It’s a glove, it’s a mitten – no, it’s the Mountain Hardwear split mitt!

It’s a glove, it’s a mitten – no, it’s the Mountain Hardwear split mitt!

Mountain Hardwear split mitt

The Mountain Hardwear split mitt combines design features of gloves and mittens. Pam LeBlanc photo

And it’s the lobster claw gloves for the win – or, more specifically, the Mountain Hardwear split mitt.

I love to ski, but I hate getting cold. And until this season, I hadn’t found the right covering to keep my hands warm.

I tried ski gloves, but my fingers turned into popsicles. I’d pull my fingers out of their individual glove sockets on every lift ride up, then curl them into a ball to try to thaw out between runs. I liked having the use of my fingers, but my fingers got numb and I couldn’t use them anyway, so what’s the point?

Mountain Hardwear split mitt

The Mountain Hardwear split mitt has a separate pocket for the pointer finger. Pam LeBlanc photo

Then I got a pair of mittens, which made me feel like an oversized kid. I’d wear a pair of thin glove liners underneath and shoved a chemical hand warmer between the layers. That helped, but it felt awkward and bulky. I missed having the use of at least one finger, so I could clip my helmet on, adjust my boots, or pull out my camera.

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This season, I tested a pair of Mountain Hardwear High Exposure GTX Split Mitts. They’re a cross between mittens and gloves. My thumb and pointer finger get their own cozy pockets; my last three fingers huddle together for warmth.

The gloves are made with Gore Tex and are wind and waterproof. Other things I like? They extend about 5 inches past my wrist and have a drawstring so no snow slips down my sleeve. They’re also equipped with a wrist leash, so I don’t lose them.

Most importantly, they’re toasty warm.

 

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I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

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