After your brain, your hands are probably your most important tools. In fact, almost every other tool that isn’t a part of your body relies on your hands to make them function. Protecting your hands can mean the difference between survival in a SHTF apocalyptic scenario, and death. Making sure you have the right gloves in your bug out bag is crucial.
Winter Mechanic Gloves- Best Bug Out Bag Gloves
If you’re thinking, I’m not a mechanic, I don’t need these, just hear me out. I’m not a mechanic either. I was given a pair of these gloves as a gift one Christmas from a friend who works on a maintenance crew. He works with his hands doing all sorts of projects in all sorts of weather. He loves these gloves. I only had to use them once to see why. They were extremely comfortable, and super warm. They have the reinforced rubber to protect your hand, they’re waterproof, but you can still move your fingers enough to work with them. You need that high dexterity if mechanics are going to be using them when they work.
This pair is rated for being able to go down to -4℉, and to top it off, you can even still use a touchscreen with them on. Additionally, these are also waterproof, so if you needed to use them for first aid purposes, you could. I’d rather use medical gloves, but these would offer you a lot of protection, even there. If I had to pick just one pair of gloves to put in my bug out bag, this is the one. I have more than one type of glove in my pack of course, but if you could only have one, get mechanic gloves like these!
Leather Gloves
Leather gloves are a great addition to a bug out bag. They’re good for protecting your hands during rough work, but I also love using them when cooking with aluminum foil over an open fire. If you’re making hobo diners or tin foil dinners, these allow you to work with the hot food without burning yourself or ruining the gloves.
The down side is that they’re not waterproof. If they were, I’d just throw a bunch of them in my pack and these would be my one go to. If I could only have 2, this would be my second pick.
Nitrile Gloves (Essential in Your Bug Out Bag)
Nitrile gloves are essentially medical gloves that are latex free, so they’re softer on the skin and less likely to cause an allergic reaction, which is a really good thing if you’re trying to provide first aid.
In first aid courses I’ve taken the best phrase to illustrate why you need medical gloves in your bug out bag is: if it’s wet and not yours, don’t touch it. Blood born pathogens like hepatitis and HIV are no joke. I’ve had pretty much every single one of my children’s bodily fluids in my hand at one point or another. Yes, it’s gross, but the list of people who’s fluids I would be willing to come in contact with is pretty small. If people start turning into zombies, I’ll have worn gloves and I’ll be fine.
Lightweight Hunting Gloves
I spend a lot of time outdoors when the weather is a bit cold, 40-50 degrees. Whether I’m sitting in a duck blind, a tree stand, or just out hiking, these are the gloves I like to have on. These gloves don’t add much weight, and don’t really get in my way. I can shoot, use a bow and arrow, my phone, and use tools. It barely feels like I have gloves on, with minimal sweat, and good heat, but not too much. These are good enough If you’re trying to be stealthy, your hands move more than any other part of your body. The best illustration for how usable these gloves are- I’m able to undo my zipper when I have to go without peeing my pants.
Winter Gloves
If it really gets cold where you’re at, don’t mess around. Put good money into good gloves. Your extremities, namely your fingers and toes, are the first things to get frostbite. You especially need to take care of your fingers, because if they stiffen up with the cold, they can become unusable. Imagine trying to light a fire, strike a match or use a lighter, without being able to bend your fingers. Yeah, you’ll freeze to death first. If you live in an area that can and does drop below freezing, get yourself some winter gloves. If it only occasionally gets that cold, and never drops below zero, you can probably get away with just having the winter mechanic gloves, otherwise, protect yourself and your fingers.
What’s the Status of Your Bug Out Bag?
Gloves are a vital part of your bug out bag, but you need all the right gear in a SHTF scenario, and there is little margin for error. When your life depends on it, you want to make sure you’ve got everything you’ll need. For that reason we put together an extensive bug out bag checklist to help you determine if you’re prepared, should you ever need to get out of dodge.
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