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Cloudveil Run Don't Walk
Windstopper Gloves
Owner Review by Andrea Murland
October 17, 2010
Tester Information
| Name: |
Andrea Murland |
| Email: |
amurland AT
shaw DOT ca |
| Age: |
25 |
| Location: |
Elkford,
British Columbia, Canada |
| Gender: |
Female |
| Height: |
5 ft 2 in (1.57
m) |
| Weight: |
125 lb (57 kg) |
I began hiking frequently in 2006 and have
since hiked in Western Canada, Australia, and spent 2 months
backpacking in the Alps. I spend most weekends either day-hiking or on
2-3 day backpacking trips, with some longer trips when I can manage
them. I also snowshoe and ski in the winter, but don’t have a lot of
experience with winter in the backcountry yet. Elevation is typically
500-3,000 m (1,600-10,000 ft), in the Canadian Rockies and the Selkirk,
Purcell, and Monashee ranges. I try for a light pack, but I don’t
consider myself a lightweight backpacker.
Product
Information
| Manufacturer: |
Cloudveil |
| Manufacturer's
URL: |
www.cloudveil.com
|
| Year of
Manufacture: |
Assumed 2009 |
| Model: |
Run Don’t Walk
Windstopper Gloves |
| MSRP: |
US $40.00 |
| Colour: |
Black |
| Sizes
Available: |
S, M, L, XL |
| Size Reviewed: |
Small |
| Listed Weight: |
None
|
| Measured
Weight: |
48 g (1.7 oz)
for the pair |
Description
The Cloudveil Run Don’t Walk Windstopper Gloves are lightweight,
windproof fleece gloves. The gloves are constructed of Polartec Power
Stretch fleece on the palms, cuffs, and fourchettes, Windstopper on the
back of the hands, and have leather on the palms and index fingers. The
tags on the inside of the gloves tell me that the gloves were made in
China, are 80% polyester, 13% leather, and 7% spandex, and that they
should be hand-washed in cold water. One glove has a flat ring and the
other a hook for hooking the two gloves together. The Cloudveil logo is
embroidered on the back of each hand.
Field
Conditions
I purchased the Run Don’t Walk gloves in early 2010 and have used them
year-round since then. I started out using them for cross-country
skiing down to about -10 C (14 F), and used them for that purpose about
10 times. I have also used them for ski touring 4 days, again down to
about -10 C (14 F). I wear them alone while skinning up, and then throw
my shell mitts on overtop for the ski down. I also found myself
grabbing them frequently in the mornings to drive to work in the
winter. This summer, I have used the gloves while hiking twice, both
times while at the top of a ridge or mountain and then on the descent.
I have also worn them once for road cycling on a cool day.
Review
Let me start by saying that I love these gloves. Really, really love
them. Now, on to the details.
Comfort & Fit:
These gloves fit me like, well, a glove. They are snug without being
restrictive or tight. The fingers are the right length for me, which is
a nice change, since I find that most of my gloves leave me with a lot
of extra space at my fingertips. I have enough dexterity in these
gloves to drive, adjust my cross-country ski poles, adjust my touring
poles, put my skins on and take them off (and they don’t stick to my
skins!), eat lunch, put my probe & shovel together, use my
transceiver, operate my camera, and shift gears on my bike.
They are soft on the inside and I don’t find that the seams dig in
anywhere or are uncomfortable. The tags are on the inside of the wrist,
and I do find them a bit scratchy. I keep meaning to cut them off but
never quite get around to it.
The leather on the palms and index fingers provides enough grip to keep
my hands from sliding all over the place on my poles, bike handlebars,
or steering wheel.
Warmth:
The gloves are lightweight, so I haven’t even tried to wear them alone
in really cold weather. My self-imposed limit is about -10 C (14 F),
based on nothing but the fear of having cold fingers. At -10 C (14 F),
I find that my fingers are cold when I start cross-country skiing or
skinning, but warm up as I exert myself. As I continue to generate
heat, my hands warm up to the point of being just a little too warm,
but not dripping sweat. At that temperature, I find that these gloves
strike a pretty good balance between being too cold at the start and
too hot at the end. I have used the gloves up to about 7 C (45 F) for
hiking and biking and have found them comfortable in those applications
as well, though if I’m looking for gloves at that temperature it’s
probably because I’m in a windy situation.
The Windstopper on the back of these gloves is what makes them
adequately warm for me. Prior to obtaining these gloves, I struggled to
find the balance between my nylon windproof mitts (which give me hot,
sweaty hands) and my light fleece mitts, which left me with cold
fingers as the wind went right through the fabric. Without the wind
factor, the lightweight fleece is perfect for me.
The Run Don’t Walk gloves are not water resistant. They aren’t
advertised as such, but I can attest to the fact that they get wet in
snow. The insulating capabilities of the gloves is reduced when they’re
wet, but they still block the wind, so at least I only end up with wet
hands instead of wet hands in the wind...
Durability:
There is some pilling on the Power Stretch fabric, and one or two loose
threads on the stitching on the palm, but otherwise these gloves are
still as good as new. Despite handling skis with sharp metal edges,
there are no nicks or cuts in the leather.
Summary
I love my Run Don’t Walk gloves. The wind-blocking characteristic of
the gloves has allowed me to find a balance between insulation and
breathability.
Thumbs Up:
Windproof
Leather palm & index finger gives good grip
Excellent dexterity
Thumbs Down:
Scratchy tags on the inside of the wrist
Biking in the Run Don't Walk
Gloves
 |
Addendum
– October 15, 2012
In the two years since I wrote the Owner Review above, I have continued
to use the Run Don’t Walk Gloves frequently for cross-country skiing,
backcountry ski touring, and hiking.
I still love these gloves and the warmth, wind resistance, and
dexterity that they offer. The durability of the leather palm continues
to be very good, but the rest of the palm is showing signs to too many
sharp ski edges! I find myself wishing that the leather came farther up
the thumb and up the middle finger in addition to the index finger.
Now to see if I can find another pair to replace these holey ones...
Read more gear reviews by Andrea Murland
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