Freezing appendages

Snowgirl

Question: for those of you who shoot outside in the cold, how do you keep your fingers from freezing? We had a huge (and beautiful) snowfall last night and I wanted to shoot it at sunrise this morning. I bundled up, grabbed my gear and went outside and set up. Within 5 minutes the tips of my fingers had changed colour (I had fingerless gloves on) and weren't working well (am also arthritic which doesn't help). The pain became excruciating so I went in and got a pair of thin gloves (so I could still manipulate my camera) to put under the fingerless gloves. Helped for 5 minutes.

Temperature here is -10C but there's no wind.

Any suggestions? I've missed it for today but will try again.:cry

Chrissiebeez_NL

Dont know if they would be warm enough for -10 but i have gloves where the tips of the thumb and the tip of the 'point' (??:D??) finger can be pulled back momentarily for operating stuff like your cellphone or camera. maybe something like that can help?

MJoliat

You could also try using those heating packs that you get at Walmart (or wherever). Shake them up and put them in your gloves ahead of time. Keep them in there and they should help your fingers stay warm. Sometimes they can be a bit distracting because you feel them and it might change your grip somewhat, but that is easily enough dealt with. You can also get them for your boots.

Good Luck. Nothing beats a great sunrise!

Snowgirl

Thanks. The mitts I have are like what you describe, Chrissie - the tips fold back to let your fingers out for quick things - but nope, not warm enough. The hot pack idea is a good one. I'll pick some up today and try again tomorrow.

denisegoldberg

I've been wearing two pairs of gloves - flip-top glove/mitts like the ones you described with a pair of thinner (Polartec) gloves underneath. Maybe a slightly heavier underlayer will help. There's a description / photo in the blog entry I posted on Sunday - http://denisegoldberg.blogspot.com/2011/01/layers-and-layers-and.html.

The undergloves help quite a lot, no bare skin exposed. Temperatures here have been in the low 20s (Fahrenheit), and the double layer has been working for me.

I've used foot and hand warmers in the past, haven't reached that point so far this year, but... Here's a link to some on REI.com - http://www.rei.com/search?query=hand+warmers. If you go the warmers route, I'd recommend attaching the warmer to your inner glove and not to your skin.

--- Denise

Roaddog 52

When I shoot during cold weather, I use a polypropylene glove liner and then an army surplus wool glove liner, that will keep the cold a bay long enough to set up for a shot. I also use hand warmers in colder weather, but instead of putting them in my gloves I put them on my wrist between my thermo top and the next layer. I use a tripod as much as possible and that keeps me from having to hold on to a cold camera. Another trick I have used in extremly cold conditions, zero and minus conditions, is to put moleskin on the grip surfaces of my camera.

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Snowgirl

Brilliant ideas. Thanks so much.

Travis

I also prescribe to the flip-top wool mitts with the open fingers underneath. Another thing that I found helps (though not necessarily with keeping warm) is to use a remote release. I found that it helps me autofocus without needing to expose my fingers to the cold and minimizes camera shake from my trembling hands pushing the shutter release button. I hate the cold!!!

squirl033

i agree with Travis... a remote shutter release is very helpful, as it can be manipulated even with gloves or mittens on, and will let you activate AF and the shutter without exposing fingers to the cold. i generally wear gloves, and if i have to, i can take one off long enough to fiddle with whatever needs fiddling, then put the glove back on before my hand gets too cold. Frankly, when shooting in extreme cold, my biggest problem is battery life!

Snowgirl

I totally agree on using a remote release. I can't stand the cold at all and shiver so much no images would be recognizable if it weren't for a tripod and remote.

Hubby took pity on me and bought me a pair of alpaca wool mittens with the flip top so I can get my fingers out if I need to. Alpaca wool is reputed to be warmer than sheep's wool, and it's so much lighter and less bulky.

Marc Muench

Inevitably your fingers will get cold while taking pics in that temp. I ALWAYS must take a 1 minute break and shove my hands right (gloves temporarily off) up next to my belly. The important part is to place your hands next to your warm flesh! Believe it or not this will warm your hands faster than anything.
Oh and you must have warm clothes on to keep your belly warm

pathfinder

To keep your hands warm you need a hat and/or a hood.

When properly dressed for a cold climate, 90% of your heat loss will be through your head if it is not covered with a hat.....

I learned skiing that to keep my feet warm ( and my fingers warm too ) that I had to cover my head and my neck...

I rarely use any gloves heavier than light fleece, unless the wind is howling.

Using a cable release in the cold helps a lot too. And avoiding a metal tripod.

Toshido

Back when I worked on cell phone towers I had to manipulate lots of little pieces, short 1/4-20 screws and nuts mostly.

What I used in -20 Celsius weather 150 feet up on a tower was a simple pair of thin cotton work gloves, over that I wore another pair of the cotton work gloves with the fingers cut off so i still had tactile sensation in my finger tips. Between those I put a hand warmer on the back of my hand.
Worked for me as long as the gloves stayed dry.

Art Scott

Seirus brand gloves...I have like 34 pair...2 pair of large Thermax and 2 pair of small thermax....my hands are sorta small most men's gloves leave about and inch of glove finger from the tip of my finger...but the Seirus gloves fit like a ....well glove....these are there least expensive gloves at around $12 usd......I also have a pair of all weather extremes by Seirus (~~$50 usd) and then there is the neoprene fishing gloves....with neoprene you have to make sure of 2 things....1 the gloves are warm when you put them on....2- your hands have to be warm when you put them on or else they tend to refrigerate your hands.....all these gloves allow me to work all controls and change CF cards and batts as needed......I took my camera into a Gander Mountain here to test the gloves....where you are if you can find the gold Seirus Gloves they have a pocket on top for a small hand warmer....that is why I use a small pair and a large par...I can slide the warmer between them...all my photo gloves are Seirus except the neoprene fishing gloves and they are Gander Mtn store brand....they also have grippers that look like little black fish on them...............All these gloves are over 6 yrs old and still in great condition.....I also use them for BOWHUNTING.................

If you have a major hunting fishing store there they probably have the same gloves and they do make most of these in womens sizes also.......what I do want is a Mad Bomber rabbit fur hat for when the prairie wind decides to blow at 60mph and at -50*f when I am out......but everyone here quit carrying them

Snowgirl

Thanks guys. Yes, when I head out into our winter weather I tend to look a bit like the Pillsbury doughboy

I have a full length down filled coat, wool toque plus a wind hood if I need it, long underwear, wool sweater, snow pants, insulated boots - so it is primarily my hands that suffer (and mobility since I'm swaddled like a newborn infant)

I'll look into that brand of gloves you mentioned, Art, and see if I can find them around here, perhaps in a hunting supply store. I have neoprene gloves but you're right - if anything is cold to start with, you're knackered.

The biggest problem is arthritis in my hands and lousy circulation - but, I just do what I can.