What’s the best glove for backcountry skiing?

I've struggled for years to find a way to keep my hands warm and dry in the backcountry. Inevitably, I sweat through my gloves on the skin up then freeze my digits on the descent. I currently have a light soft shell glove that I cover with an old hard shell for descending. Unfortunately, that gives me one more gear item to deal with on transitions, allowing my buddies drop in on the fresh line while I'm still fiddling. Travis Jackson, WY

Published: Feb 9, 2011

Doug Gantenbein

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That’s a tough one. Maybe you need to find new friends, ones who will wait for 30 seconds while you pull on some gloves.

The Randonnee Glove

In all seriousness, you may have hyperhidrosis, AKA excessively sweaty hands. It happens. I’ve had people write in who soak their socks with sweat. One thing you can do that actually works is to spray your hands with antiperspirant. Maybe even carry a small can of it in your pack. I’m not joking.

Otherwise, I’m not sure there is an equipment-based solution. Have you tried a glove made with a good waterproof-breathable material? I’m a big fan of the Marmot Randonnee ($100), a really good-quality snow sports glove that has Primaloft insulation, a Gore-Tex insert, and leather palms. The thing is, they’re pretty warm, and that may make you sweat so much you overwhelm the breathability. Same goes for Outdoor Research‘s Northback Gloves ($99), which also have Gore-Tex.

You might look for a glove with a removable liner, such as Burton‘s Gore-Tex Glove ($65). At the very least, having a matched pair of liners and outergloves would make for a faster glove transition because they’d slip on more quickly.

But think about the antiperspirant.

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