Post edited 5:19 pm – May 1, 2012 by admin

There are various options for ski touring glove system;

1. wear your regular warm resort gloves and deal with the heat, then strip them off when becomes too much and deal with the cold

2. carry two sets of gloves, one thinner breathable pair for hiking and one warmer, waterproof pair for resting and descending

3. wear a warm, waterproof glove that breathes

The Hestra Softshell comes close to fulfilling the conditions of option 3. Just like any type of apparel, breathability comes with a tradeoff – usually in the form of warmth and/or durability. There are definitely warmer gloves out there, but few will be as efficient at dissipating heat. While I would still carry a thinner glove or liner for warm days of Spring touring, this glove was able to maintain a comfortable temperature while hiking in mid winter temperatures, all the way to the top of the skin track.

Read the full review in our Gear Reveiw pages.