Defeet Dura Etouch gloves.

 Winter is approaching and soon we will be wearing gloves again. The trouble with wearing gloves on the hill means that if you regularly use your smart phone as a GPS, or have a touch screen stand alone GPS or even, God forbid, that you need to use your phone to make a call, then you will know that you have to take at least one glove off to carry out any function.

The Defeet Etouch gloves have now resolved that problem. They are smart phone sensitive and will work on your touch screen.

Defeet are made in the USA and are usually associated with biking gear. They are readily available here in the UK and mine are from Evans Cycles and cost £16.99. If i had been a little more astute then i could have got them for £14 online.

Colours.
I have shown bright colours here in the image so that the silicon rubber palm grips are visible to the reader. Alternative colours available are Black, Blue, Red, Ocean Blue, and in Hi Vis there are Green, Yellow and orange.

The gloves are touch screen sensitive thanks to conductive thread that is woven into 3 finger tips. The index finger, middle finger and thumb. So using the phones zoom features for example where 2 fingers are needed is easy.

Usually biking gloves have gel padding for comfort but these havn’t and therefore are ideal for hiking. They do have silicon rubber blobs on the palm and along the fingers which are great for keeping hold of walking poles in the damp.

The gloves are not fully waterproof but they are toasty and make good liner gloves for those really wet or bitterly cold days out. They have good dexterity and performing simple tasks like getting money from your pockets, opening a flask or sandwich box, operating a camera for example can be done easily.
Fit wise they are close fitting but not overly tight. Obviously they do need to be a close fit to make the best use of the touch screen property.

Material.
40% Cordura, 32% Coolmax EcoMade, 20% Nylon, 7% Lycra and 1% Silver AG.
The face material Cordura is robust and abrasion resistant.

Tegera 447 winter warmers by Ejendals -AB

Bought from Manchester Arndale branch 2 weeks ago.
Reason. Inexpensive waterproof winter glove, nice fit, Thinsulate warm, looked well made and the specification of "All round winter use".

First time out was in heavy continuous rain for about 2 hours. I had taken a bit of a tumble on some slippery grass and the gloves got a soaking due to my hands taking the strain of the fall. Even so they kept me warm. I let them dry out naturally as the palm and fingers are Goatskin.

I then coated the leather with some RM Williams leather treatment to give them some extra protection. I decided to turn the gloves inside out to air them properly and was shocked to see what i can only describe as totally shoddy workmanship.  Stitching adrift in numerous places and where it was attached the quality was dreadful. Obviously Quality Control was non existant otherwise these would never have left the factory like this.

The waterproof membrane was “Loose”, unattached in places and didn’t go up the fingers.
I really am speechless as to how these gloves can be classed as waterproof without some sort of label to say what that means in this instant.
They can only be waterproof until that time that water has soaked in enough to pass the fingers where there is no membrane. The time will be short.

I would not like to take these gloves out on a serious winter walk. You could end up in a bad way.
I wish i could find the receipt because i would take them back.

Here are a few images of how poor the quality is, Ejendals-AB who make the Tegera range should be ashamed.

 Poor quality stitching and finish. All round shoddy work.

 Thumb almost detached and a piece missing from the membrane.

Recovery Road

The last 2 weeks i have been running at the football pitch’s adjacent to Oldham’s football ground. The circuit is 1k so it’s easy to keep a tally without all the Garmin stuff.
So today come hail rain or shine i was going to get out and do another 5k.
Well that’s exactly what i had, all three conditions within 40 minutes. And yes i know that’s slow for 5k.
I’m not a fast runner and i know there is a bit of weight i need to shift but i am working on it, honest.

It also gave me a chance to try out a new pair of gloves. I bought them at Aldi store in Whitehaven on Friday and they seemed too good not to try them. At a cost of £4.99 what was i expecting. Well miracles of course.

Picking them up i was impressed just how light they are and very comfy as well.
The label says they are Waterproof and Breathable and made from Hipotex. I’ve never heard of it either but that’s what it says.
They are also cycling gloves but i wasn’t bothered about that. If they keep me warm and dry that’s all i ask.

 

Inside, the label reads.
HIPOTEX, This special membrane prevents the entry of rain and melting snow but allows the passage of the body’s natural moisture vapour. (That’s perspiration to me and you.) The result is a remarkably comfortable glove that is waterproof and breathable.

In the photo above they look like they have done a good few miles but i assure you i have only worn them for 40 minutes and about 20 of those minutes was during rain. Heavy rain.
Well i can guarantee that this pair of gloves are not waterproof. I am so pleased i tried them out under short duration. I would have been a bit annoyed if i had to be wearing them all day.

Well, i know the old saying, “if you buy cheap you buy twice” but how do they get away with selling outdoor gear, supposedly breathable and waterproof when it’s not. What ever the retail price.
I must admit though i think outdoor gloves are probably the worst bit of kit, even expensive ones. I have never found a really good pair and i have had quite a few different makes and paid over the odds.
 I just want a pair that keeps you dry and warm, with seams that are leakproof and with an outer material that doesn’t soak up the water. How hard can it be.
Water resistant probably would have been nearer the truth for these Aldi gloves, but even that is pushing it.

Another item of gear that caught my eye recently is the Gerber Steady. Gerber make good quality knives and Multi Tools.

The Steady is a Muti tool and it has a cleverly designed built in camera tripod for compact cameras. Ideal for the solo hiker who usually has both pieces of gear in the pack.
It’s not been released in the UK yet but i am reliably informed that it will be available in March 2012. Just in time for the TGO challenge. I don’t have a UK price as yet.

Cuben Rain Mitts.

Black Rock Gear are due to release a pair of Cuben Rain mitts. Weighing in at between  8 and 12 grams depending on size.
How ridiculously light are these.
I think you will need to get the orders placed quickly if you are interested. They will fly.
You can find them here.

Here is a snippet from the site.