Gloves, to take or not to take...

[Kathie Morton]

I'm doing my Camino starting in May from St Jean. I've been fortunate living in the NW United States to practice all types of weather with my intended gear...I have pretty much all of it together except gloves.
The ones I have are either too thick or too thin, and not waterproof.
Is this something I should overly concern myself with or just muck it out with the thin gloves or none at all?
Thank you,
Kathie Katie

 

[C clearly]

I would take the thin ones.

 

[Shston Girlfd]

I am leaving from St. Jean in very late April. I live in Arizona but have been wearing gloves when I hike for a couple of years. I like the protection from the sun and elements that they provide. Buen Camino.

 

[peregrina2000]

Oh, one of my favorite topics. After one Camino where I walked for 8 hours in a cold Galician rain with my supposedly waterproof gloves that left my hands so cold and shaking I couldn't open the top of my backpack, I got some great advice from someone somewhere. Bring lambswool gloves. They are extremely lightweight. I am usually surprised to find I wear them a few mornings on most caminos in May or June for warmth, but their real value is to wear them in the rain, since wool continues to insulate when wet.

 

[Shston Girlfd]

What great advice! And being wool they don't get overly warm. I may have to go shopping.

 

[kdespot]

If you walk with poles, I highly recommend a pair of light gloves on the sunny days or else your hands will be fried in no time.

 

[Mike Trebert]

Yes @kdespot just today I bought some very light sunproof gloves. I started my Camino last year at SJPDP in late March so needed light hiking gloves for warmth, especially in the mornings. Before too long, the backs of my hands were getting burned - they were often exposed to the sun many hours a day when it got too warm to wear the hiking gloves. I use walking poles. Next time I'm taking 3 pairs of gloves: light hiking, waterproof, and very light sunproof. But I intend to usually walk in cooler weather. I use a camera often so need my hands in full working order at all times. If you use poles, your hands will be out there in the rain and wind and sun.

 

[Kanga]

I take my Sealskinz (or Dexshell) gloves. Ski gloves have also worked!

 

[Mike Trebert]

@Kanga, I bought some Dexshell gloves as you suggested, thanks - they seem very good. The Australian Supplier has limited stock and seemed unsure about future supply.

 

[t2andreo]

I recommend thin microfiber gloves almost year round. They insulate when wet, are lightweight, and can be purchased nexpensively in a discount retailer.

I am partial to Champion C9 branded "runner's gloves." I buy mine in Target. But you can source similar gloves almost anywhere.

I hope this helps.

 

[irishgurrrl]

I'm doing my Camino starting in May from St Jean. I've been fortunate living in the NW United States to practice all types of weather with my intended gear...I have pretty much all of it together except gloves.
The ones I have are either too thick or too thin, and not waterproof.
Is this something I should overly concern myself with or just muck it out with the thin gloves or none at all?
Thank you,
Kathie Katie

I found lightweight gloves useful on mine. I suggest you bring light ones as even if not waterproof they'll help keep your hands warm if its cold or rainy. Mine were north face. Particularly useful if you use hiking poles like me.

 

[FLEUR]

Crossing the Pyrenees I saw a Frenchman stop in the freezing wind and rain and put socks on his hands. This was in June!!!

 

[wayfarer]

Light Merino gloves IMO, they will keep your hands warm in the cool mornings even when wet, and also protect from the sun.

 

[Tia Valeria]

My little gloves are silk. (Brand not known and bought in a hiking shop which has since closed.) Very light, dry quickly if wet and are amazingly warm,

 

[Stivandrer]

I brought wool/mix finger gloves, the ones with free finger tips for when the rain and wind in April and May hits you. Not too hot to wear but enough to warm your hands down to the knuckles.....
And thin bicycling gloves, also with free fingers, to use when walking long stretches with my Leki sticks.

Both sets are in the zipped pouches on my hip belt and can be whizzed out on the go...

 

[Camino Chris]

If you walk with poles, I highly recommend a pair of light gloves on the sunny days or else your hands will be fried in no time.

I walked in spring 2015 and had sunshine most days. My hands never got fried, just golden brown...maybe cuz I'm half Italian! Lol. I did however, appreciate my gloves on some of the colder mornings!

 

[Camino Chris]

I would take the thin ones.

I agree on taking thin ones. I brought microfleece cheapies I purchased at a local Dollar store for a mere $2 US and they worked fine to keep my hands warm on two spring Caminos on cold mornings. My opinion is that we often think expensive items are needed to do a good job, but often it's not true, especially with the smaller items packed.

 

[Kiwi-family]

I knit my own with merino wool and they are WONDERFUL! They have short fingers plus a mitten-type piece to pull over the ends of the hands. A little mini-mitten for each thumb too. The mittens can be flicked back when taking photos or when you warm up a bit. As fabulous as they were, I still did get cold after hours in the driving rain and being unable to dry out the mittens from one day to the next. But I was warmer than my kids with microfleece gloves.

You can find the pattern at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/podster-gloves

 

[Camino Chris]

I knit my own with merino wool and they are WONDERFUL! They have short fingers plus a mitten-type piece to pull over the ends of the hands. A little mini-mitten for each thumb too. The mittens can be flicked back when taking photos or when you warm up a bit. As fabulous as they were, I still did get cold after hours in the driving rain and being unable to dry out the mittens from one day to the next. But I was warmer than my kids with microfleece gloves.

You can find the pattern at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/podster-gloves

What month were you walking when you encountered such heavy rain? I was surprised to hear the merino mittens didn't keep your hands warm enough. The pictures of your handiwork are very attractive! CC

 

[kdespot]

Yes @kdespot just today I bought some very light sunproof gloves. I started my Camino last year at SJPDP in late March so needed light hiking gloves for warmth, especially in the mornings. Before too long, the backs of my hands were getting burned - they were often exposed to the sun many hours a day when it got too warm to wear the hiking gloves. I use walking poles. Next time I'm taking 3 pairs of gloves: light hiking, waterproof, and very light sunproof. But I intend to usually walk in cooler weather. I use a camera often so need my hands in full working order at all times. If you use poles, your hands will be out there in the rain and wind and sun.

Hey Trebert! Good to hear from you!

 

[Kiwi-family]

What month were you walking when you encountered such heavy rain? I was surprised to hear the merino mittens didn't keep your hands warm enough. The pictures of your handiwork are very attractive! CC

We walked in May from Sevilla and had a week of nonstop rain. By the time we got up to the Sanabres it was raining again;-)
By the way those pictures are not my particular gloves - I couldn't find a photo of them! But they are the same pattern.

 

[Mike Trebert]

Hey Trebert! Good to hear from you!

Hi there despot, how you doin'? I'm not getting alert emails lately so just found your greeting.

 

[Jodean]

Walked 22 Sept.-22 Oct. 2015 and had some thin gloves but never felt the need to wear them.
My poles have cork handles and it never felt cold enough or sunny enough to want to wear gloves. I would still take a pair though, just in case.

 

[Lukey]

I would definitely bring gloves. Nice for the 6:00 am cold mornings and rainy days.!

 

[JP]

Gloves were wonderfull at Alto the Perdon, Cruz de Ferro and O'Cebreio when the wind & weather was freezing cold in April/May 2014.

 

[LouiseW]

I agree that you need to bring something to protect your hands. howerver I did not bring gloves but I did cut thin warm socks at the heel. Then, I only used the part from ankle until heel. It warms partly your arms (the part that can be chilly if your jacket or fleece is a bit wide) and you can pull it over your fingers for the length you need. You don't need to put them off if you will use your fingers, you can just push them to your wrist. It prevents you from forgetting them to take with you if you had to put them off. Difficult story so I included a picture.
Since my Camino I also use them at home. It looks a bit clumsy but it gives me a lot of comfort. It was my intention to use them to cover the the zipper pockets on my waist belt because I was afraid that the nylon would hurt my arms walking without jacket or fleece but it turned out that they didn't.
Buen Camino

 

[Shalaw]

YES! We walked in Sept/Oct and definitely needed them most mornings in late Sept/early Oct and from what I've heard, the weather is very unpredictable in May with snow some of the time. We got them and some merino wool caps at Costco which also came in handy!

Buen Camino!

 

[Elizabeth_B]

In October/November last year walking from Madrid to SdC via C de Madrid/Levante/Sanabres, I carried/wore a pair of sungloves - http://www.bivouac.co.nz/outdoor-research-spectrum-sun-gloves.html - which were great for hot days to protect the backs of my hands, but also useful on chilly early mornings. When it rained my parka sleeves are long enough to pull down over my hands to help keep them dry/warm.

 

[Tony Dickin]

I'm doing my Camino starting in May from St Jean. I've been fortunate living in the NW United States to practice all types of weather with my intended gear...I have pretty much all of it together except gloves.
The ones I have are either too thick or too thin, and not waterproof.
Is this something I should overly concern myself with or just muck it out with the thin gloves or none at all?
Thank you,
Kathie Katie

Hi Kathie, like Kanga, I use SealSkinz. They are not completely waterproof but have an inbuilt grip, which is excellent for keeping grip of walking poles in either wet or extremely humid and sweaty weather. Plus, a little bit of magic I learned from a high altitude walker in regard to warmth. Yes, you can take thick fleece or wool gloves but as an alternative consider lightweight silk liners for any lightweight gloves. I'm sure you ladies understand the warmth that can be generated with silk stockings. They weigh nothing but create a very effective level of warmth and insulation. Simple, lite, effective. Happy trails

 

[Swift3]

I like a pair of fingerless sun gloves I got from Orvis years ago. I get sun poison (like poison ivy) from too much sun and these have kept my hands from blistering on several long hikes. they have a tab to help tighten them with velcro patches, like golf gloves, and have actual leather patches on the palms which is far superior in my view to the fake leather of similar models like the ones Patagonia make in fleece. See here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004H9HCTC/?tag=casaivar02-20.
And a pair of thin fleece or polypro fingerless/mitten foldovers like these, for example (or if you knit, the awesome merino ones Kiwi-family made) would help in the cold and wet: http://www.orvis.com/p/soft-shell-foldover-glove/8l08
or here:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FE7L26/?tag=casaivar02-20 (I have a pair of these and swear by them. I wear them hunting in below freezing weather and they keep me warm.)
I even packed a pair of rain mittens that weighed next to nothing for a May/Jun CP last year, but never needed them. See here:http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/mitts.shtml
I had them for a trip to the Sierra's in colder weather, but due to the cost, would never have gotten them just for the CP.

 

[MikeShaw]

I recommend thin microfiber gloves almost year round. They insulate when wet, are lightweight, and can be purchased nexpensively in a discount retailer.

I am partial to Champion C9 branded "runner's gloves." I buy mine in Target. But you can source similar gloves almost anywhere.

I hope this helps.

It does help, t2anrdeo - I just looked on Target website. My good ski gloves have thin liner gloves inside which are themselves good quality and lightweight (like the runners or bicyclist's gloves). A polyester material with gripping front surface, I guess if you take off your heavy ski-gloves in the snow, your hands still stay warm, but functional in these liner gloves. So based on all of the above, I've just decided to bring these liner gloves which should be okay in late May should the mornings be cold those first few days out of SJPP. Again, thanks all!