Re: [Paddlewise] Cold Hands

On 11 Feb 2003 at 22:20, JCMARTIN43_at_aol.com wrote:
> Any chance that you could run that by again, Aaron? Not challenging your statement, but it 
> seems counterintuitive that liners inside neoprene mitts would have a negative warmth factor. 
> Sounds as if your mitts are providing some warmth on their own, and that the glove liners are 
> keeping that heat away from your hands. On a bright, sunny day without spray or wave action, I 
> know that the backs of my black neoprene gloves will soak up a little heat, but it sure doesn't 
> seem to compete with what little heat is radiating out of my hands to heat up the moist air inside. 
> Dunno, but if you could be a tad more specific, it would be great news! 

Here is my theory....a mitten or in this case a pogie allows your 
fingers and hand parts to stay together, "sharing the warmth" if you 
will.  Skin contact is the best way as far as I know of sharing heat 
between body parts in a wide variety of situations.  While it might 
seem that a glove type liner would add to the warmth it is actually 
going to insulate said fingers and hand parts from one another.  
Granted you will have the benefit of the gloves insulation plus 
additional wind resistance cause by the pogie.  I would however 
suggest that you would retain more heat keeping your fingers and 
hand parts together via skin contact.  Our winter paddling up here 
averages 20 degrees air and 32 water on nice day.  I am constantly 
amazed at how much warmer my hand is bare inside a pogie then 
with gloves.  I will certainly acknowledge though that preferences 
and paddling conditions will vary.  The design of the pogie will play 
a significant roll as well.  I use thick neoprene pogies that offer 
excellent insulation and have a cuff that mates well with the wrist of 
my drysuit.  Give it a try, bring along some gloves.  

On another note, my statement about nylon pogies was a bit 
strong.  It would still be my personal opinion that in my local 
paddling conditions I would not use them.  Of course as with 
anything mileage will vary and if nylon works well for you then I 
think it is certainly your best choice.

Aaron White
Minneapolis
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