Female help

[bearnoob]

Looking for gloves and socks for my wife so we can fish together more often Hoping to make a nice Christmas gift of it. My wife runs cold and doesn't really have a good set of either.

Thinking some striker gloves but they look like they run big. Any experiences?

Any and all suggestions welcome. Thanks in advance.

[ActiveTrapChecker]

socks with the largest % of Moreno wool works best. Keeps warm, wicks away moisture
As for gloves, i have no help with brand or model. I bring several pair when i bring my daughter and a good towel. need to keep hands as dry as possible.
Best of luck and tight lines!

[sploke]

What does she have for boots?  My wife grew up in Southern California, so getting her outside for winter activities in New England was a challenge....I feel your pain.  I got her a pair of Sorel Caribou pac boots, and some cabelas brand winter wool socks, the heaviest ones they had, and she does well.  I also got her some good quality thermals and a down parka haha. She had a pair of snowboarding mittens she uses for her hands.  Handwarmers go a long way as well.

[bearnoob]

She's got no name pac boots. Same brand I have but mine do well enough when paired with good socks and maybe some toe warmers. Problem is she doesn't have good socks.

I'm more concerned with gloves though. She wears either knitted wool gloves (warm but no water/wind resistance) or an old pair of ski gloves that would not be warm enough for me.

Problem I have found is that a lot of women's stuff is fine if you are moving around hiking or skiing, but not so great when you are moving less. Lots of stuff for men made specifically for ice fishing but doesn't fit so well on her.

[darkeyez]

Could try a muff with pocket warmers inside for the hands.

[sploke]

I much prefer mittens to gloves, my fingers stay much warmer and I can always slide handwarmers into the mitts when it's really cold.

[Whytie]

Get her a flasher. My wife would complain all the time she was cold. I bought her proper boots,socks, bibs and gloves and her fingers and toes were always cold. Once I got her a flasher, she was more involved in fishing than worrying about the cold. She would still hope in and out of the truck from time to time but not as much as she used to. She also uses the frabill muff tackle bag with a hand warmer. I hate to say it but she did get the biggest walleye last year. for the record it was -20C that morning

[Flint]

I really like Alpaca wool.

[KayakerB]

Most of the time I ice fishing, it's with my wife. I learned long ago to buy her the best gear and wait to get the good stuff for myself later.

My wife likes to wear blue nitrile gloves under a pair of convertible glove/ mittens. The nitrile gloves prevent her fingers from drying out and splitting when handling bait. They add a little warmth by reducing cooling through evaporation. She has a Clam brand muff with hand warmers inside for really cold days.

When it comes to socks, stay away from cotton. Cotton holds moisture and does not dry quickly which pulls heat from the feet. Socks with merino wool are great but some people have a reaction to any wool, so they can be a problem for some people. Merino wool is softer than the old rag wool fibers. If she has a reaction like burning itching feet, choose a hiking sock that has a full synthetic fiber content.

Most quality socks will list their fiber count on the package. I found the finest sock around is the Smartwool Mountaineer sock. They are expensive and you need enough room in your boots to accommodate their thickness.

We need blood flow in our feet to keep them warm. If the fit is too tight, blood flow is restricted and feet get cold. This is why my wife does not use double socks. Some people will tell you to use a thin synthetic liner sock and a wool outer sock. She tried this and her feet freeze. The liner constricts the flow a little and adding another sock on top slows blood flow even more making her feet cold.

With this being said, my wife prefers a mid weight merino wool or alpaca sock with no liner.  Be sure to choose one that has nylon, spandex, polyester, or another synthetic fiber to help keep the sock's shape and add durability.  When washing, turn them inside out, and hang them to dry. They will keep their shape longer and will be less likely to shrink. Also don't use fabric softener with wool or any synthetic clothing. Doing so will reduce the moisture wicking properties.

[Deal Ninja]

One of the reasons I go ice fishing is to get out of the house and away from the wife, but your info might come in handy if I ever take the gf.

DN

[Monticatgeek]

Here are2 different types to take a look at :

glove style :

http://stores.clamoutdoors.com/icearmor/hand/women-s-glove.html

mitt style :

http://stores.clamoutdoors.com/icearmor/hand/mits/ia-women-s-mitts-sz.html

[filetandrelease]

Alpaca socks and a pair of little hotties insoles if room
Far as mitts or gloves ,  striker , clam or HT polar mittens ,
Box of hot hands

[kpd145]

Looking for gloves and socks for my wife so we can fish together more often Hoping to make a nice Christmas gift of it. My wife runs cold and doesn't really have a good set of either.

Thinking some striker gloves but they look like they run big. Any experiences?

Any and all suggestions welcome. Thanks in advance.

Try electric socks if her feet don't sweat. For gloves it's a bit tougher.

You can go with glomitts but you expose fingers to air. Regular gloves you have to take on and off to remove.

Possibly buy her a hand warmer that attaches like a fancy pack. Kind of what quarterbacks use. She can stuff her hands in. Its washable so she doesnt have to worry if she has crap on them.

She can wear her gloves and use that if it's too cold.

In all honesty though. When it comes to getting cold ice fishing. Old or young, you just need to get up and move around to get the blood going.

Try doing 25 jumping jacks next time. Yeah, you look stupid, who cares, your not cold.

X2 on the blue gloves. I use those in very ridgid temps if in setting or picking up my traps. Helps a ton just keeping water off my skin.

[Yelloweyes]

Smart Wool socks are great.  My wife is cold all the time.  Even in the house.  So I bought her some smart wool socks and she is super happy.  I also like the Darn Tuff Merino wool socks, for me I wear them all the time and they hold up better.  Although the "feel"  of the smart wool socks is better.

[iowapackfan]

  Gotta agree with Kpd 145, that regardless of what and how much you wear, getting up and moving around every now and then will help ya stay warm and keeps your joints from gettin stiff. I know that works on my 67 yr. old body 

[hardwater diehard]

A good vest helps with keeping your extremities warm ..if your core is warm then your fingers/toes will be too...all good advice above just add that different situations/tasks require different glove/mittens ...if your traveling via ATV/Snowmobile a pair of choppers are nice ..then switch out from there to an appropriate glove or mitten based on wind/temps ...keeping your hands dry is another tip I would add..also some tennis/wrist bands and add a hot pack helps w/blood flow .