Tested: Black Diamond Wind Hood GridTech Gloves

 As someone with perpetually chilly hands, I'm always on the lookout for an awesome pair of gloves or mittens to keep me warm.

These count as both!

What it is: A pair of grid fleece gloves with a deployable wind- and water-resistant shell mitten

The shells roll into themselves at the cuffs, and they have a clip to keep them together

Why you'd want them: I've struggled to find gloves or mittens that are good in rainy weather near the freezing mark, and these are the best option I've discovered to date!

I'm quite pleased with them

Duration used: About 3 months - purchased online end of December, arrived early January

Price paid/purchased from: MSRP is $49.95 USD / $64.99 CAD as of Mar 2023 - I paid $50 CAD + tax during a Boxing Day sale

The silvery fabric at the fingertips is electroconductive for using your phone, and there's a thinner, non-gridded fleece-backed slightly stretchy fabric between the fingers

What rawks: When worn as gloves, they offer decent dexterity and quite good grip thanks to a pattern of silicone dots that cover the inside of your thumb, first two fingers, and most of the palm.

I mean I wouldn't perform surgery in them, but I seldom attempt that while running

The e-tip fingers work passably (I've never encountered a pair of e-tip gloves or mittens that did particularly well), with perhaps a bit more precision due to the fabric wrapping around the tips of your pointer fingers and thumbs rather than the pads of them, so you have a better idea of what you're actually poking on the screen.

The bands are quite narrow, though, and if you have nails that protrude past the ends of your fingertips they may not work at all

The gridded fleece provides a good amount of warmth (though very minimal wind resistance), while also breathing incredibly well and allowing you to dump excess heat.

Turned partially inside out so you can see the grid fleece interior.
It's 224g Polartech Power Grid - a well-respected insulating material for high output activities

They're very light and pack down quite small. The mittens stow nicely in the cuffs, turned in on themselves and kept in place by a narrow silicone strip at the wrist - it doesn't even really seem necessary as they don't often make contact, but seems to be there to keep the slick Pertex Quantum Pro mittens from slipping out.

They have not deployed on me even while running quite exuberantly 

The mitten shells offer excellent wind resistance, and what I'd consider enough water resistance: by that I mean they will keep you dry even in reasonably heavy rain long enough to start sweating, at which point it no longer really matters if they start to wet through.

The best part, though? The mittens include a cover for your thumbs!

I have never actually purchased a pair of gloves with flip-over shells before because they never had any coverage for the thumb, and mine get very chilly

They do a great job of keeping my whole hand warm: my palms usually don't get cold, so I don't mind that there's no coverage there - it actually helps dump excess heat, preserves a bit of grip (as the mittens don't have any silicone grip dots), and makes them quite easy to get on and off even while moving.

No, I did not try to film with my phone clutched in my teeth while running - you'll have to settle for something shot in my kitchen

The mittens stay in place quite well once you put them on, and I still seem to be able to use my phone at least as reliably through them as through the gloves without the shells. 

I find the shells inobtrusive when rolled into the cuffs, but I do make sure I don't use any sleeves with thumbholes with them

What sucks: There are some dimensional issues. I ordered a size Small (I couldn't find XS anywhere in Canada), so I did expect them to be a bit big.

I'm a bit less than 7" from wrist to middle fingertip

..which puts me in an XS (these gloves are men's/unisex sizing)

The finger length, though, is actually pretty good - I surely would not want the thumb to be any shorter. I did not, however, anticipate there being quite so much extra girth.

I don't have particularly svelte hands, but there's a lot of extra fabric width-wise

This is particularly surprising as the cuffs are incredibly tight. The fabric used seems to be a double layer of the same fleece-backed, hard-faced fabric used between the fingers, and it has very little stretch to it.

It is difficult to get the gloves on and off at any time, and nearly impossible when they're wet

If my hands were anywhere near wide enough to take up all that excess fabric in the palms, I would not be able to get my hands into the gloves with the cuff design. My other minor beef is that the gloves are quite long, extending a good 2"/5cm past my wrist bone.

This - coupled with the tight cuffs - means they bunch up on the back of my left hand, as the cuff butts up against my watch

This also means that the one tiny bit of reflective on the whole of the gloves - a small Black Diamond logo on the base of the mitten shell (there's nothing on the grid fleece glove) - is generally hidden by the sleeve of my jacket.

Not exactly a beacon in the darkness

Also - despite wearing a size larger than the size chart recommends - I don't have much extra room at the tip of the mitten, and that's with my hand fully flat; it's comes up almost snug when my hand is in a fist, so if you're near the top of a size by the chart I would go up one or risk them being too short. Conversely, if you have small hands - I usually wear a size Large women's glove - you probably won't be able to find a pair that even remotely fits you, as even the XS would have a lot of women's hands positively swimming in them.

Not a lot of extra room inside the mitten, though

Speaking of swimming: the downside to the open palms is that rain can make its way inside the mittens as you run, and the water resistance of the Pertex Quantum means that water can actually pool inside them.

..as I recently found out.

The elephant in the room is that these heckin things are ridiculously expensive. When I first saw them in an ad served to me on some social media platform or other, I was ready to buy them on site...until I saw the $65 CAD price tag! I waited for a sale, but even at that - and the premium, brand-name fabrics used - I feel they're overpriced. My other nitpicky complaints are that the seams are a bit rough until they've been washed a couple of times, and since there are nineteen of them that make direct contact with your hands and fingers, donning them for the first time was a highly disappointing experience. I also kind of hate feeling the little clip that attaches the one to the other swing when I run, and will most likely end up removing it.

Freezing rain did bead nicely on them on a recent shorter run, though!

What I'd like to see: A shorter, more expansive cuff, and a better price point.

What I'm saying: I am actually quite pleased with the performance of these overall - they keep my hands warm and dry enough, even on multi-hour runs in rain and cold temperatures. The versatility to add or remove the wind- and water-resistant layer makes them useful in a wide range of conditions, but the fit could really use some work. At this price point, I find it difficult to truly recommend them, even though I reach for them quite often. If they could sort out the cuff and general sizing, they'd truly be a winner!

We'll give them one thumb up for now

For further edification: There don't really seem to be any independent reviews of these, so you'll just have to go with those from Black Diamond's own site, or Amazon.

Tested: Kahtoola ExoSpikes

 I've used screw shoes for mixed icy conditions - where I'll be running on roads for stretches that make full-on crampon-style spikes a poor option - for several years now. The problem is, they're not terribly effective below about -10c/14f. I have a light pair of spikes, but they were responsible for frostbite in my left big toe that still bothers me even 6 years later, so I needed a new solution..

Enter the Kahtoola ExoSpikes

What it is: Devices that slip over your footwear to provide extra traction on ice and snow

The business side, pictured off the shoe

Why you'd want them: To stay safe and upright when running roads, light trails, or road-to-trail in winter

They have a little license plate on the toe section of the upper

Now that's confidence inspiring!

Duration used: About a month and a half - I've put about 80km/50mi on them so far

Full view of the upper, pictured with the front/toe portion at top - exactly as they'd go on your shoe

Price paid/purchased from: I couldn't find a better price than $75 CAD + tax, and bought from Sail

They come with a little stuff sack with a spot to make them your own

Ready to go for a spin!

What rawks: While I wouldn't choose these for technical trails, they are absolutely perfect for my Saturday runs down to the farmers' market, which involve a couple of kilometers of road, a couple of kilometers of paved multi-use trail, and a long stretch of groomed trail with a bit more sidewalk at the end. The traction afforded by the carbide spikes themselves is far superior to that offered by screw shoes, particularly when the weather turns extremely cold.

Ice is far too hard at -24c / -11f for screw shoes to be effective

The rubbery harness is very secure on my foot - no danger of losing these in a snowdrift! - but does not apply any pressure to my toes or foot that would collapse the pocket of insulating air created by my sock inside my shoe.

It was my old spikes' frame putting pressure on the toe of my shoe - removing the insulating air space - that caused the frostbite on my left big toe in 2016.

The rubbery upper is joined to the very tough TPU spike framework with steel rings, that thread through a plastic washer embedded in the rubbery upper to prevent them pulling through. I've seen absolutely no rust on the rings - nor any signs of wear on them - with 80-ish kilometers on them and numerous occasions running on salted sidewalks that left a salt residue all over them.

These seem like they're going to last quite awhile!

I also like that the design of the 12 individual spike pods - 8 beneath the ball of your foot, and 4 beneath your heel - have a sort of stepped pyramid design that allows them to act like trail shoe lugs if you encounter deeper, un-packed snow.

I haven't encountered any mud in them yet, but I'm sure they'd offer decent traction if I did!

They're quite lightweight, and quite comfortable to run on even on bare pavement - this is probably dependent on your particular foot and shoes, but I don't get any uncomfortable pressure spots from the spike units through my soles.

And I've mostly worn them with road shoes, so there's no rock plate distributing pressure in there

I balked at the price, but honestly these have performed exactly as I desired, and with a quick rinse to get off any remaining salt they'd look brand new!

Me? Much less so.

With spring at hand now, you might find them on sale. There's still some ice out there for the moment if you want to try them out right away!

But I'd be happier if you had to wait 'til next winter for ice..

Updated 25-Mar-2022: I have now had a chance to try them out on a mixture of snow, ice, and mud, and they performed fantastic! Using trail shoes with them in muddy conditions basically allows you to double the size of the lugs that bite into the ground, giving a lot of confidence even in quite loose, slippery mud.

I'd almost consider wearing them for extra traction if I expect things to be particularly messy

They also provide excellent traction on bare rock (something that crampon-style spikes struggle with), as the carbide tips are essentially the same as those used on trekking poles. I wouldn't necessarily recommend them for really rocky trails as you're reducing your contact area to a dozen small points instead of more and larger lugs of a trail shoe, but if you're already wearing them and there's some rock sticking out of the mud or ice, you don't have to worry about them slipping!

What sucks: They can be a little difficult to stretch over my shoe, despite being toward the low end of Medium per the size chart - my feet are a size 9-9.5 women's (41 euro), and there's no way I think I'd be able to get them on a shoe any bigger than mine!

Direct from Kahtoola's product page

I also find them a bit finicky to get in the proper place on my shoe: when I first pull them on, they want to sit toward the inside of my foot, which means that my feet want to sort of flop outward as they land. This may be related to them feeling a bit small on my shoes, or to the fact the TPU framework that holds the spikes isn't very flexible - much less so than any other spike frame material I've encountered.

Any snugger and I'm going to need a tire iron to get 'em on!

The stuff sack they come with is also just light cordura fabric, seemingly without any anti-abrasion characteristics to protect it from the spikes. Since the frames only want to comfortably bend into a taco shape with the rubbery framework to the inside, this means the carbide tips may wear out the stuff sack, particularly if you were to put these in a running pack and have them jostle around. 

That said, I haven't noticed any shredding of mine so far

I did manage to get a nasty chunk of bent steel - I have no idea what it was originally - stuck under the rear of the TPU framework on the sole of my foot at one point, while literally just running down a multi-use pathway. I thought it was just a chunk of ice or snow, so ended up running with it for a mile until I finally stopped to see what the heck was going on!

It was ON THERE

Sizeable chunk, with really nasty sharp corners to it

I don't really see that being the fault of the spikes, though - I'd probably have had the same experience with any other set of spikes with a framework, like Yak Trax (which are awful - please don't bother with them!) or my old cheapo spikes.

They will pack in with snow if the conditions are right, though. I was running down to the market one sunny morning at about -7c/19f, with sun on the snow and noticed my traction getting poorer..

..while my feet got heavier.

I'm not sure I can blame that on these specifically, though - it looks like some of the snow was sticking directly to the soles of my shoes, so it might have happened even if I weren't wearing them.

The only other thing - which is also a problem with any other spikes if you have bad luck with conditions - is that snow on top of ice can render the carbide tips pretty useless. If the snow is just deep enough to keep the tips from biting into the ice when it packs underfoot, you'll still risk slipping as the snow can break away from the ice surface. However, you do still have the pyramid-stepped lugs to offer a bit of traction on the snow's surface, and I've never found anything (other than crampon-style spikes that can penetrate deeper) that isn't hamstrung by the snow-over-ice issue.

3/4" of packed snow on top of ice makes for a tough run, even with those lugs

What I'd like to see: A more accurate size chart, and maybe a more durable stuff sack. That's about it, apart from them being pretty expensive.

They seem to be pretty durable, though!

What I'm saying: If you frequently find yourself running on icy or snowy non-technical routes, these are a great solution that gives you almost all the traction of crampon-style spikes with less weight and less inconvenience and sketchiness on bare pavement.

Perfect for glittery snow!

For further edification: This Trailrunner Magazine article was - along with an endorsement from a friend - what convinced me to buy a pair. They've also been reviewed by iRunFar.

Making tracks

Oh yeah, and just for giggles: I've finally created a page with links to all my past gear reviews, plus a few other posts with what I consider interesting or valuable information. A link to it now appears over in the side bar at right on the desktop site under the search box, so feel free to browse through some history at your leisure!

..or just run away.

Tested: Insulated Shorts

 Remember how unimpressed I was with the last solution I discussed to keep my butt warm? Well, I've found a much better way!

And can maybe explain what might look like a nonsensical piece of kit
(This is the product photo of the Ohsho Lidia shorts)

Through a weird series of events I've ended up with two pairs from two different Canadian companies, but I'll review them both together here. 

What they are: Shorts with a hybrid construction - synthetic insulated front and back panels with inserts of stretchy fleece-backed fabric for freedom of motion.

Product photo of the Indyeva Boon shorts

Why you want them: To keep your bum (and other parts) warm while having fun outdoors in cold weather.

Duration used: About a fortnight - they both arrived on January 28th, 2022. Have run in each pair 3-4 times so far.

Side by side comparison - Indyeva Boon left and Ohsho Lidia right

Price paid/purchased from: This is a bit tricky, as they're sold out at both places I got them from. MSRP for the Indyeva Boon is $125 but I paid $75 + HST from TheLastHunt.com - MSRP for the Ohsho Lidia is $90 but I paid $80 + HST from Active Running.

Indyeva Boon shorts

You may be thinking that you've never seen a stupider concept than insulated shorts, but these have a number of fantastic applications:

• Over a pair of tights for a winter run
• Over a pair of tights or under pants for extra warmth while walking, skating, or nordic skiing
• Under snowpants for extra insulation on ski lifts or while sitting on a hill while skiing or snowboarding
• Under trousers for extra warmth for your buns while watching a cold-weather sporting event
• Maybe a tiny bit of extra padding for tobogganing?

Ohsho Lidia shorts
(No worries about me quitting my day job for a modeling career)

What rawks: Both of these are produced by Canadian companies - both out of Quebec, actually - though neither is manufactured domestically. Both employ synthetic insulation that will keep you warm even if it gets wet (unlike down, which loses its ability to loft when soaked - this makes it a poor choice for activewear), with strategically placed panels of stretch fabric to enhance the range of motion available while wearing, and to increase breathability. Both do an excellent job of insulating with very little bulk, and keep your whole body noticeably warmer despite their apparent small amount of coverage. This is primarily a function of eliminating heat losses from the groin area, which is a major factor in body heat regulation; that's why the Heat Escape Lessening Position (HELP) taught in survival courses requires you to pull your knees up toward your chest, so your groin is better insulated. I have worn these in temperatures as low as -24c/-11f with windchill of -30c/-22f for over an hour while running, and as low as about -10c while cross-country skiing (at a much lower rate of exertion than running) and have found myself extremely grateful for their warmth! I'll discuss details of each pair individually as they differ in some key ways.

We'll start with the Ohsho Lidia

These shorts are described as having 3oz (85g) of un-named synthetic insulation encased in a water resistant, breathable 20D ripstop 100% nylon shell, with "side and waist stretch panels" and a cellphone pocket. No mention is made of what the stretch fabric panels are (soft shell vs fleece), but they are actually a soft, stretchy material with a hard face and a fleeced back. The same stretchy material forms a wide yoga-pants-type waistband with a narrow elastic at the very top, which is very comfortable to wear and stretches nicely to pull the shorts on over your hips.

The strip down the outside of each leg is ~2.5in/7cm wide with a logo label on the right leg - the leg opening is nicely hemmed with the stretch fabric extending all the way from top to bottom.

The gusset of the Lidia shorts is one solid piece of stretch fabric ~1.5"/4cm wide running from one leg opening to the other - this is fantastic for breathability and range of motion!

Inside-out view
The seams at the edges of the insulated fabric along the legs are very nicely finished; less so the meeting of the stretchy waistband and the rest of the shorts, but this junction is securely serged and should not pose any durability issues. 

You can also see that the pocket - the bag of which is visible on the inside of the shorts - is quite deep, which allows most phones to drop below the hinge of your hip so it doesn't interfere with range of motion.

The zipper key has its own little nylon garage to keep it from jingling while you move.

The brand label in the back forms a hanging loop for drying between uses, though the material used may irritate some if worn next to skin.

The inside of the stretch fabric is lightly fleeced, and the diagonal baffles of the insulation have a pleasing visual effect

These shorts fit true-to-size with enough room for a base layer or fairly thick tights underneath

Now, for comparison, the Indyeva Boon shorts:

These seem to have a rather more 3-dimensional shape to them, making them sit a bit oddly when laid flat

The most major difference is in the construction of the waistband: while the Ohsho Lidia shorts use a wide, stretchy, solid waist, Indyeva has opted for a double-snap and zip fly approach, with elastic along the rear of the waistband. Further to that, they have included a yoke of stretchy material at the lower back for extra breathability in a very high-heat area, which also allows fantastic range of motion.

Post-run stretching after a run down to the farmers' market - my foot is about level with my waist here, with no impediment from the shorts.

Indyeva also gives a great deal more information about the construction of these shorts, listing them as made of 40gsm 100% recycled nylon, with the stretch fabric panels being Bluesign 266gsm 93% recycled polyester with 7 % spandex content (which they call K.Y.W.A.D., but that seems to be proprietary to their brand), and they use a YKK zipper for the fly. The insulation is 80g of Primaloft Gold insulated with 55% post-consumer recycled content - while this is slightly less than the Ohsho Lidia, Primaloft Gold has a very high reputation as an incredibly efficient insulator. My own testing indicates that these are actually slightly warmer than their competitor in my closet.

The stretch panels at outer leg are approximately the same size on both pairs of shorts, though the Indyeva Boons seems to have a bit more stretch.
The opening of each leg is finished with a stretchy seam tape debossed with the Indyeva brand mark.

The gusset of the Boons also runs fully from one leg opening to the other, and is slightly wider than that of the Lidias.  

A tiny reflective heat sealed brand logo appears near the left leg opening, and a detail view of the seam tape

A look at the interior shows some further differences - for starters, there is also no visible pocket bag on the interior; it is encased between the inner and outer layers of fabric, and appears on the left leg instead of the right.

Contrary to the Lidias, the Boons do not have turned-over seams at the edges of the insulated panels - instead every seam is serged completely flat, making these a better choice for friction-free movement. 

The stretch fabric is slightly more fleeced on the inside, and the baffles are a more horizontal pattern.

The large panel of stretch fabric at the lower back gives the Indyeva Boons a mobility and breathability edge over the Ohsho Lidias, and the softer fabric used for the rear tags is appreciated - there is, however, no loop that can be used for hanging.

The pocket zipper is significantly wider on the Boons, and the pocket is approximately twice the size overall

The zip uses a tiny key that locks in place - the pocket is practically invisible when zipped

Both pairs do a great job at one thing I'd really hoped they'd be useful for: keeping snow thrown up by snowshoes from sticking to my bum when it's really cold out and my posterior gets sweaty!

Of course they do nothing for my lower legs, but I don't seem to have as much trouble with them getting chilled.

What sucks: The junction of the stretch waistband and the rest of the Lidia shorts is not flat or stitched over, and may cause chafing if worn against skin during activity...however these are not designed to be a next-to-skin layer, but rather worn over a base layer for use under trousers, or over tights or leggings as an outer layer. The pocket opening of the Lidia shorts is very small, to the point I can't get my hand in it.

My cellphone drops in, but can be a bit tricky to retrieve - I definitely couldn't do so while moving, but I don't think I could do that with any pocket that crosses the hinge of my hip, so that counts out the Indyeva Boon as well.

The Ohsho Lidia shorts also do not include any reflective markings on them, making them less ideal for use during the many hours of darkness in winter...however no-one would wear these as their sole article of clothing, so reflective could always be incorporated on other pieces for safety. 

As I did here, with a reflective jacket for a late-day trail run

While the Indyeva Boon shorts do have reflective, they have very little of it - just a tiny Y logo on the front of the left leg, and a reflective brand name on the back of the left hip. The latter I don't understand at all, as it would almost always be covered by other clothing. In any case, what some people might find off-putting is the shiny nature of the outer material: while it's not quite as plasticky as it appears in their own product photos, I joked with Tank about my "hashtag trash bag" shorts due to the slick finish on them. 

Ooh, shiny..

The difference is pretty stark when shown side by side

The tiny zipper key on the Indyeva Boon's pocket - could be very difficult to use with gloves or mittens, and the invisible-style zip construction is much more prone to jamming on the surrounding nylon than the straightforward zip of the Ohsho Lidia shorts. That said, if it's cold enough for me to wear these, I'm probably wearing a jacket with pockets anyway; I actually have yet to use the pocket of either pair of shorts, though the security of the zipper would make it a good choice for a car key or something else valuable I wouldn't want to lose but also didn't need to access while moving. Despite the size of the pocket in the Boons, I wouldn't want to put very much in there as they fit very snug against my thighs while moving, and I can't see having anything bulky or pointy in there being very comfortable, or good for the durability of the shorts.

The Indyeva Boons are less snug, but also a size larger.

Speaking of durability, I have questions about the choices Indyeva made when setting the snaps for the waist opening on the Boons.

They used plastic, but that's not necessarily a bad thing in cold weather.

They did a great job with the snaps on the inner flap of the shorts:

Set through all layers of fabric, with a nice smooth surface toward your waist

However, I suppose in some sort of attempt to hide the snaps from view, they only set the outer pair through the inner layer of nylon.

This does not offer a lot of structure, and I fear that one day I'll try to un-snap them and pull the fasteners right out of the fabric

I also have serious beef with Indyeva's sizing for these: I had initially ordered a medium, as that's the size I should take according to their chart:

I checked myself with a measuring tape before ordering to be sure

When the mediums arrived, I could only just pull them up over my thighs and do them up - walking carefully up a set of stairs seriously strained the seams on them in spite of the stretch fabric, and that was over just a pair of underwear! I knew they'd never fit over a pair of winter-weight running tights, so back they went, and I ordered a size large instead. They're just about exactly the fit I wanted! 

Nothing extra, but enough room - and stretch - to move comfortably.
DISCLAIMER: I have a big bum and thighs

That's not to say that Ohsho has no measuring issues: the Indyeva Boons are listed as having a 6.6" inseam in size small, so I wouldn't think they'd be any more than 7" or so in size large. Ohsho says the Lidia shorts have an 8.25" inseam, and yet both pairs hit me in almost identical places:

Osho Lidia left - Indyeva Boon right - the Boons sit a bit higher on my waist

What I'd like to see: I'd love to see the snaps of the Indyeva Boons set through all layers of the exterior panel for greater durability, and a wider pocket opening on the Ohsho Lidias. I'd also love for Indyeva to make these fit according to their size chart, or at least offer a disclaimer that they run a full size small!

Ohsho Lidia wins the sizing battle for sure!
They are a bit snugger around the thighs than the Indyeva Boon, but still allow free movement.

What I'm saying: If your tush gets cold in winter, or if you just want to trap more body heat in general to keep your core warmer, either of these shorts would be a great option! I've found that they keep me toasty enough that I can forego a second layer under my jacket when the temperature dips below -20c/-4f, which is no joke.

Mistakes at those sort of temperatures can be fatal

 I've got a lot of use out of them already, and sincerely hope they'll stand up to the test of time. They're also great for snow angels - no more freezing to the ground! - and for snowshoe running!

No more snowy bum!

For further edification: Honestly I had a lot of trouble finding any reviews of either of these, so I'll just refer you to the manufacturer's pages for the Ohsho Lidia shorts and Indyeva Boon shorts. 

Indyeva Boon in action at The Flurry 2022

Ohsho Lidia at The Flurry as well (on another run on the course after the race)