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Reviews > Clothing > Gloves > OR WindStopper Gripper Gloves > Andrew Claus > Initial ReportInitial Report - Outdoor Research WS Gripper Gloves Tester Information: Tester:
Andrew Claus Backpacking Background: I live and play in the Colorado Rockies. I have section hiked the entire Colorado Trail. I hiked Mt. Washington to Mt. Katahdin on the Appalachian Trail in ’02. I have been backpacking, backcountry skiing, and bike touring for the past twenty years. I have climbed all 54 of Colorado’s “14ers” (14,000 ft/4,260 m peaks). I get out on day trips into the high country at least once a week, year ‘round, and on backpacking trips several times a year, including at least one in the winter. I also do a lot of outdoor travel as a wildland firefighter. I am a recent convert to a lighter weight style of packing. I’m not a fanatic ultra light packer yet. My pack base weight is about 16 lb (7 kg) and dropping. I use a tarp, a bivy, or no shelter at all. Product Description: Manufacturer:
Outdoor Research The product arrived on December 19, 2003. It arrived via FedEx, in perfect condition. It was exactly the product I expected. The gloves I am testing are black in color, size Large. Blue is available. Sizes S, M, L, and XL are available. The glove material is WindStopper fleece (thus the WS in Outdoor Research’s product name). The WindStopper membrane is produced by W.L. Gore, and is sandwiched between two layers of Dyersburg polyester fleece. Two features give the glove its “gripper” name. The four fingers are curved in toward the palm. And the fleece is partially augmented by an external layer of “Suregrip”. This is thin, textured, “rubbery” material on the palm, thumb, and first two fingers. The cuff is extended a bit for better wrist protection. The total length of the size Large glove, from middle finger tip to cuff is 10 1/2 in (27 cm). There are three seams around the base of the thumb, running down to the cuff. Each finger is made with boxed construction, using three pieces, with two seams running around the perimeter of each finger. The Suregrip layer does not completely cover the digits. The palm side of each digit is completely covered, but the area between the seams is not. One half of the inside of the thumb is covered. The first finger is covered from the web with the thumb, around the tip, and down about a third of the way on the other side. The second finger is only covered on the tip. There is a clip at the cuff to hook the gloves together. The cuff is bound with Lycra. The hangtag says that this will feel snug at first, but that this will assist in layering under a jacket sleeve and in keeping out the snow. The Outdoor Research logo is embroidered in black thread on the back of the hand. This renders the logo barely visible in good light. The catalog shows a white logo. No weight is listed in the catalog. Weight as tested is 3 3/8 oz (94 g). I used my kitchen scale, “GoodCook” from Walmart, which measures ounces in eighths. The hangtag identifies the fabrics, but does not include any instructions on fabric care. Two Outdoor Research window stickers are clipped to the hangtag. There is no other packaging—the gloves are attached to the tag with two nylon ties. Initial Report: As the tag warns, the gloves are a little more difficult than normal to put on. But the tag is also correct in its claim that the gloves will layer nicely under the jacket sleeves. The tag claims that the boxed construction provides plenty of room. My hands are long for my size, though my fingers are not especially thick. I did not find a great deal of extra room for my fingers. In fact, initially they feel slightly tight, especially on the first two fingers (those with the Suregrip). Those with thicker digits may wish to try these on before purchasing. The Suregrip layer shows a slight construction flaw on the index finger of each hand. There is a ¾ in (2 cm) long “bubble” at the second knuckle. This is more a visual flaw, and should not affect performance, wear, or comfort. The “bubble” is most visible with fingers extended straight out, and practically disappears when fingers are flexed. One more critical note: I was disappointed immediately to see that the Suregrip layer does not completely cover the inside of the thumb. I compared these gloves to my worn-out pair (of different manufacture), and the largest hole in the old gloves is at the first knuckle of the thumb. This is from pivoting my ski poles at that point. On the new gloves, the Suregrip is seamed right at that pivot point. I’m anxious to see how that area performs for me. I would have felt better seeing more of the Suregrip layer in this area. Initial pluses are: a) they feel warm, b) they look pretty good overall, and c) they’re the right thickness and bulk for an active day in moderate cold. Initial minuses are: a) they are slightly tight in the fingers, b) they are a little hard to put on, and c) there’s a slight visual flaw in the finger construction. Testing Strategy: I will start wearing these gloves exclusively on backcountry ski trips and hiking trips this winter and spring, when the temperature is moderate (between 0 F (-20 C) and 50 F (10 C). Elevations will range from 7,500 ft (2,270 m) to 13,000 ft (4,000 m). I will wear these gloves in moderate winds, below 30 mph (50 kph). I will pay close attention to the gloves’ durability especially at the thumb and fingertips. I wonder if the Suregrip palms will help keep the gloves dry. I spend too much time self-extricating from falls in deep snow, and tend to get my gloves soaked, especially when grabbing snow-packed skis and poles. About 25% of the surface area, and most of the gripping area, has this apparently waterproof layer. And I’ll see how the gripper features work when frozen! Thank you very much for the opportunity to test this product. Read more reviews of Outdoor Research gear Read more gear reviews by Andrew Claus Reviews > Clothing > Gloves > OR WindStopper Gripper Gloves > Andrew Claus > Initial Report | |||