As with most of my new gear, I purchased these from REI and they were on sale. I was casually searching around for a pair of mittens that were water proof and highly insulate for the purpose of winter hiking in The Whites. My thin, REI gloves do the trick once your body has warmed up but are not good for colder temps and are not waterproof.
I previously was averse to the idea of mittens. They have less dexterity than gloves and take up more room in your bag but I was convinced otherwise after I started following Redline Guiding on Facebook. Redline Guiding is an expert in outdoor safety and activities. They are located right in the Mt Washington Valley. They provide outdoor education and guided hikes in all season. In all of their winter summit photos, their students are geared up in mittens and so I figured if that’s what the experts recommend then I should follow suit.
I’ve yet to wear these on a hike but they have me hoping that Spring doesn’t set in too soon this year so I can put them to the test! It may be too late to use these in the southern half of the state but at least The Whites will be Winter-like until at least April.
The Wild East 