Well,
it’s about that time. We’re about to start blaming pets, kids,
spouses (who am I kidding?) and just about anyone else for the
disappearance of our favorite pair of gloves.
I
often get asked how to help prolong the life of snowmobile gloves. So
I’ve put together some helpful dos and don’ts concerning
protective gloves—those we use to keep us dry, warm and protect us
from abrasion.
Glove
Construction
Gloves
are generally composed of 2-3 main parts: a shell (usually a
combination of leather and cloth), an insulation layer and a possible
third layer, usually a waterproof barrier of some type.
Let’s
look at the shell. First we’ll look at the most commonly used types
of leather. The most common leather by far is cowhide. Attributes are
that it’s relatively inexpensive, durable, strong, and supple and
takes leather treatments well. Cowhide’s major drawback is weight
and thickness.
The
second most popular shell used is probably deerskin. Attributes
include that it’s super soft and flexible and it’s naturally warm
due to its spongy/porous nature. Major drawbacks: doesn’t respond
well to leather treatments, abrades easily, gets wet very easily and
then becomes very heavy and can lose shape.
And
now No. 3, goatskin. Of the readily available leathers, probably the
best strength-to-weight ratio is goatskin. It’s lightweight, thin,
takes leather treatments well, and because of its thinness, doesn’t
soak up much water.
My
advice is that you look for cowhide or goatskin. Cowhide is okay in
heavier gloves, but has to be shaved to equal the thinness of goat
and thus loses strength.
Now
on to fabrics. Many types are used, from regular pack cloth, ribbed
nylon twills (Mechanix-style gloves) to high-tech nylons, polyesters
and blends. Even if you have a waterproof /breathable membrane to
protect your hands, a soaked shell will negatively affect your glove
performance by wicking away heat and freezing or becoming stiff. So
chose a glove with a good water-resistant breathable fabric.
As
for insulation, while there are lots of insulators out there, from
naturals like wool and down to synthetics, for our use, look for the
high-tech synthetics such as Thinsulate, Primaloft, Thermolite, etc.
These manage moisture well, dry out quickly and can be made super
thin. Remember though, all things being equal, thicker is generally
always warmer: 100 gram Thinsulate is warmer than 40 gram and not as
warm as 150 gram and thickness is directly correlated to weight.
A
glove’s membranes insure your hands don’t get wet from the
outside. But if you’re working hard enough, you can most always get
wet hands from sweat. Choose from known brands such as Gore Tex,
eVent, Hypora or Sympatex. My best advice is for you to check with
someone who has experience with several different kinds and ask their
opinion. Not everyone’s hands are the same, so one membrane may
work better for you than another.
Fit.
Most gloves should be snug without you having to strain to make a
fist. You should be able to pull the glove on reasonably easily.
Having to force gloves on is not good for the gloves, even if they
feel good when you get them on. Take gloves off by loosening all the
fingers and thumb first. This is better on the glove liner and helps
maintain glove shape. Look for gloves with hang tags or descriptive
material attached that really tell you something about the glove’s
components. This helps you comparison shop.
When
it comes to the cost of gloves, expect to pay anywhere from $50 to
$150 or more for quality gloves. In general you pretty much get what
you pay for. Hang tags or product cards may explain expensive
materials/features that justify a glove’s price.
Care
And Feeding
Not
all gloves are the same, but these are some good generalizations.
Again, read the info that came with your gloves and the care tags on
the inside.
Leather
is animal skin that, when tanned, is 60-65 percent water, 25-30
percent protein and 5-10 percent fat. These combine as collagen and
elastin protein fibers which form bundles that are interwoven for
strength. Excessive heat causes these structures to break down,
causing the leather to shrink, become brittle and crack. Exposing
gloves to excessive heat when they are wet just speeds up the
destruction of these interwoven bundles.
The
most important thing to remember is avoid heat. Yeah, we’ve all
known someone who one time had a pair of gloves they just couldn’t
hurt, no matter what was done to them. This is truly an exception,
trust me. There are some gloves specifically made to be
heat–resistant with carefully treated and tempered leather. But
these resist temps to only between 200-400 degrees F. Gloves made for
truly high temps don’t involve leather. They are made of Kevlar or
SpecTra high temp silicon compositions that can resist temps from 650
degrees F and up. They are bulky and stiff. Trust me, you don’t
want to ride in these.
Remember,
that exhaust you just want to rest your cold, wet gloves on for a
second reaches temps of more than 1,200 degrees F. We all place our
gloves under the hood. But this illustrates how careful you have to
be with any heat.
So,
what do you do when your gloves are wet? Never wring out your
gloves. Wringing out is extremely hard on them. It ruins the liners
and can tear out stitching. The best care scenario is to roll gloves
lengthwise and squeeze or press water out. Rolling them up in an old
towel works well to remove excess water. Try to hang fingers up, away
from direct heat or heater fans. The heat used should never be hotter
than you can comfortably place and hold your bare hands on.
I
have never had my soaked gloves fail to dry overnight when hung over
the back of a chair placed hear a motel floor or wall heater. If your
gloves ever develop hard spots, become very stiff or shrink, they
have been subjected to too much heat. Quality gloves will never
shrink when dried at normal room temperatures.
Always
dry your gloves after a ride. Don’t leave them wadded up in the
bottom of your gear bag or on the truck floor. This will cause them
to mildew and lose their effectiveness.
Washing.
Always follow manufacturer’s recommendations, and again, avoid heat
when drying.
Treat
the glove shells—fabric and leather—with any good light spray
silicon or liquid like Nikwax Glove Proof made for leather and
fabric. Never use heavy oils such as Neatsfoot Oil. It over treats
leather and causes gloves to lose their shape and it can penetrate
into the insulation and membrane.
Don’t
use heavy boot-wax-type waterproofing either, as it can clog the
glove leather and fabric pores and inhibit the performance of the
gloves’ waterproof/breathable insert and breathability of the
fabric and leather.
You
want to nourish the glove and fabric fibers, not clog them. You are
trying to increase the water resistance, but not make the outside of
the gloves totally waterproof. If you waterproof the glove, it
reduces breathability and the effectiveness of the
waterproof/breathable membrane.
Ostwinkle
is co-owner of True Adventure Gear with his wife Mary. For more
information, contact True Adventure Gear at www.tagear.us.
