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Reviews > Clothing > Gloves > Outdoor Research Vert Gloves > Amanda Tikkanen > Field ReportField Report—Outdoor Research Vert GlovesDate: May 16, 2006 Name: Amanda Tikkanen Age: 24 Gender: Female Height: 5' 4" (1.6 m) Weight: 135 lbs (61 kg) Email address: uberpest at uberpest dot com Personal website: http://www.uberpest.com City, State, Country: LaGrange, IN USA Backpacking Background: I have been backpacking and hiking for five years throughout Michigan and Indiana, covering several hundred miles, always with a dog by my side. Beau has been happily carrying a pack for almost three years. Before Beau I hiked with Lucy, who is now retired. My style of backpacking is moving from overnights to long distance hiking, including multi-day trips. While I don't necessarily favor ultralight equipment, I do like to go as light as possible while still being comfortable. Product Information Manufacturer: Outdoor Research Year of Manufacture: 2006 URL: http:// www.orgear.com Specifications: Average weight listed (per pair, size Large): 3.7 oz (103 g) Weight as tested (size Medium, using a kitchen scale): 4 oz (113 g) Size: Medium Color: black with gray palms MSRP: $49.00 US A detailed product description can be found in my Initial Report. Field Experience I have tested these gloves over the past two months while at work and while on the trail. While at work I handled firewood and used tools such as chainsaws, hammers, splitting mauls, and hatchets. While on dayhikes and one overnight trip I used these gloves with trekking poles, dog leashes and collars, zippers, keys, flashlights, sleeping pad valves, matches, lighters, firewood, and a canister stove. The gloves have been used in all about 25 days and have been exposed to temperatures from about 25 to 60 F (-3.9 to15.5 C). Elevations were approximately 1000' (305 m). They have been exposed to sun, rain, sleet, snow, dirt, sawdust, dog hair, and chainsaw oil. In my initial report I outlined my test plan to pay attention to the following factors: Fit. While the gloves fit comfortably initially, the more I used them the more they felt too big. When I grabbed a piece of firewood the leather palms would stick to the wood’s rough surface, but the palm of my hand would slip on the smooth fabric interior. When this happened the tips of the fingers would bend around (forward, back, or to either side) and I had trouble handling the firewood. I found this to be true for other materials as well, but it was most noticeable with wood. I found myself constantly pulling the gloves on tighter while wearing them. Basically, if I was just wearing the gloves they felt fine, but if I picked something up they felt too big. Comfort. The gloves have been good at stopping the wind, but even at temps around freezing my fingers would quickly become numb. My only suggestion to improve this would be to add insulation, which may make the gloves bulkier than what they currently are. Craftsmanship and Durability. The manufacturer lists these gloves as work gloves. I used these gloves while performing regular park and trail maintenance. I am not certain the gloves should be touted as work gloves due to the thinness of the leather palms. After just a few days of handling firewood small cracks appeared on the fingertips. At the end of one day of cutting hazardous trees from the campgrounds I noticed a small cut in the palm of my right glove near the thumb. The cut is approximately 1/2 “ (1 cm) long. The only sharp object I came into contact with during that time was the chain of a stopped chainsaw. While I am not absolutely certain this is what cut the glove, I believe the gloves should be manufactured with more durable materials to withstand trail maintenance tools if they continue to be marketed as work gloves. By contrast, my regular mechanic-style work gloves have stood up to many more days of use with no cuts from saws or other objects. I patched the gloves with the only repair tape I have—duct tape. As the temperatures have risen I haven’t used the gloves as much as before I cut the palm, but we have had a cold snap again recently and I am using the gloves again to see how the cut affects the use of the gloves.  Usefulness. I have been able to use a pen, open locks, drive vehicles, use trekking poles, and access zippers with large tabs while wearing these gloves. I have had trouble opening small zippers, such as what is on my pack, and opening the valve on my sleeping pad. Other. These gloves easily collect dirt and grime in the fingertips. I believe this is due to the gauntlet-style fit of the wrist. I would regularly have to shake bits of sawdust, trail dirt, etc. out of the glove despite the elastic keeping the wrist tight. I haven’t thoroughly soaked these gloves yet to see how quickly they dry. I will continue to test these gloves over the next two months to see how well they perform in warm, damp conditions, how quickly they dry, and address any other factors that may come. Likes:
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