Glove selection for adventure riding or adventure touring can be a real hassle. Changing climates and conditions make having only a single pair impractical. I’ve struggled with this conundrum ever since taking up two-wheeled travel. Ideally I’d carry three pairs: a light, vented pair; a mid-weight, wind-blocking pair; and a heavy waterproof pair. But who wants to, or has the extra space, to carry three pairs of gloves? I went back and forth on this issue of comfort versus capacity for some time until I was recently introduced to Klim’s Forecasts, which you wear over another pair.

The Forecast over-gloves are split-fingered (think lobster claw), fully seam-sealed GORE-TEX gloves designed to make any glove 100% waterproof. They’re lightweight and packable, featuring silicon grip material on the outer palm and fingers, with 3M Greptile material on the inner palm and fingers, a visor wipe on the left hand, a shock cord tightening system, and 3M Scotchlite hi-viz reflective patterns.

Nothing distracts me more on an adventure than cold, wet digits. The Forecast over-gloves eliminate this problem by keeping my hands 100% dry no matter what glove I have on underneath, and they work as a wind chill blocker even when conditions aren’t wet. Stowed, they occupy the space of a deck of cards and weigh virtually nothing. Easily stashed in your tank bag or jacket pocket, there’s no excuse for not bringing them along. The Forecast over-gloves, or “Glittens” as I call them, have become the solution to my glove dilemma and new mainstay in my riding kit.

Their three-finger design takes a little getting used to, especially in tight off-road conditions, but since the initial adjustment period I barely notice them. Donning and doffing them has become second nature and is easily done in a few seconds with the shock cord fastening system. The shock cord does a great job of keeping water from running down my jacket onto my hands. I even found that I could fully submerge my hands in water and stay completely dry, rendering passing rainstorms a non-issue.

Riding the Continental Divide last summer from border to border I took only one pair of lightweight gloves with me, accompanied by the Forecasts. On cold mornings, they were a lifesaver, and when storm clouds were on the horizon it didn’t worry me one bit. Sometimes covering over 300 miles in a single day, as well as gaining and losing thousands of feet of elevation, required extreme versatility and I found that the Forecasts paired with lightweight gloves were the perfect solution.

The Forecast over-gloves are my favorite type of product, the kind that solves a real problem. No longer do I have to choose between comfort and waterproof integrity or worry about carrying multiple pairs of bulky gloves. MSRP: $169.99 KLIM.com

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