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Reading time: 4 min | Category: Gear Guides
Hands are the body part most riders underestimate when packing for an overseas trip. A good jacket and good boots get the attention. Gloves are often an afterthought. Then you are on the Niseko chairlift in a January storm at -18°C and the inadequacy of your Australian resort gloves becomes very clear very fast.
Cold hands do not just feel unpleasant. They affect your ability to grip your board, adjust your bindings, open zippers, take photos and ride with the precision that overseas terrain rewards. Getting your hand layering right is worth the attention.
Gloves vs Mitts — The Core Decision
Gloves give you dexterity. Individual fingers mean you can operate your phone, adjust bindings, open pockets and handle lift tickets without removing your hand covering. The trade-off is warmth — individual fingers lose heat more efficiently than fingers grouped together in a mitt.
Mitts are warmer, always. Fingers together in one compartment share heat. In genuinely cold conditions — Hokkaido storm days, cold BC interior mornings — mitts are meaningfully warmer than gloves of equivalent construction. The trade-off is dexterity — most things you want to do with your hands become more difficult in mitts.
The practical solution most serious overseas riders use: both. Gloves for riding on moderate-temperature days and when you need dexterity. Mitts for the coldest days, for lift rides on cold mornings, and as a backup when the gloves are wet. Packing one pair of each adds minimal weight and covers the full temperature range.
What Cold Actually Demands From Your Hand Covering
The warmth of a glove or mitt is determined by three things: insulation fill, waterproofing, and fit. All three matter.
Insulation: Most quality snow gloves use synthetic insulation — 3M Thinsulate or similar. The weight of insulation (in grams per square metre) tells you warmth — a 200g Thinsulate glove is warmer than a 100g glove. For Hokkaido conditions, 200g or higher is appropriate. For milder Canadian spring or European variable conditions, 150g is often adequate.
Waterproofing: The outer of the glove or mitt needs to be genuinely waterproof, not just water-resistant. In Japan powder, your hands are in the snow constantly on every fall, on every tree branch you push through, on every moment you plant a pole or use your hand to guide yourself through tight terrain. A water-resistant glove saturates and becomes cold. A GORE-TEX or equivalent waterproof membrane glove stays dry regardless of how much snow contact your hands make.
Fit: A glove that is too large has dead air space that your body has to heat. Too small restricts circulation, which accelerates cold. Fit gloves to your actual hand size rather than sizing up for comfort — a properly fitting glove is warmer than a loose one.
The Spare Pair Principle
Always bring two pairs of gloves or mitts overseas. Always. This is not a luxury consideration. It is practical necessity.
Gloves and mitts get wet. They get left on the lift. They get knocked out of pockets. In a destination where powder riding means your hands are in snow all day, even the best waterproof gloves can feel damp inside by the end of a full day. Putting on a dry pair the next morning rather than cold damp gloves from the day before changes the start of the day completely.
Two pairs, alternated and dried overnight, is the standard for a serious overseas trip. We stock Jones, Burton AK and other quality glove options at Twelve. Come in before your trip and we will fit you properly for the destination.
Liner Gloves — Worth Adding
A thin merino or synthetic liner glove worn under your main glove adds meaningful warmth without bulk. On the coldest days, liner-plus-glove or liner-inside-mitt covers temperatures that a single layer does not. Liner gloves are also useful for moments when you need dexterity — phone use, adjusting gear — without removing your outer glove entirely. Pack one pair regardless of destination.
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Last updated: July 2026 | 435A Bridge Rd, Richmond VIC 3121 | 03 9421 2293
Frequently Asked Questions
Both. Gloves give you dexterity for operating your phone, adjusting bindings, opening pockets and handling lift tickets, but lose heat more efficiently. Mitts are always warmer because your fingers share heat in one compartment, at the cost of dexterity. Most serious overseas riders pack one pair of each: gloves for moderate days and when you need dexterity, mitts for the coldest days and cold-morning lift rides. Packing one of each adds minimal weight and covers the full temperature range.
Insulation is measured in grams per square metre of fill, usually synthetic such as 3M Thinsulate — a 200g glove is warmer than a 100g glove. For Hokkaido conditions, 200g or higher is appropriate. For milder Canadian spring or variable European conditions, 150g is often adequate.
Yes — the outer needs to be genuinely waterproof, not just water-resistant. In Japan powder your hands are in the snow constantly, on every fall and every tree branch. A water-resistant glove saturates and becomes cold, while a GORE-TEX or equivalent waterproof-membrane glove stays dry regardless of snow contact.
Fit gloves to your actual hand size rather than sizing up for comfort. A glove that is too large has dead air space your body has to heat; one that is too small restricts circulation and accelerates cold. A properly fitting glove is warmer than a loose one.
Always bring two pairs — it is a practical necessity, not a luxury. Gloves get wet, get left on the lift, and can feel damp inside by the end of a full powder day even when waterproof. Two pairs alternated and dried overnight means you start each day with a dry pair rather than cold damp gloves, which changes the start of the day completely.
Yes — a thin merino or synthetic liner worn under your main glove adds meaningful warmth without bulk. On the coldest days, liner-plus-glove or liner-inside-mitt covers temperatures a single layer does not, and liners let you handle your phone or gear without removing your outer glove entirely. Pack one pair regardless of destination.
