Zpacks Brushtail Possum Gloves

These gloves are super light but also super warm. They take up very little space so they can fit in pretty much any pack and are nice to have in case the temps drop on a hike.

 My fingers get cold pretty quickly, so I often take gloves on multi-day backpacking trips. I've tried a ton of different options, and I usually find layering works best for me.  Recently I got some ZPacks Conductive Brushtail Possum Gloves to see how they work for my needs. I'm happy to say they are great! They work well for how I use them as a layer (more info below).

The Zpacks website says these are "made from a combination of New Zealand's brushtail possum fur and New Zealand Merino lamb's wool."  They aren't super soft fleece, but I do find them plenty comfortable. You can feel the warmth almost instantly when you put them on.  Granted, these are not great for extremely cold situations unless paired with something more substantial. But for temps in the 30's and 40's (F), these are perfect.

I like the fact that the pair weighs less than two ounces (1.3 oz according to the website; I haven't weighed them). They don't take up much space in a pack so I often throw them in if I think it's going to get cool/cold. I would certainly wear these to sleep in my tent on cold nights, but I haven't had to yet. 

 These gloves are not at all windproof or waterproof, so I wear my ultralight Outdoor Research Helium rain mits over these to protect my fingers from wind and moisture. Paired together, this layer system keeps my hands warm and dry.Two negatives about these Zpacks gloves. First, they aren't overly durable. Zpacks notes this, so it's not a hidden secret. They're not delicate at all, but if you'd hike with these for days while using trekking poles, you might see some wear. And they'd snag on pokey branches and thorns.  But they're plenty strong enough to wear around camp and as part of a layer system.  Just don't treat them like work gloves! Second, another negative is that they don't fit perfectly well. I got the large and they are pretty big and not well formed to my hands. It's not a big deal to me because I only wear them to keep my hands warm and I don't need to much dexterity while wearing them. But it would be nice if they fit better. Overall, these are great UL gloves that keep my hands warm in cool temps. I like them!

Background

I used these on my Wonderland Trail backpacking excursion and also on a short section hike of the Ice Age Trail.