In 1982, the Glacier Glove company introduced a fishing-specific glove made of the same insulating and water-tolerating material used in wetsuits. Namely, the company welded neoprene into the shape of a palm with five fingers, creating a glove that could get wet and still provide warmth and enough dexterity to spin a fishing reel.
Today the company (www.glacierglove.com) sells a line of neoprene handwear for many sports, including fishing, paddling, skiing, climbing and cold-weather cycling.
I'd seen these gloves around for years, but until last month had never put a pair to the test. My demo pair, the clumsily named Model #802BK, was a waterproof winter glove made of 2-millimeter-thick neoprene and lined with synthetic fleece.
I tried the $44 gloves skijoring on a 10-degree evening. I rode a bike through the cold for several miles. I built snow forts with my daughter, scooping up gloppy handfuls of slush on a warm weekend afternoon. Even held under the bathroom faucet, water on full blast, the gloves did not leak.
They are not as insulating as I'd hoped, however, as my hands were cold in temps below 15 degrees. Their allowance for dexterity is above average: I could dial my mobile phone with the glove on.
This spring, I'll wear these gloves during sea kayaking, with cold water running down the paddle and dribbling off my hands back into the murk, my fingers happy and dry beneath a thin protective shell.
