Author Topic: Furnace Response Dry Gloves  (Read 6929 times)

MaineSUP

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Furnace Response Dry Gloves
« on: March 30, 2014, 09:00:46 AM »
I find that the biggest downside to winter sessions is cold hands and that while neoprene works pretty well for SUS where my gloves stay wet, for flatwater, neoprene doesn't keep warm and the thickness (especially my 7mm mitts) ends up feeling like a fat grip forearm workout every time.  The kayak gloves and other wet gloves that I've tried don't block wind or keep warm.

So, I recently bought a pair of Furnace Response Dry Gloves. furnacelab.com.  The company is located in Portland, Maine (I don't have a connection to Furnace and paid full price for my gloves).  They are just getting started and currently only make one product (the gloves) in one size (I'd call it large-XL).  They include a fleece layer and then a latex glove that goes over the fleece gloves and creates a seal at your wrist. 

The trick, as they set out in the video on their website, is to blow air into the gloves so that they look like clown hands.  The idea is that your hands stay dry and that the air in the gloves warms and helps to insulate your hands.  I've used a couple times now on 5-6 mile paddles on the Maine coast and here are my thoughts-

-I wear XL gloves and found that the one size that they make works for me.  I imagine that someone with medium or large hands could wear these as well as a little more room would just add to the air/insulation in the glove.
-getting the gloves on right takes some practice and takes a few minutes, my second time out the process went more smoothly.
-the time spent getting the gloves on is worth it.  They worked, kept my hands dry and warm in 30-40 degree F  air and 38 degree water for my entire paddle.  I ended up going into the water a few times and the gloves' seal kept the water out with no problem.
-they are very low profile. When holding my paddle, the air in the gloves moves out of the way and so they are really just 1-2mm of fleece and latex.
-I tried prone paddling my SUP with the gloves as well to see how they worked in the water and they worked great.  They are more bouyant than neoprene gloves and so this feels a little different at first.
-they completely block the wind.
I haven't taken the out surfing yet but talked to some surfers who have used them all winter and reported that the gloves stayed warm and dry even through duck diving, rail grabbing, and victory at sea conditions.
-if you bend your wrist to extreme angles the air sometimes gets pushed out of the glove but it is relatively easy to blow them back up.  The only time that this happened was while I was trying get something out of the shoulder straps of my camelbak. 

Overall, I'm psyched with the find.  Warm clown hands.  I expect these will be my go to gloves for winter paddling.   
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mrbig

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Re: Furnace Response Dry Gloves
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2014, 10:15:35 AM »
As member of the winter paddle crazies these look interesting. Could be a better mousetrap. One size fits all?? If the Maine prone crew like 'em sounds good. I tried neoprene 3 mil summer gloves with goretex snowboard gloves over for a while as a solution to the problem we all face - paddling with exposed hands in frightening wind chill conditions. Keep us informed!
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Badger

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Re: Furnace Response Dry Gloves
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2014, 10:45:05 AM »
What happens if for some reason you need to take them off? Can you get them back on again with cold wet hands?

That's the trouble I have with neoprene. If you take them off it's very difficult to get them on again.

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MaineSUP

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Re: Furnace Response Dry Gloves
« Reply #3 on: March 31, 2014, 03:16:30 AM »
Shoals, I haven't tried to take them off and put them back on while out on the water yet. I've found that the toughest part about taking off and putting on neoprene gloves is getting my wetsuit over the neoprene, especially the 7mm.  So, the furnace gloves should be easier in that respect since they are much lower profile.  If they got absolutely soaked inside then that would be a problem and I doubt they would stay very warm after that but the wrist seal seems to work well and so I don't think that is likely to happen.
Coreban Dart 14'
SIC Bullet 14 V2
Sunova Speeed 9'2"
Red Sport 12'6"

supthecreek

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Re: Furnace Response Dry Gloves
« Reply #4 on: March 31, 2014, 05:25:35 AM »
Thanks MaineSUP... nice review!

stoneaxe

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Re: Furnace Response Dry Gloves
« Reply #5 on: April 02, 2014, 06:24:00 PM »
Definitely. got to try those for sure. Weird looking but that would be an easy trade for warm and dry hands.
Bob

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JUP

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Re: Furnace Response Dry Gloves
« Reply #6 on: April 03, 2014, 08:53:10 AM »
As a Mainer, I definitely will have to pick up a pair of these and support local business. Hopefully they come out with other paddle gear further down the line!

MaineSUP

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Re: Furnace Response Dry Gloves
« Reply #7 on: April 07, 2014, 05:15:23 PM »
Another session with the gloves and finding that prone paddling for a few minutes actually warms up my hands (even in thirty something degree water) and gets blood flowing to hands while they stay dry.

Practicing paddling my 14 foot board with my hands also makes me feel better about dealing with the lost/broken paddle scenario.
Coreban Dart 14'
SIC Bullet 14 V2
Sunova Speeed 9'2"
Red Sport 12'6"

 


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