fishing side http://glacierglove.com/our-products/fishing/alaska-river-series.html

These are fingerless gloves with a mitt flap - held back by velcro. No difficulty at all in getting free to make a shot. I have used them for more than 10 years, and am on my 3rd pair . I keep a pair in my truck all the time, and hunt with another pair. They are warm, and last for many years. I built a house last fall and winter and wore them every day and will replace them before this season because slivers tore them up. And they make them in different sizes - one of the few gloves that fit my short, fat hands.

Fred

manzella liners under a pair of waxed leather has worked well for me for many years.

My experience with waterproof gloves is that they are a beotch to dry once wet. Goretex gloves can dry overnight in a warm dry environment.

I wear OR Gripper gloves. They have windstopper and dry easy. If I'm moving they are plenty warm. They are slim enough to shoot with but also are easy to slip off. If I'm sitting and it's cold, I put my hands in my pockets.

Same as insulated Goretex boots, IME. I just washed a pair of old Gates goretex gloves, they took nearly a week to completely dry.

Thanks for the feedback. I ordered three different pairs of "mitt" type gloves based on the feedback here. I like the Manzella gloves. They are a tight fleece so they should be windproof but they are thin. They are a little tight on my hand. I may have to move up to an extra large. They are a good glove but they may not be super warm.

The Kinco Alyeska Ragg Wool gloves are awesome. I love the grippy dots and the magnetic flap holder. They are cheap too. The wool is thick but they may be a little bit too breathable. I see keeping a few pairs of these around. With a liner glove these may be hard to beat.

I also bit the bullet and bought a pair of Sitka Incinerator gloves. They were expensive but this may be a case of getting what you pay for. When I received them, I thought they were just too bulky for backpack hunting. However, I can now see these being perfect for glassing on a windy ridge while wearing a puffy coat or hanging around camp at night.

These things are awesome. They are water resistant, wind resistant, and well insulated. The magnet in the back works well. I am not crazy about the snap on the front. It makes a loud noise when it pops open but I doubt I will ever need it snapped closed. The elastic adjustment on the wrist is genius, it can be operated with ease in mitten mode. Also, these will be great for late season or deer stand hunting.

It is the wrong time of the year to give these a fair test but hunting season is just around the corner.



Manzella Gloves





Kinco Alyeska Ragg Wool Gloves





Sitka Incinerator Gloves