UKC

When I was last climbing outdoors this winter, I struggled to get my hands warmed up even on easy routes. I thought I would benefit from a hand warmer + gripper tool to warm up the muscles and raise my hand temperature. I had a look on the market and found hand warmers and grip trainers but not both together. Could there be a gap in the market for product here?

Has anybody found gear that does what I have mentioned and works well for them? 

I'm not an alpinist but I read somewhere that some of these high alt down suits have pouches in the wrist cuffs for what I assume are these hand warmer sachets. The idea is that if the temp of the blood can be heated as the blood runs to the hands, the warmer the fingers are. Never tested the idea.

I suffered badly with cold hands when ice climbing. My eventual solution was a pair of tight nitrile gloves (disposable workshop thingies) with a tea bag style chemical hand warmer down the back. I'd then alternate climbing gloves and belay mitts over the top. Since I never took the nitrile off my hands never got wet -and I was never hot enough to sweat.

Thanks Andy, thats quite a unique solution you found there. I find my hands do sweat in those disposable nitrile gloves. I can see how this is really useful is you are ice climbing as get away with lots of layers when gripping an axe. However, I had rock climbing in mind where your hands are exposed on the rock and need heating quickly inbetween climbs. 

I thought something would exist like that, trouble is it's too passive to properly "warm" your muscles like an exercise ball would. I think these are great to stay warm inbetween climbs as you can throw your coat on with these hand warmers inside. I am thinking about the initial warm up when you arrive on a crag and need a light exercise for the hands and a bit of additional warmth. Thanks for the suggestion!

I did wonder if you meant rock rather than ice climbing. Since I suffer from mild Raynaud's I also need strategies for keeping my hands warm when climbing on rock, since it can strike on any cool day, irrespective of season. Here's a couple you might find useful:

If it's cool, I walk to the crag in ordinary gloves, with the handwarmers in the palm and I keep the gloves on when racking up. If I'm belaying first, I belay in the gloves, with the hand warmers moved to the back.

When climbing, I transfer the handwarmers to my trouser pockets, so whenever there's a one-hand/hands-off rest I can shove alternate/both hands in my pockets for a minute or two and warm them up. (If I let them get properly cold, it takes ages to get them warm again.) I've used this method when soloing, when working routes on a shunt, on sport and on trad. It's rare I'm on a route with no kind of rest at all and of course this method is fine on "warm-ups."

Highly recommend AlpKit's Gabbro or Frazil gloves - the pile lining seems to do a good job of warming my hands up quite quickly.

I know your pain! I have Raynauds too and it’s a real bugger sometimes. I’ve found that fleece wrist warmers help enormously for both rock and ice. I do like your idea of the t-bag hand warmers though. I wonder if I could couple that with the wrist warmers(and become invincible).  
 

For true invincibility I think you'll need to add a pair of fleecy underpants, worn over your trousers. You should be able to climb any rock then - apart from kryptonite.

I'll need to try wrist warmers - didn't think of that.

I also have poor circulation in my hands and have been through a lot of different options for keeping hands warm when rock climbing in Scotland.

I've used the hand-warmer pouches but find they make my hands sweat when inside a glove.

Tried mittens but they make your hands totally useless.

Best options I've found so far are:

• Simond via ferrata fingerless gloves (in a snug sizing) for easier Trad climbing (where smearing your palm doesn't really feature!) A bit pricey but seem to last. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/adult-via-ferrata-glove/_/R-p-8911?mc=8229368
• You can get sailing gloves that are similar, designed for handling ropes, but a lot cheaper! https://www.lomo.co.uk/acatalog/short-fingered-fingerless-sailing-gloves.ht...
• I will wear a pair of stretchy knitted gloves over these when setting up etc. I like the Extremities Thinny Touch gloves as they let you use your phone while still wearing them. https://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/equipment-c3/socks-gloves-mitts-hat...
• Carpenters gloves (also called framer gloves) are good for setting up and for in between climbs as they have just one finger and thumb open which makes handling 'biners etc. easier. Also super cheap. https://www.screwfix.com/p/site-kf420-3-finger-framer-performance-gloves-gr...
• Again there are Sailing gloves that are similar (SIT - short index thumb) and designed for handling ropes. Great price!. https://www.lomo.co.uk/acatalog/short-index-thumb-sit-sailing-gloves.html#S...

Hope that's useful.

Dave

Holding your willy should do the trick  - Unless you are well endowned you will have to change hands though.