Mountain Hardwear Medusa Gloves Review

We recently were able to test the Mountain Hardwear Medusa Gloves with Mountain Hardwear's proprietary waterproof membrane, OutDry. According to Mountain Hardwear OutDry is not just a membrane but the process of bonding the membrane to the inside of the shell material. With most membrane waterproofing techniques the membrane sits between the shell and the insulation and allows water, wind, and ultimately the cold to permeate the shell and sit on top of the membrane. OutDry eliminates these problems. But we have all seen similar claims and potential benefits in marketing materials before; put up or shut up, I say. So, naturally, I put them to the test. Two weeks of ice climbing and skiing in Colorado turned me into a believer. We encountered conditions that ranged from extremely wet ice that turned to blizzard conditions at the top of the route and the gloves not only kept my hands dry but warm even going into the last pitch. I had taken a second set of mittens along as I knew it would be a challenge only to have them shared by two of my group after their gloves froze from the water on the first pitch. The Mountain Hardwear Medusas also performed well on the slopes, and the liners were a great weight for skinning while it's dry. The gloves were tough to remove if I was trying to keep the liners on my hands. The Velcro that holds the liner in place inside the gloves seems to be too strong and the gloves may be better of without it entirely. One feature of note in addition to the OutDry waterproofing is the snot wipe on the thumb. Although the wipe isn't the softest material I have ever put on my nose the wipe on the Mountain Hardwear Medusas stayed mostly ice free the entire day, a rarity in snot wipes. $140 www.mountainhardwear.com