I always carry a pair of latex surgical gloves (even on day trips). They can be used against rain, wind, and other folks blood as well as doubling up as VBL in and emergency. Not much weight for a lot of functionality. They can also be used where hygeine is suspect and hand washing is not available!

Yes!! I've been using nitrile gloves recently for running in cool weather, layered over thin liner gloves. Nitrile gloves (blue usually) are tougher than latex, and don't have the powder. The pair I'm currently using has already had several uses of more than an hour and shows no signs of falling apart yet. I'm actually coming around to think that nitrile gloves over liner gloves is much better (and cheaper!) than my Powerstretch gloves, at least for aerobic stuff where durability isn't a concern. The VBL effect makes them comfortable in a pretty wide range of temperatures.
and they can always be used for body substance isolation for medical issues too!

I carry either of these too, nitrile seems to be tougher indeed. I used to carry a pair of one of those used for picking the fruit at supermarkets or handling the gas pump at petrol stations, they weight nothing but they're too flimsy and get holes too easily.

Either of these is a good solution for hiking in cold rain, no insulation to soak and the barrier effect is usually enough to keep hands comfortably cold. The problem is any of these is awkward to put on and take off so, in practise, I tend to use them as little as possible and usually just bear the uncomfortably cold hands.

Good solution but not good enough. Next (easy) project in the line is a pair of silnylon mittens. Same use, just less dexterity but easy to put on and take off. I'll try them and see how I like them.

Edited by inaki on 04/09/2008 06:40:51 MDT.

I thought about nitrile, but when I weighed them they were almost twice as heavy as my latex gloves. I really mostly carry the wp gloves for emergencies, so durability is not such a big deal. Silnylon mitts are a good idea too.

For many years I carved blocks of Ice as part of my job and learned to always wear vinyl or latex gloves under leather gloves. My hands always stayed remarkably warm. Yes the leather got wet but did not loose it gripping ability. I still use them under wool and other materials when my hands will be getting wet.

I wear about 25-50 pairs of nitrile gloves everyday, the greater flexibility of the latex glove also affords it the purpose of a water carrier and shower. I have not tried nitrile in this capacity, but I do know nitrile is not as easy to blow up into a baloon :P

AFTER FURTHER TESTING (and a shower) I conclude that nitrile is also a better water carrier/shower as the water does not become retained in one stretched finger. With about one gallon of water the nitrile glove could be bounced around, the latex busted in my face.

i had to use some on the mist trail to stop my stitches on my hand from being wet, infected ect.

i got the stitches and with in a few hours i was starting on a 3 day trip.

If these are the type of gloves I'm thinking of, don't they fit pretty snug, even tight? At least that's been my experience with, say, disposable latex type gloves you get at a hardware store for painting and the like. I'd be concerned about restricting blood flow, exactly what I don't want when it's cold out!

Perhaps I'm not thinking of the right product; a link would be appreciated as this seems like a nice idea. With the caveat that apparently I have fairly large hands.

Brian, you can get latex or nitrile gloves at a medical supply store, and probably also at Walgreens. They come in sizes XS-XL. I expect that you could find a size to fit you. I have somewhat large hands as well. In my clinical setting I wear size large, but I wear XL over my fleece liner gloves when I'm camping in the rain. I agree that nitrile is heavier, but also more durable.

Thanks, Gary. Would have been a good thing to have on the continuously-wet three day trip I just came off of. I ended up using the plastic bread bags I carry (mostly to wear over dry socks in wet shoes in camp) over my soaked mittens to keep my hands from getting too cold.

I'll be checking my neighborhood drugstore soon for some of these in size XL.

Brian, another thing to try--go see if your dentist or physician will give you 5-6 pair of gloves. Take along whatever fleece gloves you want to layer the nitrile ones over, to see if the XL actually fits properly. Maybe the pharmacist at Walgreen's has an open box of gloves that you can check your size with.

At my local drugstore today, they had one brand of latex gloves in "S", "M", and "L" sizes, 50 to a box. The box is clearly labelled to show that they also sell "XS" and "XL" sizes, but these weren't available there, so I bought the "L".

These will work for my wife, and will be fine for painting or related jobs around the house, but are too small for me personally to wear for any length of time --- too tight. The last thing I need is to restrict my circulation when I'm trying to keep my hands warm!

I reckon I'll find an online place to buy a box of size XL.

Brian, if you plan to have the med gloves be on the outside of your liners, I'd urge you to buy nitrile gloves, not the weenie latex ones--you'll soon see that the durability is worth the weight difference. Put your latex guys though some tests (go out to the wood shed and play with your firewood), and you'll see what I mean.

bye

Edited by j.larson on 10/16/2009 06:33:37 MDT.

bye bye

Edited by j.larson on 10/16/2009 06:31:54 MDT.

Under multi-use: you can cut off a finger from either latex or nitrile gloves to make a Heimlich valve after decompressing a pneumothorax. Assuming of course that you are up to decompressing a pneumothorax with a 16g needle or whatever else is handy...

bye bye

Edited by j.larson on 10/16/2009 06:29:34 MDT.

Most air bags and some of those cheap air pillows use them too.

Cheers

I always make sure to carry a tension pneumo kit in my first aid kit. =). Its right beside my intubation kit with hi-low tubes and endotrals plus a BAM. Never know when you need advanced airways out there. (Plus they're awsome straws =).

But in all seriousness, I carry several pairs of nitrile gloves in my first aid kit because Im normally the one who takes care of all the members of my group, or someone else I meet on the trail (happened a few times). I would think as others have said that they would be vapor barriers so long as they're not next to skin as they tend to make your hands sweat a good bit.

I eighth the recommendation of nitrile. I use them while degreasing bike parts with a wire brush. Amazingly sturdy. Great for washing dishes, too. It's scary what the chemicals do to latex (another reason to wear gloves for this and many other tasks).