OutDry is a new technology in the realm of waterproof, breathable membranes, and the makers of OutDry have so far been putting their tech into gloves and footwear. They showed off how the product works during the Outdoor Retailer 2010 Winter Market in Salt Lake City, and the results were pretty impressive. Back in 2009, OutDry partnered with Mountain Hardwear to waterproof their gloves, so I tried out a pair of the Jalapeño Gloves while skiing the Wasatch, and touring in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains.
The Mountain Hardware Jalapeño Gloves are very high quality, with a nylon outer shell and water resistant goatskin leather on the fingers and palms. The goatskin looks and feels great and is quite durable, although it smells kind of funny compared to other leather gloves.
Along with the OutDry, the gloves also have cool features such as a large gauntlet with a unique cinch system called SimpleCinch. It’s a one-handed way to close and adjust the bottom of the glove around the forearm, which really did make it easier with gloved hands. I did find, however, that the cinch doesn’t stay closed for long periods of time, so I found myself periodically re-closing the cinch.
Although the gloves are clearly well built, with a name like Jalapeño, I didn’t think the gloves were especially warm. They are filled with Thermic Micro™ insulation, but are far from the warmest ski gloves I’ve owned. When temperatures dropped below 20 degrees, I had to wear the gloves with wool liners, especially while resort skiing. But while working up a sweat in the backcountry, these gloves showed their stuff as they were breathable, windproof, low volume and warm enough for yo-yo tours.
But how about that OutDry technology? According to the company, the way OutDry works is by using a three-dimensional laminating process to adhere a waterproof, windproof, and breathable membrane to the inside of the outer most layer of the glove. Unlike other waterproof liners that leave a gap for moisture to seep in, OutDry’s technology permanently bonds to the glove. In addition, OutDry is more environmentally friendly as they use recyclable, non-toxic materials that is PTFE-free.
But does OutDry work? While digging pits and generally getting the gloves wet in the backcountry, I can say it works wonders. I soaked the leather fingers and palms on multiple occasions and my hands never even felt damp. To really test the OutDry membrane, I even ran the gloves under running water. While the outer layer soaked through, the OutDry layer kept my fingers dry as a bone.
Overall, the Mountain Hardware Jalapeño Gloves are sturdy, dry gloves that are ideal for high activity pursuits in the mountains, but may not be warm enough for bitter cold days on the chairlift. The goatskin leather and durable nylon, along with OutDry technology, combine to make an almost perfect mountain glove.
You can purchase the Mountain Hardware Jalapeño Gloves at Backcountry.com.
To get a better idea of how the OutDry technology works, they’ve made this video that you can view below. It shows how the OutDry membrane is laminated to gloves and why the technology works.
OutDry Glove Technology from Kara Armano on Vimeo
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