I have long been an enthusiast of mitts – they are, for me, the best way to keep hands warm.
A bit of a confession here: I normally don’t review gear unless I have, as far as possible, given it a real good try. However in the case of the Torres Peak Mitts from the Terra Nova Extremities range, as we are now allegedly starting the northern hemisphere spring it seems appropriate to talk about these now because they are not really summer gloves.
As these mitts make use of Primaloft insulation and have a very cosy hi-loft fleece inner you can bet you are on a good wicket. As soon as you pull the Torres mitts on you feel more than happy to get out there in the cold.
Clearly you lose overall dexterity with mitts, but in some ways you keep it, as your hands stay warmer. I had hoped to get away skiing before the end of the season, which would have been ideal to try these, but sadly I didn’t make it.
The Torres are waterproof – not having been able to get onto the ski slopes I had to resort to the ‘tap test’ but after working them under a good stream of water not a drop passed through material or seams.
To prevent snow, cold and wet getting in from the top these mitts have two barriers. At the open end there is a single handed pull cord and at the already elasticated wrist, an adjustable pull strap. So with all this your hands should stay dry and warm. As back up and if things get really cold, the Torres can be used along with a liner glove.
From the Extremities extensive range, I have the Primaloft Touch Gloves and have long been a fan of this combination.
Once again Primaloft is there to provide insulation in combination with Merino wool. This is also partly water-resistant and fast-drying which is really necessary as you will end up using these on their own when you take your hands out of the mitts to operate any items of gear you need to. They will, of course, also work as standalone gloves.
As the name suggests these have special finger and thumb tips to enable the use with touch screen devices. These do work, but for me they would not work through the very battered protective cover I normally have fitted to my phone.
All in all these two make a good combination or are both excellent standalone items. Once I get to try them for real in colder and wetter climes I will let you know how I get on. To see the full Extremities gloves range go to Terra Nova’s All Gloves & Mitts web page.
Images © Mike & Jean Gormley