Battery heated gloves for winter photography

[Wawe]

I’m going to Finnish Lapland for a week in January and it’s probably going to be very cold there, around -10°C (14°F) during daytime. As I generally get my hands cold much quicker than most people, I’m looking for a solution to be able to spend some time shooting outside despite the weather.

Having already tried the small ‘heat pillows’ that you can put inside your gloves (didn’t work at all for the fingers that are mainly the issue here), I’ve recently researched the subject some more and discovered battery powered heated gloves. It seems that there are a lot of varieties of the product for motorcyclists etc. but most of these gloves aren’t suitable for photography due to their limited dexterity.

So I’m looking for recommendations here given the special needs of a photographer. Has anyone got experience with these type of gloves in the field?

Thanks in advance!

 

[AKUK]

When I ventured out into the wilderness of Canada back in 2013, I would routinely go shooting in -20c to -35c air temperatures. I wore very low profile North Face Etip gloves. They are the type that have the foil on the index finger and thumb so you can use an iPhone, etc. They still allowed excellent use of the camera and my hands were reasonably okay in those when walking around. If the wind chill was particularly strong, then I would wear an outer mitten to keep my hands protected, or shove my hand into my pocket. You can purchase gloves that have an outer mitten section built in, that you can fold back out of the way, to allow your fingers to access the buttons. You can also get fingerless gloves with an outer mitt. You could wear those in combination with the North Face Etip type gloves which will give you the best of both worlds.

By far the biggest issue is the camera itself though. The cold from the magnesium alloy body of the D800 and my 300mm f/4 AF would radiate through the gloves, something fierce! I would highly recommend you purchase a Lens Coat and also a silicone skin for the body itself. This will provide an extra layer of insulation between the camera and your hand and certainly make things more bearable. -10c isn't as bad as it sounds and using either gloves and mitts or a combo glove should do the trick. You can of course use the little heat packs inside to add warmth.

I would also highly recommend a Peak Design Capture Pro, with the Pro Pad if you do not already own one. This allows you to mount the camera on your belt or bag strap, keeping it firmly in place. This lowers the chance of accidentally knocking the lens and also easy access to the camera. Nothing more annoying than wanting the camera in a hurry and you have to try and retrieve it from the backpack, then replace it when done to carry on moving. The Capture Pro takes all the weight off your neck and stops the camera swinging around. If you're walking through snow banks or climbing over small obstacles, it can be a godsend.

If you use a tripod, you can cover the tops of the legs in foam, if they don't have it already. Depending upon how thick the tripod is, you can use bicycle handlebar foam grips. Only two of mine were covered, so I did the third leg too, which detaches as a monopod. It can be a job to do it but, the best way is to use a small amount of dish soap to aid the insertion. If it's a tight fit against the leg, virtually all of this gets removed as you slide the foam over anyway but, makes a huge difference. The foam means you don't have to touch the cold metal legs.

If you wear glasses, I would also look at a Respro cycle mask. These are made from neoprene and do a good job of keeping your face warm. They also have a metal nose synch, which you can mould to your facial features. This prevents your glasses or goggles from misting up, as the air can only be exhaled from around the mouth area. That was one problem I had back in 2013. My balaclava was relatively cheap, leaving my mouth exposed. The moisture from my breath would rise as I exhaled, then condense on my eye lashes, freezing my eye lashes shut lol. I've also had success using a shemagh to make a headscarf/facemask. This kept my face warm, allowed me to breathe easily and my glasses never fogged once.

 

[gsgary]

I've used then on my motorbikes but you wouldn't be able to work a camera with them but I think you can get heated liner gloves

 

[gsgary]

Unisex Rechargeable Heated Glove Liners - Betterlife from LloydsPharmacy

 

[Gary A.]

AKUK has a number of great recommendations. I'd like to add two ideas. Ziplock bags, bag you equipment when changing climates/temps to avoid condensation. Also, take plenty of batteries. If you out in the cold for long periods of time, your batteries will lose output as they get colder. I kept spares in little bags sewn into my armpits, when the batteries went dead, I swap the dead batteries with smelly warm batteries. When the cold batteries warmed up, they were good to go again.

 

[gsgary]

I wouldn't have to worry about bateries my 2 main cameras dont have them[emoji3]

 

[Gary A.]

I wouldn't have to worry about bateries my 2 main cameras dont have them[emoji3]

You're not the OP, so I don't think anyone in this thread care that you use film.

 

[gsgary]

I wouldn't have to worry about bateries my 2 main cameras dont have them[emoji3]

You're not the OP, so I don't think anyone in this thread care that you use film.

[emoji23]

 

[Buckster]

I wouldn't have to worry about bateries my 2 main cameras dont have them[emoji3]

You're not the OP, so I don't think anyone in this thread care that you use film.

It's the only song he knows, so we gotta listen to it over and over and over and over and over again, pretty much every time he pops his head up. It's kind of like a little kid who just learned their first joke, uncontrollably compelled to gleefully tell it over and over to everyone they see hundreds of times. They never ever get tired of telling it, no matter how tired everyone around them is of hearing it. Psychotherapists probably have a name for it. Maybe it's an OCD type thing.

 

[KmH]

I wear silk inner gloves inside glomitts.
Terramar Adult Thermasilk Glove Liner
Heat Factory Fleece-Lined Ragg Wool Gloves with Fold-Back Finger Caps

To keep my fingers warm I put the hand warmer packet in the flip back mitten part of the golmitt that covers the fingers, not in the glove part.
I have also added a second layer of 40 gram Thinsulate inside the mitten part of the glomitt that I took out of an older but worn pair of the same make/model of glomitt.

When not using a hand(s) I make an effort to keep my finger tips pulled back into the fingers of the glove, or even all the way back into the palm part of the glove so my whole hand helps warm my fingers.
When not using a hand(s) I pull my parka sleeve(s) down over my glomitted hands.

 

[chuasam]

-10c isn't that Cold. Worry more about your shutters forming ice and freezing. Happened to my GF once. Condensation formed on the shutters and froze the blades shut. When she took a photo it ripped them apart.