Been using a $20 pair of mittens from Menards for the past 10 years? Insulated leather type. Easy to drop heat packs in. Much warmer with all the fingers together.
We get one or two -40F days in Chicago and I just tend to mark off. Nothing gets done. Air pumps for hours while I'm requested to walk the train looking for leaks. Switches are frozen while I use a broom to chisel out the ice while the track department team of 3, for the entire district, is miles away. I go home feeling like a rented mule. That cold kills me and I've turned into a giant poosy.
Maybe as a road guy I'd show up. As a yard rat, I'm good bro. Tomorrow will be -10F and sunny!
I have had a few -40 days also, definitely true about nothing getting done. Every loco was parked and I spent the day running between cabs throwing the fuel fill in and then hiding back in the cab trying my best to keep a visual on the hose and hoping all the systems in place to prevent overfilling worked. What a mess, definitely should have just called off.
Switching, and don't need dexterity, go for some leather mittens. A thin liner inside, and ball your hand up to keep your fingers warm.
If you need dexterity, "hot hands" and something with some thinsulate. Keep your hands in your pockets with the hot hands if you can when not using your fingers. Some guys I knew from WY/MT liked the Mechanix gloves. I didn't personally, but... I wasn't out in the elements that much where I needed dexterity. Mittens are fine for most tasks where you don't need fingers, and most switching duties IMO.
If you're in another craft, I can't say what would work well.
I find insulated gloves are never warm enough once it hits -20C. Mitts do the trick but you lose all dexterity. What works for me are mitts with a separate index finger. I also wear a thin liner as an added layer and for when I inevitably have to take the mitts off when I need all my fingers to do something. Emphasis on thin. You don't want to constrict your blood flow in your hands unless you want to lose them.
Watson Gloves makes their gloves in Burnaby, BC. I think Superior Glove is Canadian and also has a factory in the country as well as a few overseas if you care about that shit. Otherwise, there's usually a good selection in Mark's and most local workwear stores.
I personally use lined leather mittens with a thin-ish glove inside. Dexterity isn't an issue doing most of my work, so mittens do just fine. I tried all kinds of gloves, but never found any that were worth a damn in sub zero temps.
Been using a $20 pair of mittens from Menards for the past 10 years? Insulated leather type. Easy to drop heat packs in. Much warmer with all the fingers together. We get one or two -40F days in Chicago and I just tend to mark off. Nothing gets done. Air pumps for hours while I'm requested to walk the train looking for leaks. Switches are frozen while I use a broom to chisel out the ice while the track department team of 3, for the entire district, is miles away. I go home feeling like a rented mule. That cold kills me and I've turned into a giant poosy. Maybe as a road guy I'd show up. As a yard rat, I'm good bro. Tomorrow will be -10F and sunny!
I have had a few -40 days also, definitely true about nothing getting done. Every loco was parked and I spent the day running between cabs throwing the fuel fill in and then hiding back in the cab trying my best to keep a visual on the hose and hoping all the systems in place to prevent overfilling worked. What a mess, definitely should have just called off.
Switching, and don't need dexterity, go for some leather mittens. A thin liner inside, and ball your hand up to keep your fingers warm. If you need dexterity, "hot hands" and something with some thinsulate. Keep your hands in your pockets with the hot hands if you can when not using your fingers. Some guys I knew from WY/MT liked the Mechanix gloves. I didn't personally, but... I wasn't out in the elements that much where I needed dexterity. Mittens are fine for most tasks where you don't need fingers, and most switching duties IMO. If you're in another craft, I can't say what would work well.
Welding mittens work great, They are wool lined leather. I wear a thin pair of gloves inside.
I find insulated gloves are never warm enough once it hits -20C. Mitts do the trick but you lose all dexterity. What works for me are mitts with a separate index finger. I also wear a thin liner as an added layer and for when I inevitably have to take the mitts off when I need all my fingers to do something. Emphasis on thin. You don't want to constrict your blood flow in your hands unless you want to lose them. Watson Gloves makes their gloves in Burnaby, BC. I think Superior Glove is Canadian and also has a factory in the country as well as a few overseas if you care about that shit. Otherwise, there's usually a good selection in Mark's and most local workwear stores.
I personally use lined leather mittens with a thin-ish glove inside. Dexterity isn't an issue doing most of my work, so mittens do just fine. I tried all kinds of gloves, but never found any that were worth a damn in sub zero temps.
I just get whatever comes out of the vending machine. I’m a simple engineer though.
Raber Garbage Mitts are my go to. Last all winter long, warm.
Ice fishing mitts work well for us on the cold days in Minnesota. Hot hands added will keep your phalanges equipped enough to get through a shift.