Mittens-need warmest in existence!

[pinto]

Jalapeno Mittens by Mtn Hardwear are very warm, I think even warmer than the Mercuries: my daughter loves them, but I'm not sure they pass the dexterity test. Maybe if they get broken in a little bit.

 

[altagirl]

How many of us are pretty sure we have Raynauds but haven't bee diagnosed? That's me.

Know somebody whose wife has it, and he said it makes it hard for her to heal from cuts on her hand. Healing is so much the blood getting to the wound, but with Raynauds her bad circulation hampers healing. Makes sense. I have been told I was a "bad healer" by a doctor, which gives me one more factor make me think I have Raynauds.

Still don't have the Mercury Mitt, but I want them!

I'd guess I do as well, though I've never been diagnosed either.

I mean - mainly my problem is just that when it's even a little bit cold, my circulation to my extremities just turns off. (it's 63 degrees in the room I'm in, and my body is warm, hands feel like ice cubes...) And that's the case even if I'm hiking and the rest of my body sweats but my hands and feet don't even try. If my husband has cold hands it's because he sweats and then the wet gloves make his hands cold. But it's extremely rare for my hands and feet to feel sweaty - if my gloves/mittens are damp it's because I managed to get snow inside...

 

[linesout]

After consulting this forum I ended up with the BD Mercury Mitts as well. However, they are now usually TOO warm for me! In fact, if I don't wear liners with them, my hands get really sweaty. And I have never needed to use hand warmers with them.

Most of the time I still end up wearing the Swany Arctic Toaster mittens, but I am glad I have the super warm BD mitts if I need them!

 

[bounceswoosh]

If I hear DH crowing one more time about how he doesn't need warm gloves due to his "hunters' response", I will not be held responsible for the consequences of my actions!

 

[Christy]

how many have Raynaud's out there?

Me. I always use chemical heat packs. Luckily it doesn't get that cold where I ski (WA Cascades). It's rarely below 20F.

It's not skiing where my Raynaud's really flares up though. My understanding of Raynaud's is that it's a change in temperature that's really hard for the extremities to deal with, so when I'm dressed really warmly for skiing, and moving and working, my fingers stay okay. The absolute worst is going to the grocery store in winter. Warm house>warm car>cold grocery store=seriously yellow fingers. I have to wear gloves in the store. When I get home I have to run my fingers under warm water for a while because it's way too painful to touch the frozen and cold foods with my still yellow fingers.

 

[VickiK]

This video is by Outdoor Research but it's not a sales pitch, just some tips from a guy who has poor circulation: https://www.outdoorresearch.com/blog/stories/video-got-cold-hands-try-these-tips

 

[artistinsuburbia]

I find damp conditions that chill you to the bone to be the worst trigger aside from the steering wheel in the car. FIngers turn gray/white like a ghost. NO blood, look dead. It's awful. Not always all of them, sometimes it's just one or two, it's so freaky. I ski with underamour base layer, a mountain hardware mid layer, followed by my spyder midlayer jacket, followed by my insulated coat. Because keeping your core warm is essential to keeping your circulation in tact. DH was thinking of buying me the Seirus heated gloves but I can't imagine they are worth $345. I love my Gordini's, I rarely use chemical warmers and my hands stay really warm. And bonus, the goat leather acts like a shammie for your goggles. But like I've said, they've seen better days.

 

[artistinsuburbia]

Well, they still sell the Gordini's. https://store.christysports.com/cat...-mitt-womens?gclid=CJjTkYGb_7wCFe87OgodNzwAMQ What to do< what to do? I really want to try the Black diamonds though because you girls have always been right before...I can always use two pairs of mittens right?

 

[WaterGirl]

I'm curious, how many have Raynaud's out there? .

I do. Not formally diagnosed but parent had also. Not so bad if I'm staying active. But surfing in 58-60 degree water does its damage in a short time. White/ purple etc hands and feet. If its lully and I'm sitting too long between set waves I get lobster claw hands. If the surf is big and I'm paddling a lot I can stay out for a while (2 hours+). But even happens when surfing in warm water. Best advice from MD who surfs - don't drink a lot of caffeine before a go out - it makes it worse.

 

[artistinsuburbia]

don't drink a lot of caffeine before a go out - it makes it worse.

Well that's interesting. I have a caffiene sensitivity and never connected the two before but thinking back, I have had way less flare ups since going caffiene free last year. Guess it causes more than heartburn!

 

[LittleWest]

I'm curious, how many have Raynaud's out there? Following this thread, as I'm in the same boat as @LittleWest. I have an OLD pair of Gordini down filled leather mittens that I have sworn by, but this season is the season that they will need to retire as they have worn thin in the palm. I just bought a new set of carbon fiber poles to keep the cold from transferring to my hands on the lift and that I should have done years ago.

Ahhh yes, Gordini, those are the leather down filled mitts I had before the Mercury Mitts. They were great too, but have had less issues with the Mercury.

 

[Ringrat]

I have Hestra Heli Mitts and love them, but use them mostly in the backcountry and for Search & Rescue.

My on-hill cold weather mitts are all-leather down Kombi mitts. I have an old pair that I've put holes in that aren't as warm anymore, and a new pair I bought last year on The Clymb that are still nice and poofy.

 

[snowski/swimmouse]

Divas are awesome! So I go searching for BD Mercury Mitts and keep encountering "out of stock" except for small & XL. Anyone have a clue where I can order them ~now~? I need medium.

 

[ski diva]

Be forewarned: the Mercury Mitts run large.

 

[altagirl]

Divas are awesome! So I go searching for BD Mercury Mitts and keep encountering "out of stock" except for small & XL. Anyone have a clue where I can order them ~now~? I need medium.

I know I've seen some recently in physical stores like Deep Powder House, but I don't think they do online sales.

And are you looking for Women's Medium or the unisex/Men's Medium? (I don't even know what the difference is other than that they sell both).

FWIW, I wear a men's Medium in Black Diamond mittens and gloves and I believe I was also a men's medium in the Hestras and other gloves I've tried lately.

 

[bounceswoosh]

Hestra does numeric sizes - I'm an 8!

 

[altagirl]

Hestra does numeric sizes - I'm an 8!

Yeah, but an 8 is a Men's Medium.

 

[artistinsuburbia]

I've looked most of the day, can't find them in stock. My local REI is sold out, and he said that they are sold out from the Manufacturer at this point because he can no longer order them. We will have to wait for the 2015 season. :(

 

[deannatoby]

Well that's interesting. I have a caffiene sensitivity and never connected the two before but thinking back, I have had way less flare ups since going caffiene free last year. Guess it causes more than heartburn!

Caffeine make by boobs hurt. At first I thought I might have the "c" word, but then I read up on it and it can be caused by caffeine. I inhale hot tea every day, and at that it was mostly black. Switched to greens and whites and boobies are happy now. Nice to know avoiding it helps with cold, too!

 

[snowski/swimmouse]

Caffeine make by boobs hurt. At first I thought I might have the "c" word, but then I read up on it and it can be caused by caffeine. I inhale hot tea every day, and at that it was mostly black. Switched to greens and whites and boobies are happy now. Nice to know avoiding it helps with cold, too!

I had to give up all caffeine, except in chocolate thank goodness, when I was 22 as it caused me three different physical problems (that you don't want to hear about....).

As luck would have it, I encountered Ski Diva herself skiing at Okemo today who told me how big the Mercury Mitts tend to run.

After a great ski day, I headed for shops at Killington that I've experienced sales at this time of year. The first shop had none of the recommended mitts so I got in the car to head for others. I was backing out absurdly slowly when two of us hit. If he'd been going as slowly as I was, there would have been no damage, but, alas, there was. My rental had < 6 inches, mostly a 50 cent piece size hole in the bumper. The rental company will probably charge me for a whole new bumper.... His had 20-24 inches of damage, but it included both his bumper and the rear wagon door..... WAHHHH!!!!!

Fortunately after the policeman left, there was still enough time to try two more shops. Both had the Hestra's, but the one right at the foot of Killington at Rt4 gave me a discount-BOUGHT!!!!! I normally wear a size 7 glove, but I had to get the women's 8s in these-finger length....

I still want to obtain the Mercury Mitts, but like some of you, I've learned I may have to wait until next season. The last shop said they were no longer able to obtain them as they're "out of stock". I had pretty much the same experience trying to shop online. I'm still concerned that if I buy small, as suggested by SkiDiva, my fingers might be too long...?????????

I wonder if I contacted the Mercury people and suggested that they donate one of each size next season to the Crescent Ski Council as door prizes if they'd do it as an introduction into the Southeast market via our 21 clubs????? (Then I could try them on for sizing )