It's freezing, as noted elsewhere, and my gloves are falling apart, like so many pairs before them.
Current gloves: £1.99 - or was it 99p! - from Woolworths, 'one size fits all' woolly gloves with a 'gripper' pattern on the palm. Problem: fingernails destroy the ends, and no, I'm not trimming my fingernails any shorter!
Previously tried: Totes, equally prone to fingernail destruction, and also too tight at the wrong part of the wrist for me.
Best pair ever: horse riding gloves, bought from a shop specialising in outdoor wear for the "huntin', shootin', fishin'" fraternity. But I lost them and haven't found another pair like them, except on someone else. Only problem, not very long in the wrist so a bit draughty.
Any other recommendations? My spec is that gloves MUST fit easily into a coat pocket, and be thin enough to enable me to find my bus fare without taking them off on the days when I don't have the car. And, I guess, cheap enough not to cry if I lose them!!!
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Sue,
Gloves don't work, just a fancy accessory. If you're hands are cold, it's probably a heart problem. A mate of mine had cold feet for several years, eventually, he died.
Steve.
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thats very tactful, scare Sue why dont you. its ok Sue, i have had cold hands since i was 9 years old, and i am still going strong.
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There is a joke about laying on of hands in all this, but I do not think I will risk it.
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Sue,
Only two gloves any good for your job.
The lightest are RAF pilots gloves in the thinnest of light blue leather and with an extended cuff so they don't "gap". Almost like not having any gloves on. Available from...well any good pilot really
Next grade along are the American cowboy "Roper" gloves. As the name indicates they are made for working with ropes and retain good feel while being a little heavier than the pilot's ones. Available from any decent western outfitter by mail order from the USA.
Actually a third does come to mind, German tank drivers gloves. They are a little tight at the end of the finger but are in a lovely shade of grey. Available from all good ex-military stockists.
Perhaps more than you wanted to know, don't get me started on wellingtons!
David
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Do Wermacht panzer drivers have long finger nails?
I think we should be told.
Did Gederian fail because his panzer divisions took too long to get out of 'camp'?
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sue, cold hands warm heart, seriously, try halfords or try search engine "ask jeeves" type in driving gloves.
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David Woollard wrote:
>
>
> Next grade along are the American cowboy "Roper" gloves. As
> the name indicates they are made for working with ropes and
> retain good feel while being a little heavier than the
> pilot's ones. Available from any decent western outfitter by
> mail order from the USA.
>
Next door to here there is an outfit selling this sort of stuff.
Sue if you want a pair I can get them if they have any in your size and we can sort out the details later. What size/colour.... sorry color ;-)
Now let us try and get Sue onto the record thread length.
Best Wellies? Discuss
hopefully not green!
regds,
Stuart
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USAF Firemans/Crash Rescue wellingtons top choice every time. Steel toecap, warm lining and with a wide top so you can pull them on easily. Style minimal, large and black with yellow detailing. If they were new and made for retail sale at this quality they ought to be £40 pair. Only £12 at local surplus shop.
Now in short supply over East Anglia due to my marketing efforts.
David
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While I have been known to wear wellies (green I fear, but not expensive) I certainly wouldn't want to drive in a pair!
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Black with yellow detailing eh?
Wow - must stand out in the fens!
Regards
John
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Sad to say the yellow is a little faded and lacking in impact, I'd love to get a new pair though to "refresh" the detailing impact.
And Sue I rarely wear them in the car as they cover all the pedals in one go. They are a little large even for the tractor floor and when getting out the "pull-on loops" usually catch the hydraulic lever and dump whatever is in the trailer on the road. Never park behind me.
David
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David
I'd revise your estimate of the 'new' price of your Wellingtons!
I'm just back from our local 'Country Store', getting a new broom head, not wellingtons. Spotted a big display of 'Le Chameau' boots, priced at a wallet flattening £105/pair! Makes the Hunters at £40 look a bargain!
regards
John
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Not even thought of Wellys since being introduced to hiking boots a few years ago. Get a good pair of gore-tex boots and they are warm enough to wear at -20 on the top of a mountain and cool enough that I wore a pair through 35 degree heat in Florida this summer. ReliablyWaterproof up to above the ankle means that you would have to be wading to get your feet wet. I'm on my second pair in four years and the first don't look too worn even after daily use for three years.
As for gloves I remember skiing friends raving about some type of Swiss army gloves that are issued to their mountain soldiers. Can't remember what they were made out of (soft leather of some kind) but the theory was that the were warm enough for the alps and left you with enough dexterity to break down a rifle(!)
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Still think you can't beat a good set of Noras!
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Stuart,
When you popped in to look at the roper gloves did you get a big "Rodeo Cowboy" belt buckle, that would wow them at meetings.
David
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David,
It's the National Rodeo Finals this week in town.
Yikes those are mean beasts, it defeats me why anyone wants to do that!
I mean climbing on the back of a bull that basically just wants to kill you!
Yee hah!
Stuart
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>National Rodeo Finals
An event I know well.
You'll be seeing the Roper gloves in action then.
Check out the "official" jeans those guys wear. USA made and about $24 a pair. As they do such a good job keeping them glued to the back of those beasts is it any wonder they keep me similarly fixed to the chair in front of the PC.
Get yourself a pair, it'll increase the Vectra experience no end when you get back.
David
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Bucking broncos, steer wrestling, Vectra ride and handling.........yep I can see the connection.
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Stuart
And this is from a man who's currently driving an American car. Surely that puts the Vectra's handling in perspective?
I recall driving my friends mid 80's car in Canada (sorry, can't remember the make, but it was front wheel drive), and he was proudly saying how he'd replaced the shocks, and how much better the handling was.
He then said I should watch the bend ahead. Now, frankly, I didn't class the slight curve as the 'bend' and was looking much further ahead. However, negotiating said curve made me realise what he meant! Never seen so much lean in a car on a road I'd call straight in Britain.
regards
John
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Stuart B wrote:
> Now let us try and get Sue onto the record thread length.
To help things along, I know there is a school of thought which regards anyone wearing a hat while driving as short of a braincell or two, but those of us who feel we have something worth protecting in there may disagree. Until the car reaches a comfortable temperature, I favour a large fleece construction with a fold-back brim. This gives me four layers over my ears, very cosy. I also have a black woolly Thinsulate affair, which is not as stylish but just as cosy. I did have a tube which you pulled over your head which doubled as a scarf, and was very effective, until I lost it somewhere. Under my bike (pedal) helmet I used to wear a thin black balaclava, pulled up over my nose so only my eyes showed, very sinister. People used to laugh at it but you get to the stage where comfort is more important than looks ...
I wear a sunhat in the summer but not to drive in, unless it's very sunny and I can't find my sunglasses ...
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Sue
I bought a pair from M&S last winter - mens soft leather with a light weight fleece lining (not what you'd call ladies' fashion gloves, admittedly), I think they cost about £20. They are brilliant - quite the best gloves I've owned.
They are light and warm and are very comfortable for driving - first thing on a frosty morning. They are equally good for general outdoor wear, and will fit in a man's pocket quite well when not needed. They are also of a reasonable length in the cuff.
They must be quite good because we bought number one (27) son a pair for Christmas and he's still using them!
A bit over budget?
Ian
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Darcy Kitchen, L.A.C. and the Northern Alliance.
Are you reading this?
First air conditioning in cars, frost on windscreens, now gloves for driving.
If we dont watch it they will have us up north having glass in our car windows.
What ever happened to southern hairy chests?
DVD ;-]
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DVD
As I type, the sun is beating down in Spennymoor, the air temp gauge in the Rover said 2.5 deg and I haven't worn driving gloves since I started excercising regularly to improve my circulation.
The new boiler at home means I now go to bed with a rosy glow (Madame none too pleased about that ...)
Yes I am getting soft in my old age and enjoying every minute of it.
:-))
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Are you a Spennymurian Darcy? I don't think the place has been the same since they removed the twin towers next to Nelsons garage...
Lee.
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Negative, and I think the term is Spennonian. Never came across the twin towers although I know where Nelson's is.
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Darcy writes:
< >
Tried Viagra, Darcy?
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Thanks for that mental image, I suppose I asked for it ;-)
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Dwight Van-Driver wrote:
> First air conditioning in cars, frost on windscreens, now
> gloves for driving.
> If we dont watch it they will have us up north having glass
> in our car windows.
For the record, I make no apologies for being an effete southerner. Although I did spend three years in Durham, including one of the snowiest winters on record. When we have had snow 'down south' I have therefore not been intimidated by it!
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I bought a pair of leather driving gloves and another pair leather winter gloves from M&S 15 years ago. They were so good thatI bought a 2nd pair of each in case same quality were not around when replacement might be needed. I need not have worried - my original 1st pairs are still as good as new, just one is now beginning to wear out!! No wonder M&S have been struggling with lower profits - their goods last for ever.
My wife bought some cheap thermal fleece "thinsulate" gloves (not driving gloves) from QS two years ago and they are also quite good.
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Sue,
Gloves that meet your criteria - try an outdoor pursuits shop (eg Blacks or Elils Brigham) that specialises in 'mountain sports', eg climbing. You might be lucky there. If you want leather (my own preference, because they don't slip) you could try upmarket outfitters. About 12 years ago (maybe more) I went to one of these to get some gloves (hand-sewn unlined leather). I tried on a few pairs, but the fingers were all too short. When I told the sales person, he said - 'no problem: we just ask the supplier and they will send a pair with longer fingers, at no extra charge'. They did. Fitted perfectly, and I still have them. By the way, they also supplied them with a long wrist, so there's no gap and no drafts up the sleeve! Admittedly they were quite expensive (but then they were a Christmas present...). Something for your Xmas stocking, perhaps?
Richard
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Thank you all. For the record, I used to suffer terribly from poor circulation, chilblains etc in my youth, they thought I might have Reynaud's syndrome but I didn't. That's over 30 years ago and I'm still here!!!
I am pleased to report that my circulation improved no end once I got pregnant - sorry LAS, one solution not open to you - at a reasonably advanced age, and I am now a much hotter body than I used to be. I haven't worn bedsocks for years. Although my husband often wishes I would ...
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Sue,
My wife, we both suspect has a tendency towards Raynaud's. Hers also was (and is currently) better during pregnancy. This is because it is a state of relative immunosupression, and it is thought the vascular spasm associated with Raynauds is an autoimmune phenomenon. Also, pregnancy is a high cardiac output, low vascular resistance state, which helps the peripheral circulation.
It has played havoc with ski-ing and bracing walks up Scottish hills.
She has found that Jenner's in Edinburgh sells a good range of leather gloves, which are sufficient protection against the elements and fit easily into her pocket (she continually loses bulky gloves).
Roland
PS if there is any debate, I would wear bedsocks, because there is no more unpleasant way of being roused from the edge of sleep than by having a block of ice pressed to the back of your knee
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roland wrote:
> PS if there is any debate, I would wear bedsocks, because
> there is no more unpleasant way of being roused from the edge
> of sleep than by having a block of ice pressed to the back of
> your knee
My husband would assure you that with sufficient determination, it is possible to find other places to press the blocks of ice ...
And we could debate the relative unpleasantnesses of blocks of ice and ear-splitting snoring! (On a bad night, you can hear him all over the house, even on a different floor with the door closed.)
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i quite like the M&S leather golfing gloves, go for the fleece lined ones, these are soft, warm, and are NOT cumbersome to wear.
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LAS
Unfortunately golfing gloves are sold singly (left glove for a right-handed player and vice versa). I'm not sure about fleece lining, as it would impede your grip and allow relative movement between your hand and the club. Perhaps the ones you recommend are "strolling around golf course gloves", rather than "Golf Gloves". Still sound very nice though.
Roland
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Thank you, that's very kind, but I have no idea what size!!! Think it best if I follow up suggestions made and try to find something I like the foot-slogging way.
I still have a pair of £1.99 Woollies best in reserve! At that price I can afford to buy them two at a time.
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