Gear

wrist warmersand oversized gloves - anything that constricts finger movement is bad news. Mitts should - on that basis - be best of all, but arent...dunno why.

Key is to put them on early - once the blood flow is compromised then it is a real problem to get back(for me)

 Not the same thing as Raynard's, but I have to be carefull with fingers because of frost "nip" damage. It means I am more likely to get them damaged as I can't 'feel' how cold it is, or they lose feeling and don't realise how cold it is, and/or can pick up something white hot/froze solid and not realise I've done so.

 My solution is to wear gloves of different thicknesses, even before I start walking in summer, if it's cool.

 I might start with a pair of silk gloves, add a pair of light fleece, light windproof, waterproof, adding or subtracting as I go, how "cold" I think my fingers are. That's 3 seasonish.

 In winter the layers get heavier weight and/or more. EG. I'm just back from a meet in Wicklow Mtns. on the walk out the temp. went from -2c to 0.5c, until we got to last km. I was wearing a pair of insulated Goretex M.E. gloves, also with fleece liner gloves.

 Funny thing is that I 'run' hot, I'd a +5 sleeping bag with me and went to sleep in a light baselayer, light fleece. I woke up in the night and had to take fleece off as was too warm. According to my temp. guage was -2.3c inside tent.!!

I got diagnosed two years ago (mis-diagnosis if you ask me) after I started getting numb hands that extended up the arm a bit. Doctor told me it was reynauds and went onto patient.co.uk site to print the information out which actually contradicted the diagnosis. But that's a digression.

My solution as it was related to cold was mitts. The £30 extremities super inferno ones. Now£40 with primaloft not the thermolite it had before. I had worn £50 BD gloves meant for cold weather ice climbing. I used to wear odlo liner gloves then them but on new years day 2010 (the first cold winter for a while) I set off with my BD's on and went from cold to colder and numb. I switched after 5 minutes to the mitts and 10 minutes later I felt sweaty hands!! The only thing is don't compress them. I find that mitts with insulation like primaloft or down any compression of the mitts and you feel the cold straight away. I haven't used my mitts with poles or axe but I suspect this is an issue. SOme higher prices ones have pile to the inside for this reason. Worth digging those with pile to the palm side and down or primaloft to the outside out.

I still haven't got my hands sorted for those times when the mitts are overkill.I use the odlo thin liner gloves with some ancient terra nova liner gloves in PP that are thicker but thinner fingers. These compress the fingers with gloves inside them as they were bought when I had thinner hands I think. They get very cold with them. What I think I need is a couple of liner gloves of different thicknesses with the thicker ones a size up. Then I think I will be sorted for milder conditions when my hands go cold suddenly.

Anyway go for good designed mitts with primaloft type of insulation for conditions that are cold and windy but possibly risk of getting wet. Down for real cold conditions I think. Also look to the design. Some think using 3 layer systems like on your body with the outer being a mitt shell being best. I can see their point. Thin liner gloves, then thicker windproof ones then mitts over the top would be good. However with Reynauds I'd go for lined mitts or the mid layer in mitt form too. Mitts are so much warmer.

I wonder if anyone has tried the Montane lobster claw glove/mitts? They offer better grip due to a three part hand but still combine fingers into two of the three compartments for warmth. Perhaps an idea. I think they are a pertex/piletype of handwear but with a more weather resistant outer that is almost waterproof.Good for cold I'd have thought but still good for almost glove like grip of tools, poles or axes.

I have Raynauds, getting the milk out of the fridge used to set my fingers off. I use Buffalo mitts when walking and good ski mitts for skiing. If very cold in the mountains I add Merino or silk glove liners. Generally it is about keeping warm overall and having good meals to keep the metabalism up. Hand warmers can be useful but a clat.

If possible warm the Mitts/gloves before going out. Avoid touching cold things -difficult with ski tows! If a skier use the lifts.

whatever gloves you choose i would thoroughly recommend wrist warmers beneath them. although your fingers are exposed the wrist warmers provide a surprising amount of warmth to your hand as the keep the surface blood in all thos etubes from losing heat. i often only wear these after my hands have warmed up and i've removed the gloves.

i have meraklon ones from sub-zero and manbi fleece ones.

i'm also impressed with ron hill switch running gloves (run? me? don't be daft!) and these combined with the wrist warmers are warm.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Adult-Microfleece-Warmers-Medium-Fuchsia/dp/B002QFFD8G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326719419&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Switch-Running-Gloves-Yellow-Medium/dp/B005K8FE08/ref=sr_1_4?s=clothing&ie=UTF8&qid=1326719459&sr=1-4

TP wrote (see)

I always wondered about vapour barriers. DO you get socks in them??

My Vapour Barrier mitts never came with any socks.