Why Hasn't Someone Invented Heated Paddling Gloves or a Heated Paddle?

[prudenceb]

This is actually a serious question.  I am finding the only thing standing between me and really enjoying winter paddling is my hands, which I am having real problems keeping warm.  At the end of the day, my hands are so cold I need someone to unclip my pfd...and just turning the key in the car ignition requires two hands.  I've recently spoken to someone who actually got frostbitten hands paddling.  That hasn't happened to me (yet), but I worry.  I feel as though I've tried everything:

Gloves - I have about a million pairs of different size and weights of Glacier Gloves - as well as NRS and other brands.  I find that neoprene gloves always leak, and then my fingers end up feeling as though they're sausages encased in a cold wrapping.  I tried a pair of really cheap waterproof gloves not meant for paddling, and found that with temps in the 40s and no wind, they almost did the trick.  Stayed dry inside, but once water seeped in from the cuffs (which I tried to prevent by tucking cuffs under the outer layer of the wrists of my drysuit - not under the gasket of course!) it was game over.  Plus, they're so cheap I doubt they'll last.  Plus, can't count on 40 degree temps and no wind in the winter.

Pogies - I have four different sets of pogies:  Kokotat lightweight ones, Snapdragon heavy ones, NRS heavy but shorter ones (good for paddling in Iceland and Greenland when air temp was moderate-ish, but water very very cold), and Stohlquist light-ish weight ones (great for conditions similar to the NRS ones).  Joe Berkovitz says he really likes the Kokotat heavier neoprene ones - which I haven't tried.  Some people say that just having pogies keeps their hands warm enough.  I have not found that to be the case when the temps go down into the 30's and below and the water is very cold.  I ended up putting the drip rings back on my Werner paddle in the hopes that less water would seep into the pogies.  Jury is still out on that.

Pogies and Gloves - I've tried various combos.  Problem is that pogies are really not big enough to fit gloves underneath.  I tried this on recent paddle and found that while initially my hands stayed a bit warm, I almost felt as though I was wearing a hand/wrist cast made out of gloves and pogies - I had little control of paddle and in rough conditions, worried that paddle blade would go into the water at wrong angle and I could end up flipping the boat.  Not good.  So...lighter gloves?  Again, the problem is that when gloves get wet, my fingers are just encased in freezing cold sausage casing.

Mittens - this might be the answer, but jury still out and there is a significant problem I'll get to in a second.  My first pair - NRS size mediums - are impossible to get on with wet hands.  This is a problem if hands get wet at launch while you're attaching spray skirt or whatever.  I have on order Kokotat size large mitts.  We'll see if they work.  BUT...on of the things I really enjoy in paddling is taking photographs, and it is impossible to manipulate a camera wearing gloves.  (Is a Go Pro the answer here?)

Hand warmers - I've wondered whether I might put an activated hand warmer into something I could wear around my neck and hold on to periodically to warm up hands that are cold wearing any of above.  Has anyone tried this?  If so, what exactly have you done to encase the hand warmer.  Just being able to take one out at lunch isn't sufficient, need access throughout the day. Can one tuck one into a pogie?

Of course, THE ANSWER is HEATED GLOVES!  They make 'em for skiers, but it's the !@#$% water that I guess complicates the matter for a paddling glove.  Or a HEATED PADDLE.  It seems that theoretically it should be  possible to make.  We have all these engineering types who like to paddle.  Get on it!

But in the meantime...I'm wondering whether anyone has suggestions (other than not winter paddling) that are not listed above that I might try. I think that if my hands could stay completely dry, that would be a good start.  Any brands of paddling gloves to recommend?  Any pogies big enough to easily fit gloved hands into?  Any lightweight waterproof gloves?  One non-paddling friend suggested silk glove liners, which she found really helped XC skiing.  But if they get wet...

So.  Thanks for any help you can offer.  And feel free to head down to the basement workshop to start on a prototype for heated gloves.  I really think they're the answer, but they don't exist as far as I know.  If they can send someone to the moon...or Mars for heavens sake - can't "they" invent something to help me keep my hands warm enough for all-through-the-winter paddling?

Prudence

 

Edited December 26, 2020 by prudenceb

[spuglisi]

Prudence,

 Have you tried latex or nitrile gloves under paddling gloves? I've never tried this but seem to remember that others have mentioned using them with some degree of success.

[Brian Nystrom]

One thing you didn't mention is dry gloves like those from Nordic Blue, which work really well. If you're the DIY type, you can buy Atlas fisherman's gloves - which are really inexpensive and add your own seals. The orange Atlas gloves (triple dipped) are somewhat heavier-duty than the blue (double dipped). I prefer to use wool liner gloves, rather than the synthetic liners that com with the gloves.

[Brian Nystrom]

Because they're waterproof and sealed, your hands will get damp from sweating, but they'll stay warm. You can always bring spare liners and switch to dry ones when necessary. Although I haven't tried it, wearing latex or nitrile gloves under the liners will create a vapor barrier that will keep the liners dry, so they'll maintain their insulating ability. Again, your hands will be damp, but definitely warm.

One important consideration with dry gloves is to make sure the seals aren't too tight, or they can reduce blood flow and cause cold hands, defeating the purpose of wearing them.

 

[SeaKayakNE]

I have used this method for a few years now it seems to work well for me.

I take along 3 pairs of glacier gloves and switch out when I can’t regenerate or keep warmth in my hands.  I also will occasionally use a light pogie I got from the UK.  
 

Although none of that seems ideal I look to the Alaskan fishing boats for advice.  Where they are working in a cold, wet and windy environment they have a good idea of how to manage this best.  A friend of mine who worked a few seasons on a crab boat would wear glacier gloves and switch them out every few hours.  
 

I actually sell a heated glove used in construction but it’s not ideal for wet environments.

[Inverseyourself]

I agree with Jonathan. I have 1-2 spare Glacier Gloves and switch once or twice during a cold paddle.

Pru, you could buy heated ski gloves and regenerate your hands in them during the lunch break, then use a dry pair of Glaciers for the paddle back to the take out.

[Nancy Hill]

This is exactly my problem. I haven't found that any one things is best, but some things work better than others. I have worn a thin liner glove under a nitrile (or similar) glove. Over that combo I wear an Outdoor Research Revel Mitt. It is waterproof up until a point and thin enough that I can use my camera and get my spray skirt on. Yesterday, I put on some neoprene gloves (I agree that most of them leak - even my expensive NRS gloves with gasketed wrist leak now) and then I traced out a pogie that I thought would fit over my gloved hand. I made the pogie out of 3 mm neoprene. If fits my gloved and hand fits well on the paddle shaft. I will try it out and let you know how well I like it. For me, I always have an assortment of things with me so I can change when I start getting wet/cold. One thing that kept my hands fairly warm were NRS thick neoprene mittens, but I decided against wearing them because it is impossible to do anything with them on, other than hold the paddle.

[prudenceb]

Thank you, everyone!  These are a lot of great suggestions.  I'll start with the latex/nitrile gloves and see how they work under Glacier or other gloves.  The scuba gloves sound interesting.  Yes, to bringing more gloves to keep switching out.  Great idea to bring heated ski gloves for lunchtime hand regeneration.  Nancy, I'll be interested to see how your custom pogies work!

Hope more people will weigh in!  And that someone will be inspired to make those heated gloves!

Prudence

[spuglisi]

You might want to consider keeping a spare pair of gloves inside your drysuit where body heat will keep them warm and you can switch them out after a lunch break.

 

[Nancy Hill]

Here's what you need, Prudence.

 

[prudenceb]

Oh man...  you're right! Damn!  Why didn't I keep those?!? ???

Hope no one notices paddle is upside down.  Shhhhhh.

Edited December 26, 2020 by prudenceb

[Paul Sylvester]

I had/have a pair of neoprene gloves that come up to mid forearm. They hug my wrists pretty well so you stay warmer. I bought them at New England Fishing Gear in Portsmouth years ago. They are west of the Portsmouth traffic circle and carry a large assortment of gloves for the marine trades. I know their inventory changes but they always have an assortment of decent gloves.

    Assume you are bringing hot water to dump in your gloves on breaks? (insert usual safety info about scalding water entering gloves)

  The problem I have is getting XXl gloves. 

  

[Jim Snyder]

Or you could bring one of these along...

[Nancy Hill]

I've always thought these might be good, but they don't come in sizes, so would probably be too big for me. https://www.chillcheater.com/greenland-gauntlets

 

[JaneC]

Feet are another issue. Any suggestions?

[Alex Debski]

This had been a major problem for me kayaking and now also diving! I have terrible finger blood circulation and they are always very cold. 

Paddling

Pogies all the way, no additional gloves. But this doesn’t help...

Diving

Last Winter when the water got below 39F my fingers were getting very cold with just my 7mm Bare lobster mitts. I tried DUI dry gloves attached to my diving drysuit with two layers of wool gloves for insulation and my hands froze even worse.

Now, I’m back to the mitts and I put chemical hand warmers on my inner forearms directly on skin under my jumpsuit. My blood gets an extra boost of warmth before heading out to my fingers and it does the trick even at 33/34F underwater!

It’s cheap and easy!

[Paul Sylvester]

I believe they have deck bags that mount at the front of the cockpit? Possibly with an easy access zipper? What if you kept extra pairs close with pocket heaters or handwarmers inside so you always had a couple pairs getting warm?

[David M]

Jane,

Picked up a tip along the way at one of NSPN's Cold Water workshops.  I increase by 1-1.5 times my shoe size once I we hit drysuit weather. The suggestion was based on the combined fact that air is a natural insulator and tight shoes can restrict circulation. The larger size  allows for the extra space for the drysuit booties and any extra socks or chemical full-sole warmers.   

[JanetL]

For feet - if you spray them with antiperspirant before putting on your socks, they get less sweaty and stay warmer!

[Jim Snyder]

I think part of the problem is that we wear neoprene gloves and expect them to keep us warm and dry. They are a wetsuit for your hand and depend on a thin layer of water warmed by your hand to keep it from losing heat. This doesn't work if either your hand can't warm it up, or the warm water gets flushed by cold water, or if you're trying to stay dry. You couldn't imagine reaching for your neoprene gloves to go skiing on a cold day...

https://www.explainthatstuff.com/howwetsuitswork.html

[pitt16]

I could never understand why my buddies and my wife could wear neoprene gloves and stay warm. I’d always ask them during a paddle: “are your hands/fingers cold?”. They always responded that their hands were ‘toasty’ while my fingers were cold. The guys and gals that suggested latex-type gloves were right. Those types of gloves work better than neoprene. However, recently I start off using pogies. After no more than 10 minutes on the water my digits are warm and toasty. I have to take the pogies off and the remainder of the paddle I don’t use any type of gloves as strange as that appears. If my hands get chilled I simply put the pogies back on.....hope this helps.

[eneumeier]

I have a pair of dry gloves that I never used, and won't because I don't paddle in the winter. If anyone wants them, you can have them. No guarantee that they won't leak. Liz

[Pintail]

Now you all know why I more-or-less gave up on bl**dy winter paddling!  There used to be a very regular core group of seasonal paddlers and the concensus was, as Mr. Nystrom wrote above, the Nordic blue gloves with liners...

Additionally, for me, the challenge was usually the strapping back onto the roof-rack of the boat with now-freezing hands -- no, thanks. 

[prudenceb]

On 12/26/2020 at 9:34 AM, spuglisi said:

Prudence,

 Have you tried latex or nitrile gloves under paddling gloves? I've never tried this but seem to remember that others have mentioned using them with some degree of success.

Sal!  You have won the Best Suggestion prize for the day!  Just back from a chilly breezy paddle.  I tried your suggestion (easiest and cheapest to start with) and found tight lightweight medical nitrile gloves under Glacier Gloves made an INCREDIBLE difference!  Fingertips started out cold,  but warmed up fairly quickly (within a half hour).  Hands stayed dry.  As the morning went on, I was aware that for the first time EVER while winter paddling, my hands felt just fine!  Amazing!  I kept them on at lunch (although had brought extra dry gloves to switch out per other suggestions) and was a bit chilly again as we relaunched,  but again, hands warmed up quickly and it was a comfortable and painless paddle the rest of the day.  Beth, who was along on trip, said she had always used this thin extra layer for winter camping - she thought the liner gloves made a vapor barrier and stopped evaporative cooling.  Whatever it was, at least for one day, it worked really really well!  Thanks everyone for all the great suggestions.

Prudence

[dsigall]

Yesterday morning I tested my new drysuit & layers by spending 10-15 minutes swimming at Pavillion beach. It only took a half a minute to determine my gloves are totally useless in current air & water temps. Thanks for starting this thread Prudence! After reading all the replies I'll order a pair of Glacier Gloves. What version do you folks like? Perfect Curve appears to be the obvious choice but...?

Edited December 28, 2020 by dsigall