Glove Recommendation?

[ndonaldj]

These $30 Wells Lamont gloves only lasted one single trip to the bottom of Nielson's Well Cave. Does anybody have any recommendations on gloves that would last maybe two.... or even three trips??

[BrianFrank]

These $30 Wells Lamont gloves only lasted one single trip to the bottom of Nielson's Well Cave. Does anybody have any recommendations on gloves that would last maybe two.... or even three trips??

I like these from Home Depot, but they don't look as sturdy as yours. That must have been one tough trip as my gloves last me 5 or 6 times before they get their first hole.
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R ... ogId=10053

[tncaver]

Get cheap ones. The won't last any longer but sure won't cost you as much to replace.

[GroundquestMSA]

Indeed. My gloves usually last quite a long time. I buy whatever cheap gloves I see at Wal-Mart or Lowes or the gas station on the way to the cave. However, I usually don't have to fight wolverines, something obviously involved in a trip to Nielson's.

[Grandpa Caver]

I like latex dipped nylon gloves. I usually go thru a couple pair a year and they only cost 3-5 bucks. I've found it's hard to beat their feel and grip in wet or muddy conditions. The cotton versions will do in a pinch but they don't last as long, don't fit as well and are clammy and hard to get on & off when wet.

[LukeM]

Keep an eye out for nitrile dipped nylon gloves. They tend to hold up better than latex.

[Evan G]

Keep an eye out for nitrile dipped nylon gloves. They tend to hold up better than latex.

I use Kevlar Glove Dipped in Nitrile Rubber, which are pretty bomber (similar to this): http://www.amazon.com/Wells-Lamont-551X ... B004QAUGZY

Or for snowy cold weather caving a glove like this which does well on the approach and in the cave: http://www.amazon.com/B-G-G-ARCTIC-Weat ... 415&sr=1-1

Surprisingly they are fairly inexpensive....

[Steven Johnson]

Keep an eye out for nitrile dipped nylon gloves. They tend to hold up better than latex.

I usually use the cotton-coated-with-blue-latex-rubber-palms ("Atlas Fit" brand); I've also tried the nitrile-dipped nylon gloves, and while I like the thinner fit, I also find the nylon fabric seems to develop holes sooner than the cotton ones. (The nitrile seems more durable than the latex, but if the glove is coming apart structurally, doesn't matter much...) At about $7 a pair (or $5 for the Ace Hardware house brand) economics aren't a huge issue, it's more just avoiding waste.

I use Kevlar Glove Dipped in Nitrile Rubber, which are pretty bomber (similar to this): http://www.amazon.com/Wells-Lamont-551X ... B004QAUGZY

As mentioned above, I find it's the latex/rubber coating that usually gives out before the cotton, so Kevlar seems like overkill... unless maybe this has an extra-thick coating of nitrile?

Or for snowy cold weather caving a glove like this which does well on the approach and in the cave: http://www.amazon.com/B-G-G-ARCTIC-Weat ... 415&sr=1-1

Oooh, now THIS I like! I've been using "home chemical" gloves (basically super-extra-heavy-duty kitchen gloves) in colder caves (with polypro glove liners) and while that gets the job done it's definitely not ideal. I'm totally ordering some of those to try...

[LukeM]

Oh, I completely forgot about these! http://wvunderground.net/gloves

Might as well support a caver business, and they look great. Can't speak to their quality myself.

[Evan G]

I use Kevlar Glove Dipped in Nitrile Rubber, which are pretty bomber (similar to this): http://www.amazon.com/Wells-Lamont-551X ... B004QAUGZY

As mentioned above, I find it's the latex/rubber coating that usually gives out before the cotton, so Kevlar seems like overkill... unless maybe this has an extra-thick coating of nitrile?

Nitrile rubber dipped gloves from my perspective have a much different in wear capabilities than latex dipped glove like the Atlas brand. The Nitrile rubber seems to hold together and stay on the glove much longer than the latex thus giving longer glove life. The Kevlar part (can you do overkill in a cave?), I personally like because the caves in the Rockies have a tendency to be sharp with not a lot of mud and it is nice to have good hand protection. A course of action is to experiment with different types of gloves till you find one that suits you and your caving area. Heck I tried Heculiner on coveralls to try to reinforce wear areas, it was a partial success.

Nitrile rubber: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrile_rubber

[Steven Johnson]

Nitrile rubber dipped gloves from my perspective have a much different in wear capabilities than latex dipped glove like the Atlas brand. The Nitrile rubber seems to hold together and stay on the glove much longer than the latex thus giving longer glove life. The Kevlar part (can you do overkill in a cave?), I personally like because the caves in the Rockies have a tendency to be sharp with not a lot of mud and it is nice to have good hand protection.

Agreed that overkill is hard Nitrile does seem to be a bit more durable than latex, but on the flipside, it's doesn't seem quite as insanely grippy as latex. (Maybe I'm splitting hairs, as it's still pretty grippy.) I'd be curious to try the feel of the kevlar before ordering a pair; I'll see if there's anyplace local that carries 'em...

[Evan G]

Home depot....Oakland, CA... West Chester Pro Nitrile Dipped Kevlar Large Work Gloves
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R ... ogId=10053

It is scary what you can do with the internet now!