Battery heated gloves for winter photography

[Wawe]

I’m going to Finnish Lapland for a week in January and it’s probably going to be very cold there, around -10°C (14°F) during daytime. As I generally get my hands cold much quicker than most people, I’m looking for a solution to be able to spend some time shooting outside despite the weather.

Having already tried the small ‘heat pillows’ that you can put inside your gloves (didn’t work at all for the fingers that are mainly the issue here), I’ve recently researched the subject some more and discovered battery powered heated gloves. It seems that there are a lot of varieties of the product for motorcyclists etc. but most of these gloves aren’t suitable for photography due to their limited dexterity.

So I’m looking for recommendations here given the special needs of a photographer. Has anyone got experience with these type of gloves in the field?

Thanks in advance!

[Ellis Vener]

Can't help with the battery heated gloves but have you looked to see how different ones are rated at the Cabelas site?

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&N=0&fsch=true&Ntk=AllProducts&Ntt=heated+gloves&x=10&y=6&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

But for weather that isn't arctic conditions best photography gloves I have found for photography are the Oakley SI Lightweight Gloves: http://tacticalgear.com/oakley-si-lightweight-gloves-black

[MattBurt]

It was -24.7F (not windchill) here this morning. What I have for when it's really cold is a pair of light form fitting gloves that I wear under some big insulated mittens.
Currently that's these Bula Gloves.
Under these Pow mittens

The brands probably aren't that important and there are surely better over mitts but the idea is to wear both until you need some dexterity and then pull off the mitt and use the glove, then get the mitt back on ASAP!  Those gloves work with a touchscreen too which comes in handy.
Shooting in bitter cold is hard on you and the gear but 14 shouldn't be too bad depending on how humid and/or sunny it is.

[Jens Peermann]

It was -24.7F (not windchill) here this morning. What I have for when it's really cold is a pair of light form fitting gloves that I wear under some big insulated mittens.
Currently that's these Bula Gloves.
Under these Pow mittens

The brands probably aren't that important and there are surely better over mitts but the idea is to wear both until you need some dexterity and then pull off the mitt and use the glove, then get the mitt back on ASAP!  Those gloves work with a touchscreen too which comes in handy.
Shooting in bitter cold is hard on you and the gear but 14 should be too bad depending on how humid and/or sunny it is.

Totally agree with Matt. Thin finger Gloves are needed to work the controls of the camera, but they are poor at keeping the hand warm because of their large surface area that transfers heat quickly away from the hand. Mittens are the exact opposite. They have a relative small surface area and can have thick insulation to hold the heat. They're just useless for operating a camera. That's why I use both in the way Matt describes.

There are also hybrids from mittens and finger gloves. They're finger gloves that have a sack attached which gets pulled over the fingers when done with working the controls, effectively turning them into mittens. I bought such a pair a year ago at a gift shop at Bryce Canyon. They work in a pinch, but the regular mittens/finger gloves combination is simply better.

[Petrus]

The simpler the better. I would also go for the fairly thin gloves combined with insulated mitts. The less you hold on to the cold camera/tripod the better also.

Personally I find it quite funny how technical and complicated this glove business has become in my lifetime. As a kid the only kind of hand wear we ever had were the wool mittens knitted by our mothers/grandmothers. One pair if the temps were over -20C (-5F), two pairs if colder, and it was sometimes -40 C/F! People who need dexterity, like those who net fish from under the ice, just do it barehanded. Nobody ever looses any fingers, they get used to it and the body compensates with better circulation. Naturally the water is, under those circumstances, relatively warm!

[MattBurt]

The simpler the better.

This is true for most things!

[Wayne Fox]

It was -24.7F (not windchill) here this morning. What I have for when it's really cold is a pair of light form fitting gloves that I wear under some big insulated mittens.

What I have when it’s really cold in the range you mention is a fireplace in my living room

But I also use some North Face eTip gloves with large mittens over the top except when needing some dexterity.  I don’t think battery powered gloves can keep the fingers warm at really cold temperatures ... especially if the battery dies.  But throw a heat pack inside the mittens and things can stay pretty comfortable. 

[David Sutton]

I guess it's what you are used to but woollen gloves should be good to -20C. The sort of gloves you can wear and still work a camera.
There are two tricks:
Keep the wrists warm. I make wrist warmers by cutting off the tops of old socks and slipping them under the shirt cuffs.
And then keep your hands in your pockets when not photographing. Good wind-proof pockets in a warm jacket.
Everything else is something to go wrong.

[Geods]

Except for extreme cold where gloves and overmitts should be worn simultaneously, I think any photographer would be happy with a pair of these: http://www.arcteryx.com/product.aspx?language=EN&gender=mens&category=Accessories&subcat=Gloves&model=Lithic-Glove

I have an older pair of Arctyex work gloves and they are simply the best for detailed work and dexterity in cold weather. One reviewer indicated that he could pick up a small coin with them, which I have not been able to duplicate, but operating a camera with them is not really an issue. They are expensive, but I have never been disappointed.

As far as battery power goes you might look at the Gerbing brand. They make good products, which I also own, but run on 12V power from a motorcycle. I wouldn't use mine for fine detailed work. Additionally, I would be concerned about any type of active heating, when a failure might mean injury - for example a loss of charge a long way from shelter in a harsh environment.

[tsjanik]

I'd recommend Gore windstopper gloves.  I've used them for years while cross country skiing.  They are warm but allow for some dexterity.  I've always used Yoko gloves:

http://yoko.fi/products/ywg-10-tornado/

Many others are available as well.  If your hands get really cold, put the gloves under your shirt and yours hands inside your pants until blood and warmth return.  That has saved me many times.

[NancyP]

I tend to get attacks of Raynaud's syndrome (essentially the artery constricts completely and finger goes blue when stressed by cold) - painful. So, I try lots of gloves.

 I go for the big nylon shell insulated over-mitt and thin liner gloves with a silicone palm grip. Some such over-mitts also have pockets over the back of the hand/finger area for inserting chemical hand warmers - I may try one eg. http://www.cabelas.com/product/clam-outdoors-8482-men-s-icearmor-ultra-mitt/2028911.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dmitts%252Bwith%252Bwarmer%252Bpocket%26x%3D10%26y%3D6%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%252BProducts&Ntt=mitts+with+warmer+pocket

 Now for sitting in blinds, camera on tripod, fixed on target like eagle or owl nest, remote wired shutter release, I am going to try the insulated hand muff-belt with pocket for chemical handwarmer. The wired shutter release button can fit inside the muff, and you can keep your hands in light liner gloves. ~$25.00 at any Cabela/Bass Pro/Gander Mt. outfitter, chemical packs are $1.00 a pair (so 50 cents a use in the muff, you only need one in the central pocket. I will let you know how that works - it has just now gotten cold enough to be worht trying. Skip the wired shutter release and leave the gimbal free if watching for BIF from blind - just pull liner-gloved hands out of muff when you see bird and operate camera.

[skierd]

When it's below 0 here in Fairbanks I use these gloves I found at my local SkiDoo snowmobile dealer.

http://store.can-am.brp.com/product/684845/286572/_/Mossy_Oak_Camo_Gloves

So far they've worked great for photography at the Iditarod start and Yukon Quest finish last year. I also keep chemical warmers in my parka pockets just in case but haven't really needed them so far even down to -20F Or -30F. The hand muffs are great too if you're sitting but when it's that cold I really don't like sitting around anyway.

[brandtb]

A combo of form fitting glove plus expedition mittens is workable in a number of near zero sub-zero conditions.  For the first I really like the Seirus Xtreme...and the BD mitten is an expedition standard

http://www.ems.com/seirus-mens-xtreme-all-weather-gloves/1325988.html#start=8

http://blackdiamondequipment.com/en/ski-gloves/absolute-mitt-BD801681_cfg.html#start=24