The Give'r 4-Season Gloves are A-OK!
Alone on a mountain with the sun rapidly dropping below the horizon, the day’s rain starts freezing into snow. Falling ice crystals join forces with high winds to assault any unfortunate bits of exposed skin as I frantically pitch my tent.
Six hours of hiking in a downpour have left my rain pants soaked through. My legs are drenched, my socks are soaked, but as I pound tent pegs into the soon-to-be-frozen ground, I think to myself, “at least my hands are warm.”
Glove choice can really make or break a cold-weather excursion. Nothing sucks the joy out of an adventure quite like freezing fingers. While I always pack redundancies for things like base layers and extra socks, I expect my gloves to keep my hands warm and dry. The 4-Season Give’r Gloves do just that.
One hundred percent waterproof and windproof, without needing any maintenance, these robust leather gloves are insulated with a 40-gram Thinsulate liner and a breathable Hipora membrane. Tightly fitting cuffs keep out the snow and make the gloves easy to put on. The leather is cut and stitched together in a way that allows the gloves to fold or bend with the natural motion of the hands. The built in D-rings make the Give’rs a breeze to attach and stash when they are not needed.
The high-quality construction and design make the 4-Season Gloves versatile enough for everything from hiking and camping to hitting the slopes. Yet they are dexterous enough to perform any kind of work from flipping BBQ skewers to digging out cars buried in snow to chopping firewood. They are so well insulated they handle dry ice or grab a hot cook pot right off the fire. There isn’t much these gloves can’t do.
What I Love About the 4-Season Give’r Gloves
Pull Tab - The cuffs that slide so easily underneath long sleeves also have a pull tab sewn in that attaches directly to the glove’s outermost leather layer. It makes donning the gloves a snap, no matter if it is the first or second glove to go on.
It also has the added benefit of contributing to their longevity. Pull loops are often a point of failure on well-fitting gloves. The added durability of a leather piece attached right to the glove’s strongest layer protects the cloth cuffs from ripping and is a greatly appreciated feature.
Weather / Waterproofness - I have worn Give’r gloves to collect water in freezing temps and never felt the cold. I have reached into and rearranged a fire without feeling the heat. The insulation and protection provided by these gloves boggles my mind. They provide incredible warmth and protection without much bulk.
D-Rings - As a self-diagnosed shutterbug, I remove my gloves often for the sake of a great photo. More than once a dropped glove has gone unnoticed and made for some serious back tracking.
The Give’r gloves have well-sized d-rings steadfastly attached. Instead of tiny, difficult, plastic connectors to fidget with, a small carabiner can attach one glove to another with ease. It is just as easy to attach both gloves to a belt loop or backpack with that same biner. I won’t be losing either of these gloves on any picturesque trails.
Built to Last Years - These gloves are made to last! The leather is supple but durable as heck. The insulation is protected by a waterproof membrane. The stitching is bomber, reinforced, and well placed. No amount of water, nor fire, nor digging my car out of the ice with just these gloves, have done anything but break them in even more and add to their dexterity.
What I Don’t Love
The Break-in Period - They start out tight and stiff. Much like any leather product, these gloves need time/ use to properly break in and stretch to fit your hands like … well … a glove. The more they get used, the more useful they become and the better they fit.
Take a Long Time to Dry - Probably my biggest gripe with the Give’r gloves is the fact that if the inside gets wet, it can take days to dry. The features that make this glove so warm and weatherproof also make it hard to circulate air inside the glove when it needs to dry out.
The best solution I have found is to insert a cardboard tube into the cuff to prop the gloves open and help with venting. Perspiration control is key, especially on multi-day excursions where the warmth of the gloves will be diminished over time if they don’t remain dry on the inside.
Limited Dexterity - As expected with gloves built to be this warm, tasks like zipping up jackets and tying fine ropes are difficult to accomplish. I find myself removing them for most of my camp chores. Cold hands do take a minute to warm back up when the gloves first go on, so I’m hoping more use will continue to break them in and help with this issue.
The Verdict
I have put my 4-Season Give’r Gloves through the wringer for multiple winters now and they hardly show any wear and tear at all. Their warmth and durability are truly impressive.
Attention to detail and simplistic solutions to common problems experienced with other gloves make Give’r gloves much higher functioning. If awareness of the slow drying time is taken into account, their performance is pretty hard to beat.
They look great, they feel great, and they work great. No matter the season or activity, if cold hands are a problem, Give'r Gloves are the answer.
4-Season Give'r Gloves
SHOP
Mandy Esch is an international pro skater turned avid outdoorswoman who enjoys backpacking, camping, fly fishing, cliff diving and passing on what she learns along the way. In her backpacking blog, Mandy shares video trail reviews and trip planning guides. Follow her adventures atwww.backcountrydirtbag.com.
