Light gloves

I never can seem to find a pair of lightweight gloves that are satisfactory. I suppose my criteria are too high:

Moderately windproof and water-resistant, but uninsulated; for hiking in late fall and early spring. Just something to keep my hands dry and the wind out while I'm hiking.

I thought I'd try glove liners instead of regular gloves, but they're either too "fleecy" (snag and pill up) or just too thin and the wind cuts straight through.

I looked at different mechanic's gloves, but they either have heavy padded palms and fingers or a loose, open weave on the back of the hands.

Right now I'm trying out some UnderArmor cold-weather sports-type running/jogging gloves, but I can tell already that they're not wind-resistant enough.

Does anyone make a light Gore-tex glove?

I can't quite figure out what you are looking for. Do you want something for warmth, dryness or the combination?

I far prefer to have a pair of liner gloves with uninsulated rain mitts over them. That way the gloves stay dry when it's raining but also have some warmth in them. If the inner gloves do get wet, it's a lot easier to dry them if they're not connected to an outer layer. However, there's basically no warmth in the outer shell--you need to use the two together. Gloves with no waterproof coating come in a number of different weights and fabric, from thin polypro knit to thicker fleece. I have three different ones and use which one fits the conditions I expect. This weekend, with snow and low temps forecast in the Cascades, I'm taking the thick fleece!

This combination has been extremely difficult to find in the past few years--it seems as though all the manufacturers have gone to multilayer gloves with a waterproof shell and a fleece or knit liner. IMHO, those take a lot longer to dry out once they get wet.

Mountain Laurel Designs has some excellent if rather pricey breathable rain mitts made of eVENT. They are a bit fragile, though, and do need to be seam sealed.

I use powerstretch liner gloves as my base layer glove for snow season, and I find them very effective as a glove by themselves for most of the day , most of the time. they are warm but not too warm, cut the wind moderately well, and hold up fairly well due to the smooth outside of the fabric. there are numerous brands available - just avoid any of the ones with leather palms, the leather will hold water for a long time if it gets wet.
Here's another possibility - I've never tried these but have looked at them in the store, they seem pretty light and should be windproof

http://www.rei.com/product/766531

You might also try some of the lighter windblock fleece gloves.

More for the dryness (at least water-resistant), but wind-resistant and not insulated. As long as I'm moving and active, I don't have a problem keeping my hands warm in cool weather. My hands get sweaty in insulated gloves and I can't handle small objects. The only weather-resistant gloves I can find are very bulky. I don't need insulation, at the most a very thin liner.

I also refuse to wear anything in camo! I've looked at a lot of bow-hunting gloves.

Obviously, it's entirely possible that there is no such glove.

I'm not crazy about mittens. I looked at the MLD rain mitts; interesting, but not for me.

Paul,

Thanks for the link on the Manzella gloves, I will give them a look.

I got my UnderArmor gloves from REI but the Manzella's didn't come up on my search at the time.

Usually, gloves designed for cross-country skiing are light, warm and windproof, and very flexible/comfortable (for constant contact and movement with pole handles)
Sometimes cycling winter gloves too.

These Lambswool Gloves with these Industrial Gloves work for me. Not stylish, but a cheap alternative. If you can find these types of gloves they should cost about $20 in total and weigh about 140 gm (5 oz).

Don't compromise on the wool - they work when damp. Don't try the lighter yellow dishwasher gloves - they don't stand up very well.

I also find that these MEC Windpro Gloves are a little warmer and cut the wind better than the Manzella gloves (although my Manzella gloves are an older version of the ones referred to in Paul's post).

Yes, life is about compromises. I am not a camo fan myself, but find that $6 hunting gloves from Wal*Mart are what I use in the spring and fall.

I use possum down gloves as a part of my sleep system.

In the winter I use fingerless-glove-mittens under a gore-Tex mitten shell.

Forget about REI and go to places like Wal*Mart where people that work outdoors shop for gloves.

“Here's another possibility - I've never tried these but have looked at them in the store, they seem pretty light and should be windproof

http://www.rei.com/product/766531 ”

I’ll second those. I’ve used them for 2.5 years for backpacking and biking. They are light, windproof, and water resistant. I don’t sweat in them. For backpacking, I use them for 45F to 60F windy or wet weather.

-Barry

I can tell you that you can not beat "polar tec" as far as warmth. And then there is the windpro brand that cuts the wind as well as any thing.Weight to warmth ratio you simply can't beat it unless you go total down, which by the way packs much better than polar-tec and there lies the problem with he polar-tec. It just doesn't pack down as small as we would like it to, as to not take up an unreasonable amount of space in our packs. I use a lot of polar-tec fleece, most of which I carry on the outside of my pack in a water proof "roll" similar to a sleeping pad and it always satisfies what ever need I put it through...sabre11004...

Go to Home Depot or a farm store. Look for all leather deer skin gloves. Cow skin work, but aren't as soft. They also serve other purposes (pick up boiling pot, hold pot to drink hot beverage, protect hands to break sticks for fire, etc.)

I'm a glommitt fan myself -- you can fold the mitten top back when your hands get hot or you need to adjust something. I have both wool pairs and fleece/windblock ones. They're both pretty light.

Cabella's has a good variety of them -- just search on glommitts

My favorite were Smartwool ones but they've been discontinued.

Good suggestions - thanks everyone!!