Found some good deals on gloves & base layer clothing!

[Crusak]

Not to promote one company or another... but I was just at Costco this afternoon and found some gloves that look promising for wet/cold weather hiking. Head Digital Sport Running Gloves - with "sensatec" fingertips to use your touch screen devices. For a tall guy I have average sized fingers, but very long/wide palms, so glove fit is troublesome for me. I bought the XL size and they fit well. The gloves are a nylon/polyester/spandex blend, and have a nice dotted grip surface on the palm and fingers. They're only $12.99 and come in a wide range of sizes.

Last year I bought some Head running gloves at Costco and they were very durable, but a little thinner than these are. I actually like the new ones better (initial impression at least).

Also (at Costco) found some merino wool blend base layer shirts and pants (long johns) that are 84% polyester, 11% merino wool and 5% spandex. They're very inexpensive also ($24.99 for shirts, $19.99 for pants). I was a bit fooled by the packaging though, since I thought they said 'merino wool' (not merino wool blend). I'll give them a go in some cold/wet weather, work up a good sweat and see if they keep me warm (probably on a nice long walk close to home, just to test the moisture management).

[Grannyhiker]

Lots more good deals for the budget conscious reported at various Costco stores:
--Men's down jackets $69
--Kids' down jackets (size large fits smaller adults) for about half that.
--Merino wool hiking socks (unlike the baselayers they really are 70% merino wool)--the ones I'm wearing right now were 4 pair for $12 or some such insane price a couple of months ago.
--Carbon fiber hiking poles $27 (Andrew Skurka thinks they're good enough for his GF).

Costco also has an excellent warranty policy, almost as generous as REI. As a single, it's not worth it for me to have a membership, but my son and DIL in Seattle do, so I go with my DIL a couple times a year. I picked up my socks while getting a dog bed for Hysson--Costco's dog beds last 3-4 years, while the one I got at Petco for a similar price didn't last for even one.

Let us know how the baselayers work for you! Backpacking Light just reviewed Mammut base layers with a similar fabric content--$75 for a shirt, as expensive as Icebreaker!

[potato]

Speaking of Icebreaker, the outlet store in Woodburn is a pretty good discount... got a 200wt base layer (shirt and long underwear) for around $78 total, when they're normally $60-$70 each I think.

Crus, are the gloves advertised as being waterproof?

[Crusak]

Crus, are the gloves advertised as being waterproof?

They're not waterproof, but they shed water easily, and they are nearly perfect for cold, wet weather hiking (as I discovered today). I wore them while doing a little hike up Elk Creek Trail (and doing some serious pruning along the way) and my hands stayed warm and dry the whole time. Even though it was raining and I constantly got my hands wet, the gloves shed the water extremely well. It was a fairly average cold, wet rainy November day by coast range standards, so I'm very happy with the gloves.

I also wore the base layer garments today. They performed well, and seemed to deal with moisture efficiently (and a lot better than my 100% polyester base layer garments). Definitely satisfied with both the gloves and the long underwear.

[pdxnewbie]

+1 on the Costco Gloves.

They are perfect for anything but trail use, mine has already started to shed the fibers, but the touch sensitive feature works prefectly well and its my goto gloves for running errands.

[MarsIsCobra]

I picked up those same base tops and bottoms from Costco. I'm still brand new to hiking, so I don't really know what I'm talking about but I really love these as a base layer. They wick and dry quickly. Stay warm even when wet. These and a pair of shorts are keeping me plenty warm at current temperatures. I like them so much I wear them around the house.

[MarsIsCobra]

just following up on the Costco base layers. Third season buying and using them, I am VERY happy with them.

About the bottoms - with recent temperatures in the low 20's, I wear these as a base, a pair of shorts and knee high gaiters staying plenty warm. fwiw the gaiters are OR Crocodiles Gaiters which absolutely rock, at least for cold weather. The gaiters can toast me up even in the frigid cold. They will certainly be too warm for summer usage.

tops - everything I would expect. Insulate, wick and dry very well.

I picked up those same base tops and bottoms from Costco. I'm still brand new to hiking, so I don't really know what I'm talking about but I really love these as a base layer. They wick and dry quickly. Stay warm even when wet. These and a pair of shorts are keeping me plenty warm at current temperatures. I like them so much I wear them around the house.

[sprengers4jc]

+2 on all of the above.

When we went snowshoeing the other day, all of our gear (base layers, gloves, gaiters, snowshoes and poles) were all from Costco. It's great quality gear at excellent prices!

[MarsIsCobra]

great quote

'We travel not to escape life but for life to not escape us.'
-Unknown

[sprengers4jc]

great quote

'We travel not to escape life but for life to not escape us.'
-Unknown

Thanks, Mars! It's one we try to live by, for sure .