Who uses rain mitts and what's been your experience? How about comparisons e.g., MLD eVent vs. Zpacks Cuben? Was thinking about taking a pair them on my upcoming thru.....eVent seems like it would be more durable especially using with trekking poles
Who uses rain mitts and what's been your experience? How about comparisons e.g., MLD eVent vs. Zpacks Cuben? Was thinking about taking a pair them on my upcoming thru.....eVent seems like it would be more durable especially using with trekking poles
I used a pair of MLD Rainmitts last weekend. Temps were slightly above freezing with rain. Without them, I would have had to bail on the trip. I use trekking poles and there was a little moisture that built up inside the mitts. I am a big sweater apparently. They dried super quick though when I stopped. I was quite happy with them. Can't comment on the durability but no problems in the 34 miles I did. I would recommend having some sort of rain mitt. Good luck on the trip.
I can comment on durability --- sort of. I've carried MLD eVent mitts on thru-hikes, including of the AT in 2010, though I'm pretty sure (?) that I mailed them home from Pearisburg. But still, I've had them for years and used them on a lot of trips.
On the one hand, I'm a person who uses two trekking poles all the time. On the other, however, there just aren't that many days that I'm using these, even on more challenging trips. So it's not as if I've used them all day every day for months, or even weeks probably.
Still, they've held up better than I expected and I continue to use them, so I think that the durability is pretty good given the overall weight (mass).
Gadget
PCT: 2008 NOBO, AT: 2010 NOBO, CDT: 2011 SOBO, PNT: 2014+2016
I like mine. They're the best way to keep my hands warm in cold, rainy weather that I've found. They block the wind and I generate enough body heat to keep my fingers from freezing.
But... they will not keep your hands dry. Just like a rain jacket won't keep you dry.
This may be a stupid question, but has anybody just improvised rain mitts using plastic grocery or newspaper-delivery bags? Not the most elegant solution, but quite a bit cheaper.
We own both -- I have the MLD and my wife has the Zpacks. The Zpacks are certainly far more convenient, being seam taped. Sealing the MLD mitts was a total PITA and they look pretty bad (but that's likely due to my seam sealing abilities, which are minimal.) The MLD mitts are easy to use and seem like they will be durable, but if I were replacing them I'd get my own pair of the Zpacks mitts.
I do like using them in cold weather.
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I picked up a pair of Etowah gear rain mitts at Mountain Crossings on 3/25/13 (day 4 our our hike) for both Sassafras and myself. I had always used bread bags in the past but it was so cold and rainy last year the mitts were a great buy. We used them every month of our hike. We had cold rainy days in NH and they made a difference. We had to seal seam them twice before they did not leak. Bigcranky is right, they are not pretty put useful. At 1.2oz (with two coats of seam seal) I keep them in the pocket of my rain coat and on any extended trip I would bring the coat the mitts come with. I would have to say they were my favorite new gear we got on our 2013 hike. Kaboose
I've used MLD mitts on all of my hikes...great mitts.
I just some over mittens I made from tyvek. They work great over a pair of wool liner gloves. They will eventually wet out but my hands stay warm and wet.
I use both the Zpacks fleece liner mitts and the cuben fiber rain over mitts as well. I was initially considering the MLD rain mitts but when I saw they didn't come seam sealed standard I went with Zpacks. The rain mitts themselves are great they keep my hands totally dry and when paired with the fleece liners they keep my hands extremely warm, sometimes I have to air out my hands because they begin to sweat a little. I must say for me the rain mitts by themselves are slightly uncomfortable with my bare hands in them so I would definitely consider a liner glove. For durability, I've only had them for about two months but so far they still perform perfectly and look like they'll be able to last a good amount of mileage.
MLD Event mitts have worked well for me though I added an elastic cord with small cord lock at the wrist to help them fit and stay in place better. Have no experience with the cuben mitts.
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I've used the MLD mitts.
No complaints, they work well.
I can't speak to durability yet. I've used them maybe 6-7 times.
I turned mine inside out, stuffed with newspaper and applied thinned seam sealer with a syringe. It was easy and looks fine.
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Here's a pair "Jimmy jam" made outta tyvek, and was kind enough to pay em forward...thanks again "jimmy jam"over mitts 001.jpg
haven't been able to try em out yet...no rain, only snow.