:good:
Deerskin gloves are the way to go.
When running a crew in winter in Minnesota, my cutoff point was a wind chill of 30 below, which is about 25 below by the present-day calculation. Down to that point it was possible to be productive if you were properly dressed. I used a variety of gloves and mittens, but the chances are that some of the modern ones are better.
One very useful thing I discovered was that it helps to over-dress your body slightly. If you're comfortable on a given day in a suit of insulated Carhartts, put on a down vest anyway. It also helps a lot to have something extra warm on your feet, such as Sorels. With less body heat being lost elsewhere, more gets to your hands.
Use jersy gloves, you can buy them cheep by the dozen. Keep several pairs in the truck. Keep an extra pair in coat pocket and switch out when they get wet. You are able to write and operate the instrument without the bulk.
Wisconsin here......
I must have 40 pairs of gloves, some failed experiments, some OK for some conditions, and some good ones. Some high tech and expensive, some not, but always quality. Been out in the cold a lot all my life, hunting, trapping, ice fishing, skiing, and just enjoying the misery.
After all is said and done, for surveying, I reach for the dotted palm jersey gloves @ $3 a pair until it gets too cold. Great dexterity, the dotted palms are nice and sticky for hammer work and carrying with cold fingers. Cheap enough to discard after they get worn. Get a few pairs to swap out if they get wet. Downside: hard to wipe your nose on the dots. 😛 Washable, but air dry.
Next notch up, to about 0: Loose fitting Thinsulate insulated deerskin gloves. Easy to slip in and out of for button pushing and warmer than jerseys. Durable and pliable. Can push buttons, but not nearly as well as jerseys.
Next notch: Dexterity capitulation. Marmot's Ultimate Ski Glove:
http://marmot.com/products/details/ultimate-ski-glove
Harder to get on or off, but nice and warm. Very pricey, but has reinforced leather palms for working and clawing your way through brush. I've never needed more warmth than this while moving.
Deer hunting or ice fishing in one spot is another story. Mittens then, I have an old pair of Eddie Bauer goose down mittens with mouton wool back for rubbing your face.Here that go all the way to my elbow that I pulled the stitching and stuck Thinsulate on the thumb, the one weak spot. Toasty, even on Everest I'm sure. They're no longer made.
Given the stuff we have to do on the typical January jaunt in the windy snowdrifts, I normally carry all three gloves and switch back and forth as needed.
I do have an old pair of thin deerskin gloves that just have room for Patagonia liners I use on occasion. Good enough to still hunt with. Probably good to 15 above.
I haven't seen any decent synthetic "work" gloves; they always have some flaw it seems; whether it's bad fit, poor design, or slippery. I've bought a lot of them and they just don't get used. The jerseys just trump them.
Keep your core temp up, and that will help your hands (and feet) a lot. Since you lose most of your body heat through your head, wear a warm hat/hood. Warm boots too; I like the lightweight Sorels that come to my knees, doubling as gaiters. Bring Butterfinger bars or meat sticks for fuel.
Keep warm. Gonna be a tough winter I bet.
I've been using these for a few years now...
http://ironclad.com/products/gloves/ccw-cold-condition-waterproof
For me, it's been the best compromise between dexterity and warmth. Dexterity is superb and so is the grip. I used different leather gloves in the past but the insulation factor always took a dive when I had to wipe snow on the gloves just to get a grip on the pick handle.
Mr. Wenzel, great suggestions.
By the way, how did you do gun hunting this year? I saw quite a few deer, but passed up shots on the bucks I saw (waiting for a better shot that never came).
Anyway, late season bow is looking good. We still have several fields of corn in the area that need to come down.
Didn't see one to shoot; that always makes it hard. 😀
But - the party got three, so we have venison. I wish we had some talent as butchers, but .......
There's another season coming up though.
I hesitate to give up this secret, but here's your new pick:
My old one went out in the shed, never to return.
One caveat though, don't lend it out - it won't come back.
