Gear Review: Black Diamond Superlight Mitt
Warm doesn't have to mean weight.
[warmest]
Winter warriors have long accepted heavier gear as the price of keeping their toes and fingers. But these beefy mittens bust the warm-must-be-weighty myth. Their secret? A wispy-yet-tough 15-denier ripstop Pertex shell encases a Gore-Tex liner and a fluffy dose of PrimaLoft fill, which combined to keep our tester’s digits toasty and dry while ice climbing in Rocky Mountain National Park. Rated to -25°F, they were the warmest for the weight he’d ever used, and they stuff to softball size. Bonus: “I still had enough dexterity to manipulate ’biners at the belay,” he says. Credit the supple, tacky sheepskin leather palms (with Kevlar stitching for excellent durability). A wish: a clipping loop for hanging them on a harness. $180; 10 oz.; (unisex XS-L); blackdiamondequipment.com