Gear Review: Columbia Karako Pass Glove

It is now officially Spring and in typical Canadian fashion, the weather is sloppy and wet one moment and cold and freezing the next. As much as you would like to deny it and pull all of your Summer clothes out of the closet, you still need a good pair of gloves to protect your hands. Heads or Tails, what ever the result of Spring's coin toss is, the Columbia Karako Pass Gloves will protect you from it. Omni-heat will keep your hands warm when the temperature dips below freezing, while OutDry will keep your hands dry when the snow starts to melt. I didn't find them as effective as keeping my fingers warm past -15 (even through my palms were nice and warm thanks to the Omni-heat), but they are my glove of choice to explore the outdoors during these fluctuating Spring temperatures due to their resiliency.

They are light, have great dexterity, and are well stitched. The Pittards water-resistant goatskin leather palm hasn't worn and provides traction for a sure grip, and every time I put them on, I enjoy the softness of the fluffy berber fleece innards. There is also a soft patch on the thumb to wipe your nose when the wind howls.

One feature I particularly liked was how wide the cuffs are. They were able to fit over my bulky down jacket without any troubles, something none of my other gloves could do. There is a pretty ingenious mechanism for cinching up the cuff as well. You pull the ripcord as normal to draw it closed and prevent snow from sneaking in, but pull the second cord fashioned to it, and it releases its grip. Once cinched, it even lays flat so that it doesn't catch on your jacket when walking.

These waterproof, Omni-heat gloves are perfect for getting you back outdoors, despite the messy conditions and temperatures. Be sure to check out the Men's Karako Pass Glove, or the similar Kiry Neve Glove for Women.