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Weighed On Our Scales » 3.3 - 4.2 oz (94 - 122 g)
Catalog No. BMW40006
FeatherLite Vapor Mitts have been redesigned for 2008 with a new, proprietary ultralight Pittard leather palm that replaces the less durable and less grippy silicone-coated fabric palm from 2007 and prior models. Now usable for mountaineering and skiing!
Mountaineers call highly insulative mitts "big dumb mitts" for a reason - they are warm enough to prevent frostbite even when subzero cold renders you stupid enough to make bad decisions.
The Backpacking Light FeatherLite Vapor Mitts, which use RBH Designs' Vapr-Thrm(TM) vapor barrier technology, are our answer for the ultralight hiker who suffers from cold digits or ventures into the winter backcountry.
The Backpacking Light FeatherLite Vapor Mitts are designed optimally for one purpose: maximum warmth-to-weight ratio.
These mitts now have leather palms (new for 2008) that allow you to use them well with trekking poles, ski poles, ice axes, while providing better palm insulation.
FeatherLite Mitts do:
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FeatherLite Vapor Mitts were designed to address the lack of truly ultralight insulating mitts available on the market that are suitable for near-zero winter backcountry hand insulation. While there are plenty of "overbuilt" warm expedition mitts out there, few of them are anything an ultralight backpacker would want to have as part of their kit.
The design is based on the premise that vapor barrier technology is ideally suited for handwear. Here's why:
The typical winter scenario for handwear is this: the insulation in your knit, fleece, or otherwise insulated gloves or mitts get damp from moisture (perspiration, rain, sleet, snow, etc.). Then, in order to evaporate that moisture, heat is required. The typical source of that heat is that emitted by your hands. Massive and rapid evaporative cooling ensues, made even more dramatic by even slight winds, and your hands become rapidly chilled. Since these mitts contain a vapor barrier lining, the insulation is protected from inside moisture (perspiration); further, since the mitts are made with a waterproof outer shell, the insulation is protected from outside moisture (melting snow or other precipitation). Consequently, the integrity of the insulation is maintained and the evaporative cooling that saps heat from your hands minimized. The meaningful result: A lighter mitt can be used.
FeatherLite Vapor Mitts can be worn with or without a thin wool, polyester, or polypropylene glove liner for additional warmth and comfort if desired. NOTE: Thick liners typically used as primary hand insulation are not recommended, and will not maintain the microclimate humidity necessary for the Vapor Barrier technology to work most effectively.
The temperature rating of these gloves depends in part on user skill, metabolism, level of activity, outside temperature, wind chill, etc. These gloves are probably most applicable for most people at temperatures between -10°F (-23°C) and +20°F (-7°C), with colder temperatures comfortably attainable under optimum conditions - during periods of activity in midday sunshine, strong metabolism, etc.
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