I started backpacking in 1979 with two weeks in northern Michigan along the Lake Superior shore. My gear was cheap, heavy and sometimes painful. My starting pack weight was 70 lbs (32 kg) with food but no water. Since that first time I have made one and two week trips in Michigan, Maine, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. Late last summer I did a 2 week hike on Isle Royale. My starting pack weight was 32 lbs (14.5 kg), including 10 days of food and 3 qt (2.8 l) of water. I am slowly learning what lighter gear works for me.

INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: Outdoor Research
Year of Manufacture: 2008
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.outdoorresearch.com/site/index.html
MSRP: US$59.00
Listed Weight: Avg. weight: 3.8 oz./108 g (size L, per pair)
Measured Weight: 4.1 oz (116 g) my size Large

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The gloves came in a clear plastic sack in the shipping package. They were attached to a hang tag which appeared to be intended to hang on a display rack. There is more information on the hang tag than on the website. There were two other tags attached to the gloves; one identifying Gore Windstopper and the other stating "Outdoor OR Research".

The website describes the Stormtracker gloves as; "The ultimate in backcountry versatility; the StormTracker Gloves provide unprecedented dexterity and tactility. Innovative MotionWrap AT construction provides articulation that allows the glove to bend and curl with the fingers so that detailed tasks are no longer a nuisance. The breathable/water-resistant WindStopper Soft Shell fabric is tricot lined for winter-time warmth."

The gloves are available in two colors, grey or red. I chose red so I could find them easier if I laid them down when taking a break from trail work.
Since I don't do backcountry climbing I would be more inclined to describe the gloves as nice lightweight work gloves. They are listed under work gloves on the website and the hang tag is marked work gloves. The gloves are a relatively soft, slightly stretchy and very flexible fabric.
back of Stormtracker gloves
Stormtracker gloves back

The palms, fingers and thumb are faced with a soft flexible leather.
leather palm
soft leather palm

The gloves are a darker red than my pictures indicate. I'm not sure if it is the light or my camera.
The inside of the wrist is very stretchy so my hands can slide in easily and the wrist is still snug when I have the gloves on. There is a 3.4 in (8.6 cm) zipper on the back of the wrist that opens revealing a black triangular very stretchy insert.
wrist zipper
Wrist Zipper

There is also a small snap fastener on the side of the wrist of each glove so they can be snapped together.
Wrist Snap
Small Wrist Snap

There are two small triangular gores in the leather on each side of each finger.
Finger gores
Gores in finger leather

The size large fits my hands just the way I like work gloves to fit. Since I buy gloves in size large this indicates to me that the gloves are true to size.

READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

There was not much in the way of instructions, just a single sentence on the hang tag. It stated; "OR recommends occasional use of waterproofing treatment on leather palms to maintain performance in wet climates".

TRYING IT OUT

My first experience with the Stormtracker gloves was a little arm powered weed whacker work in my yard. During July and August I've also worn the gloves during four days of trail work. Yes, the gloves were a little warm with high temperatures from 72 F (22 C) to 84 F (29 C). Boots, long pants, long sleeve shirts, gloves and hard hats are required in the Manistee National Forest where I do most of my trail work. I don't consider the gloves to be especially warm, they are just required safety equipment. The gloves are comfortable and protect my soft hands very well.

TESTING STRATEGY

I will wear or carry the StormTracker gloves for all day hikes and trail work during the testing cycle. When the weather gets colder I will also wear or carry the gloves for hiking and backpacking. Before the test period is over we will have enough cold and snow for skiing and snowshoeing.

During the test period I will answer the following questions:
Will the StormTracker gloves allow me to use all the tiny little buttons on my GPS?
Will the StormTracker gloves allow me to use my camera without taking them off?
Will the StormTracker gloves be comfortable when I'm using hand tool or a chain saw?
Are the StormTracker gloves water repellant enough to keep my hands dry when moving wet or snow covered branches off the trail?
How durable are the StormTracker gloves?
Will the seams and material endure several months of hiking, trail work, a little skiing and some backpacking?
Is the material of the palms and fingers durable enough for using tools in colder weather?
Will the StormTracker gloves stand up to the demands of trail work?

In addition to the above questions I am sure I will think of more questions as I use the StormTracker gloves. I will describe my experiences with the StormTracker gloves, including any problems I find. I will also include several pictures to show the StormTracker gloves in use.

SUMMARY

The OR Stormtracker gloves are comfortable, light weight and flexible gloves to wear, which I like very much. I like the soft leather facing that looks and feels like goatskin. This kind of work gloves are hard to find.

At this time there is not much I can say I don't like at this time. True, they are a little warm for our present weather but any gloves are too warm for this weather. Work gloves are required for the areas where I do trail work.

This concludes my Initial Report please continue on to read about my field experiments and use of these work gloves.

FIELD REPORT

FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

The locations where I've worn the Stormtracker gloves are the Manistee National Forest, Consumers Energy property adjacent to (and northeast of) the MNF, doing projects around home and in my vehicle driving.

The weather has ranges from a sunny high of 65 F (18 C) to dark and starry 23 F (-5 C) on the two backpacking trips, one of two nights and the second just one night and six day hikes. It was a little warmer for the trail work days but three work days included frequent rain.

I've worn the gloves for 6 trail work days, mostly helping to build or rebuild bridges.
Trail building
Building new trail

Two trail work days were building new trail, including removing several trees with my chainsaw.

Chainsaw work
Chainsaw work

I've also been using the gloves on a home project to keep winter weather out of our screened deck. This involves moving lumber and using both hand and power tools. The deck is roofed but the temperature has generally been around 30 F (-1 C) when I start each day.

I've also worn the gloves 4 days doing boundary work for a local Land Conservancy. The present project has been all bushwhacking through a swamp area with a good supply of briars and down trees to work my way through, under or over.

Since it has been getting colder I've worn the gloves every day for driving.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

Overall, the gloves have treated my hands well. I can say without reservation these are the best work gloves I've ever used. The snug fit and flexibility are great when using hand and power tools. I can use electric drills for bridge work then use hand wrenches to put in bolts for bridge supports. I can use a power drill to drive deck screws and even pick up the screws one at a time.

I did get the gloves wet thoroughly and soaking wet on two days of bridge work. One day was all day rain which got everything wet. When I got home I hung the gloves over a line to dry. The other day we had to remove all the logs and debris from a creek that pushed most of the supports from under an old existing bridge before we could put in the new supports. After this day I had to put the gloves in the washer to get all the mud off. I washed the gloves the same way I wash all my hiking clothes, with cold water and non-scented laundry soap. I hung the gloves over a curtain rod and they were dry late the next day. The leather facing took just a little flexing to be as soft and flexible as ever. I have not yet treated the leather. The gloves easily handle a little rain but they are not expected to be water proof.

As our weather gets colder the Stormtracker gloves are starting to let me down somewhat. When I started the last overnight hike at 9:00 AM the temperature was 25 F (-4 C). By the time I got my pack out of the Jeep and my gloved hands into the hiking pole straps to start walking my hands were cold. It took nearly a half hour of fast walking before my hands no longer felt cold. I wore the gloves all day. The high temperature for the day was 45 F (7 C) and the gloves were comfortably warm. I found that I can use the little buttons on my GPS, cell phone and camera with the gloves on. It was getting colder by the time I got my tent up and at 5:30 it was down to 35 F (2 C). I was able to do all the camp chores with the gloves on. Well, except one thing, I would not light the stove with the gloves on. I just don't like fire that close to nylon. It probably would have been OK but when I'm solo backpacking I can get cautious to the point of paranoia. I was in bed by 8:00 PM and expected to read for two hours. Instead I fell asleep within 15 minutes, still wearing the gloves. I woke at about 10 PM to turn off the headlamp and took off the gloves.

When I woke at 5:30 AM, nearly two hours before sunrise, the temperature was 28 F (-2 C) and I started packing everything I could in the tent. I get cold easily if I'm not moving enough to create heat. I had breakfast and finished packing up by 6:30 and the temperature had dropped to 23 F (-5 C). My hands and feet were very cold. My feet were warm within ten minutes when I started walking. I started walking as fast as I could while using the headlamp to see the trail so I could generate some heat. It still took over half an hour for my hands to get warm. The Stormtrackers are great work gloves but they are not warm enough for me at temperatures below 30 F (-1 C).

I've also been using the Stormtrackers for driving gloves. The leather palms protect my hands from the cold steering wheel and I can still touch the buttons to change radio stations.

I've treated the Stormtracker gloves like I would good work gloves. I have not tried to protect the gloves from harm, on the contrary, I've depended on the gloves to protect my hands from harm. Neither the gloves nor my hands show any damage from my activities over the last two months.

SUMMARY

I think the OR Stormtracker gloves are the best work gloves I have ever used. They are light, very flexible and protect my hands well. There is not much more I would ask of my work gloves. On the other hand, they are not cold weather gloves. Even when using hiking poles, when I start out with cold hands it seems to take a long time for my hands to get warm. When I'm hiking without poles my hands just stay cold when the temperature is below about 30 F (-1 C). I have yet to see what they will do as cross country ski gloves in colder weather. I will probably take over mitts along.

What I like; the gloves are snug fitting and flexible, I can pick up individual screws and nails while wearing the gloves. When I wear any other work gloves I have to take one glove off to pick up screws or nails. When I close the wrist zipper I can put most jacket and shirt sleeves over the wrist of the glove. In my opinion trail work, both maintenance and building new trails is the best use for these gloves.

What I have some doubts about; Cold weather - the gloves have not yet kept my hands warm below about 30 F (-1 C).

This concludes my Field Report please check back in about 2 months to read about my Long Term experience with the Stormtracker gloves.

I would like to thank BackpackGearTest.org and Outdoor Research for giving me the opportunity to test the Stormtracker gloves.

Test Report by Edwin L. Morse

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