Outdoor Research trigger finger mittens

[Moondog55]

These have just been released in the USA ; I think probably as a byproduct of an Army contract; I need a new pair of winter mittens and I was wondering if anybody here had heard any performance reports or other comments about them

http://www.us-elitegear.com/catalog/or-mutant-mitts.htm

[nickL]

they look interesting - did you have a weight for them

nick

[Moondog55]

Yes, the average weight from the website is 403 grams per pair.
I do not know if they are sized to go over a liner glove or if they are meant to use on their own a a single layer, many years ago I had a set of old RAF "Mountain Rescue Overmitts" they were great for use with an ice-axe but being canvas were heavy and clumsy when wet and frozen, these look like a good alternative

[Moondog55]

OK Just had email conversation with Outdoor Research and these are only sold though US Military procurement, totally unavailable now to non-military people.
If I want a pair I will have to make my own it seems.

[nickL]

let me know if you do - would love to see the finished product

nick

[Moondog55]

Well Nick, I found an old pair of pile mittens and started, not as hard to make the liner as I thought, but a shell? That I think will be a little more trouble, I will need to buy a pattern.

[Moondog55]

I have found plenty of pairs of these shells for sale on eBay US, apparently they are changing from black to TAN shells for military purposes and all of the black shells are therefore defunct, don't you just love military fashions, I'm going to buy a pair of shells and just use a glove inside.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... K:MEWAX:IT

OR have several gloves which fit these shells, and any decent glove would work well i think, I like having my index finger free when using an ice-axe or holding a hammer

[nickL]

hi MD

the only pair of mits of this type on ebay are those you gave the link for - too big for me as i think i would need a medium - have you found them anywhere else

nick

[Moondog55]

Not so far nick, making the liners was a piece of cake, if these had not been there I would have ordered a pattern from the USA and modified it, curved fingers seem to need a real pattern, but any mitten shell could be fixed by sewing in a strip of fabric between the index finger and the rest, then seam sealing with builders silicon