[Pliny]

I can tell you my experience. I believe the mittens I used were a less expensive knock-off I purchased at REI in Alaska. However, I used them skiing, climbing, and hiking throughout the winter in Anchorage and I was simply amazed how warm they kept my hands. I darned them several times, but eventually after years of use they wore out. In snowy conditions, they got wet but still did the job.

[texasbb]

I bought a pair of these based on the discussions in this and another website. Haven't had a chance to use them yet, but they might just be what I've been looking for for deep cold hiking and snowshoeing. The main problem I foresee at this point is that the wrist part is so thick I'm not sure they'll fit with the sleeves of any top heavier than a thin baselayer. We'll see.

[WaState]

Wool anything dries very slowly in the sleeping bag, usually not dry in the morning for me. I like primaloft Mitts better, often can find them cheap , warm when wet, dries fairly fast---wring them out. However primaloft anything the insulation wears out in a few years, need to replace. Wet wool mitts will stick to ice, that can be handy on a climb. Wool is warmish when wet, better than plain synthetic fabric. I suggest to never use goose down mitts, insulation collapses when wet and then you have nothing..... Dan

[Randito]

Beaver fur mittens are the ultimate. That was the impression I got watching a presentation by two adventurers that walked/skied from Alaska to Siberia on the artic pack ice.

[Schenk]

How come nobody has mentioned that ice climbing with boiled wool mitts can be cheating? Spit on the mitt, stick it and let it freeze, then make the move, pull the mitt off the ice/rock...hahahaha...lots of good old "true" accounts and stories about gully routes in Scotland going up like that.

[Juan del Bosque]

I usually dress head to toe in 100% wool in cold and wet weather. I do have the Dachstein mittens, but I use them only when I am constantly grabbing snowy branches while snowshoeing. I always carry them however! For regular use I use these lightweight alpaca mittens from PCC. The fingers can be uncovered. My hands have never been cold in the Dachsteins. The Weather Channel did a study where they doused some poor guy with cold water while he was wearing cotton, then polyester, and finally wool. After each dousing they took his body temperature. Wool worked the best. True, wet wool does smell like an animal when wet, but polyester out and out stinks after it's been worn for a while. If it's really raining, you're going to get wet no matter how much gore-tex you've deployed. Those parka hoods are just a wipe-out if you wear glasses. Wool is actually reasonably comfortable even if it's soaked. My wool crusher cowboy hat keeps water out for 3 or 4 hours. The cost of good wool, like Dachstein or Filson, is expensive, but worth it in my opinion.