Gear Review - Eddie Bauer First Ascent Summit Mitts

Eddie Bauer states that their First Ascent Summit Mitt is "a choice for high-altitude climbers venturing into inhospitable places, this mitt ensures that your digits stay toasty warm even in severe weather." I was about to put that to the test.

Living in Alberta, I have come to the foregone conclusion that cold is just a part of life - especially if I want to enjoy the mountains. You can either learn to enjoy it or hibernate for 6 months of the year. You see, Calgary sits at 51N meaning that come winter, the Polar Jet stream often sits to the south, bringing with it arctic air masses and freezing temperatures that can plummet into the -30s. In the mountains these freezing temperatures can be compounded by extreme winds and elevation that can drop temperatures down to the -50s, causing frostbite and hypothermia in minutes.

For several seasons I was grappling with keeping my digits warm during those winter excursions. I had tried many brands and types of hand protection. I had always been a person that preferred gloves to mitts. To me, the tradeoff of dexterity to warmth was enough to keep my fingers isolated. I managed well with polypropylene liners and thinsulate gloves for most of the time. The gloves allowed my fingers to move independently and grasp things and when they got cold, I would pull them into the palm of the glove, move them around and warm them back up. It was a minor inconvenience but one I was willing to pay. I have to admit though, in temperatures of warmer than -20C, the glove/liner combo did well. But what about the times when as you ascended the temperatures continued to fall?

When temperatures dipped below -20C, I turned to a hiking favourite - oxygen activated carbon hand warmers. These don't add a lot of heat, and having them in the palm of your hand really can be very uncomfortable. So I went out and bought a pair of gloves that have a pocket for hand warmers that fit over the back of your hand. Was this to be my saving glove? I decided to put it to the test. In late November a group of friends and outdoor enthusiasts decided to hike to the summit of Paget Peak - as we pulled into the trailhead parking lot just outside Trail BC, the thermometer on my car read -36C and the summit was still 900m above where we were standing, and it was barren - meaning no trees to act as a windstop. As we gained elevation and broke free of the trees the temperature started its decline fairly quickly, finally coming to a rest at -43C on the summit. The sheer cold of the day was only offset buy the spectacular brillance of a clear windless summit, but the gloves with their liners and handwarmers were not doing the job. I found my hands clenched inside the palm of the gloves almost the entire trip. I had even somehow developed a technique of holding my ice axe with my hands clenched. Totally not safe but it gave my finger some warmth. What I took away from that trip (minus moderate frostbite on my nose) was that gloves just didn't cut the cold and that I was going to buy a pair of gloves, not just any gloves...a good warm pair of gloves, ones that did the job.

Thus my quest for a mitt had begun. Having worked in an Outdoor Camping & Hiking store previously, I knew what I had in mind and what companies had what out there. I had also read reviews from the net, talked to people about their experience with mitts and even tested out several makes and styles. I had my eye on the Black Diamond Mercury Mitt when I cam across the First Ascent Summit Mitts while shopping for some base layers at my local Eddie Bauer (they're base layers are also top notch). The first thing that stood out was the colour. One thing I have been moving more towards in my outdoor wardrobe is brighter colours, these can prove invaluable in times of distress. After the colour the next thing I looked at was the insulation - and this is where I fell in love. The Summit Mitt boasts a dual-layer primaloft shell with a removable 550-fill goose down liner, both lined with a wool-poly blend. Talk about the best of both worlds. Primaloft has one of the highest warmth-to-weight ratios of any current synthetic insulation, it also retains more of its thermal capabilities when wet - which is why I think Eddie Bauer/First Ascent hit a home run using it on the outside and having the down in the liner. The Summit Mitts also contain a durable leather palm for extra grip and abrasion resistance. So after waiting for the Eddie Bauer Anniversary sale, I purchased the mitts and promptly put them to the test. The mitts sell for $149 CAD.

It was the middle of the week when I received them from Eddie Bauer (free Fed0Ex Shipping) so I had to try them in an urban setting first. The temperature was -32C with windchill and wearing them while walking to work was great. My hands never felt the cold, nor did they sweat like some reviewers have experienced. This past weekend I decided to try them on an alpine hike, it was much more mild but the temperature still came in at a chilly -26C. Standing alone on the summit of Prairie Mountainwith the wind blowing - my hands were warm. The only drawback I found was these mitts are huge and cumbersome to work in. Thankfully Eddie Bauer added wrist straps so when you pull the liners out of the shell, you are stil wearing a 550-fill down glove and the shell cannot blow away. The fact that you can remove the inner lining and separate the gloves is an added benefit - and as the liner gloves are less bulky, but still wind-resistent, warm and they give you more dexterity to tinker with small things like zippers on backpack and nozzles on stoves. They even have leather added to the underside of them for added durability and grip. When its time to put the shell back on, the liner just slips easily inside and velcroes securely into place.

Eddie Bauer/First Ascent definately in my opinion hit a home run with the First Ascent Summit Mitts, though I guess though with names like Ed Viesturs, Dave Hahn and Peter Whittaker behind the brand it ought to be good.

SUMMARY

PROS

• Built-in flexibility
• Lightweight and warm
• Packability (can be "squished" easily)
• Windproof/waterproof
• Wrist straps to keep shell/glove on body
• Stylish colour
• EB Lifetime Warranty
• Free shipping when ordered online

CONS

• Some may find it bulky when together (but considering what they are designed for, its accptable)
• Cost (may be priced outside of some peoples comfort zone - but is great for what you get)

OVERALL RANKING: 5 / 5