Right up there high on the list of protective clothing the newbie
wants, are his gloves. Truth be told, gloves aren't all that important
next to your mask and a gun that actually works. But still, having a
pair of gloves that performs well for you is essential if you like to
have "finely tuned" and "reliable" or "comfortable" playing gear. So
what kind've of gloves really suit you anyway? There are plenty of
choices, there's...
Made for paintball gloves,
Ski gloves,
Bicycle gloves,
Woolen gloves,
Fingerless gloves,
Armoured gloves,
Nomex flight gloves,
Shooting gloves,
...and even more still.
Now normally I'd say, "the first thing you should consider is criteria
X", but gloves are so inconsequential that no 1 criteria really sits
above the rest, but criteria you should consider are size, comfort,
armour, warmth, colour, feel, and the look. Each type of glove has it's
own unique combination. Here are a few glove types I have used.
Woolen Gloves
My first ever paintball gloves were fingerless woolen gloves, purchased
for around $12 from Kiwi Disposals in Christchurch. They're standard OD
or black fingerless woolen gloves with a tab of velcro on the back of
the palm, and a mitten which folds back and secures to this, thus your
fingerless gloves can become mittens. Not a bad idea in theory, but the
mittens when worn that way were not very warm due to the way they are
constructed. The cold air gets in. Furthermore, woolen gloves are itchy
and can be uncomfortable to wear when wet.
To summ up, an ideal first glove. But I wouldn't reccomend it as your last.
(Fingerless) Made for paintball gloves
There are several types of this glove, so I'll focus on two, and tell
you about the armoured variety next up. I have used Tiger Stripe
fingerless gloves and JT fingerless gloves. Found them both to be
average at best. The Tiger Stripe ones, sometimes found on trademe as a
"no name" brand, have a small amount of padded backing and have a strap
closure around the wrist. The JT ones were grey in colour, with elastic
around the wrist. These gloves fingerwise were ideal for me, but length
wise were out of proportion, the elestic rode up onto the palm of my
hand. And it should be noted I have fairly small hands for an adult.
To summ up, only bother with these if you specifically want them.
Armoured Gloves (Also made for Paintball)
This was my 3rd ever set of gloves. I got the "no name" variety from
the local field in Christchurch for $15. Not a bad buy, and they lasted
me well while I made them my primary gloves. I had the full finger
version with a black palm and olive drab armour. The armour is a
flexible plastic, but does eventually crack and break down over time.
No sooner than the palm though. The undoing of these gloves was the
palm, the soft nylon type material worn down and multiple holes
appeared. Especially around the fingertips where wear and tear was at
it's highest. I cut them down to become fingerless, but no longer use
them.
To summ up, a great glove if armour is your thing, and cheap, but they don't last forever.
Operator/Shooting Gloves
Otherwise known as "actual SWAT gloves". I got mine from Opsgear.com
for about $20US. These gloves are fantastic, they have a leather palm
and a neoprene backing, black all over, full finger, and a velcro
closure around the wrist. They do not absorb sweat so after a day of
using them they are still almost completely dry. Be sure to get the
right size though, mine are a size too small and are hence a little
tight.
To summ up, the BEST gloves available for somebody that wants all black, full finger, and a glove that's comfy & durable.
Nomex Flight Gloves
The best of the best, the cream of the crop. In my opinion anyway. I
have two sets of OD/Sage flight gloves, purchased from Opsgear.com
($30US) and Kiwi Disposals Christchurch ($70). Nomex flight gloves are
an elitist's glove. Originally designed for fighter pilots, many
special forces do use them as their standard on the ground operational
glove. Flight gloves are unique in that they cover the wrist and lower
forearm 3-4 inches, thus making them ideal camouflage with a BDU top,
ie- No exposed skin.
(Always full finger) Flight gloves generally come in Olive Drab, Black,
Sage, and Creamy white. They have a soft leather palm and a nomex
backing. Nomex is stretchy, comfortable, and lightweight. They are not
super durable for use in the bush because of this, but still are a
fantastic glove to wear. They have elastic around the wrist thus no
fussing around with velcro closures.
To summ up, they are lightweight, look very good, and are comfortable.
However they are expensive and do not last forever. My personal glove
of choice.
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