Glove Story

They're the biggest outdoor glove company you've never heard of and, to be honest, we'd never heard of them either.

That changed when outdoordesigns marketing bloke Jim Evans came bounding up to us like an eager puppy at the recent Gore Windstopper launch and thrust a pair of gloves into our, er, mitts.

The Derbyshire-based outfit recently acquired glove brands Ami Chaud and Fives making them the biggest UK-based glove manufacturers bar none. More interestingly for walkers and climbers, the company is an unsung innovator in the outdoor accessories market and have been working with Gore to utilise the latest versions of Winsdtopper membrane in their handwear.

The gloves pictured are a classic example. They use Windstopper for a windproof and highly water-resistant shell, but a lot more thinking has gone into them. The palms use a sticky silicone print for grip, but for once it extends over the finger tip area, which in our experience is the site of maximum wear. Very neat.

Similarly cunning is the way that they've overcome the classic problem of thick fleece-type windproof gloves - lack of sensitivity in the palm. These ones use a thick pile bonded to the liner at the back of the hand for warmth, but the front of the palm and fingers are just a single layer of a Windstopper fabric for maximum sensitivity.

If you've ever struggled to manipulate climbign gear or just to get a good grip on a trekking pole handle thanks to an over-padded palm, you'll welcome these with open hands. The cut is excellent and close fitting with a stretchy Velcro-fastened cuff.

We like and are looking forward to getting some serious use out of them in the Alps this summer. Watch this space for the verdict.

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