Granite Gear Aptitude Gloves - Long Term Report

Manufacturer:
Granite Gear
URL:
www.granitegear.com
Model:
Aptitude Glove
Product Year:
Winter 2004/05
Product Type:
Softshell Glove
Weight as Measured:
3.7 oz. (105 g)
MSRP:
49.00 USD

The gloves are a lightweight micro-fleece lined softshell, constructed out of a Durastretch/Vapex/Fleece Laminate, with a micro-fleece cuff and a thick leather and fleece palm. There are carabiner loops on both the ring fingers and on the inside of the wrists. Overall the gloves appear to be well constructed with all seams finished inside, and have a handsome and well-made appearance. For a more complete description of the gloves, please see my Initial Report.

For the past six months, I've used the gloves almost everyday around town in Southern Ontario and while biking, cross-country skiing, on some easy (5.5-5.6) sport climbing routes and for some flat water paddling. Temperatures have ranged from as high as 30 C (86 F) to as low as -15 C (5 F). Weather-wise I've used the gloves in pretty much everything from driving freezing rain, to heavy winds. Overall I've gotten almost 75 days of use out of the gloves, and they have pretty much lived in my pack when not in use.

    While I really like the idea of these gloves, and feel that they work very well in certain situations, I've been generally disappointed by their performance as "do everything" gloves. For more detailed comments, please see my Field Report.
    In my experience the Durastretch/Vapex/Fleece combo does not breath as well as some other softshell glove fabrics that I have used, and I've found that my hands quickly become uncomfortably clammy inside them. As well in my experience the gloves are very lightly insulated and are only good to about freezing (exactly where I start wanting a pair of gloves!) without any additional insulation. In part this is caused by Granite Gear's decision to put the majority of the insulation (a single layer of 100 weight fleece) on the palm of the gloves, a nice feature for grabbing pots off of the stove, but not all that helpful below freezing.
    I've found that the solution to all of this is to wear a pair of thin 100-weight gloves underneath the Aptitude gloves, taking up much of the volume of the pair, while providing much needed insulation and because of the liner glove's wicking properties, mitigating much of the clamminess. While the downside of all of this is that I've found it somewhat difficult to fiddle with carabineers and tie knots while wearing a liner under the gloves, for mild winter snow sports such as downhill skiing, the gloves have been quite frankly fantastic.
    Durability wise, I've been very happy with the gloves and they still look good as new.
    While Granite Gear does have a brilliant idea for a pair of gloves here, they do need to rethink how they approach it with these gloves. And I'm really hoping to see a new and improved version out next year.

    I'm an avid backpacker and have hiked throughout most of Canada. Because of a number of factors I tend to use heavy to mid-weight gear but am looking at moving toward lightweight backpacking. Thus far, I've always used tents and heavyweight backpacks. I am also a avid whitewater paddler long distance canoeist. In the winter I both downhill and cross-country ski (both skate and classic) and climb (rock and ice).