+Presence Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 After reading about people getting spider and snake bites I have decided that I will add gloves to my caching backpack. Now the question is what type of gloves will save me from losing a finger? Quote Link to comment
Tahosa and Sons Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Use a stick to poke in a dark hole. I only wear gloves to keep warm in the winter, or my hands out of the sun in the summertime. Quote Link to comment
+mpilchfamily Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Yes gloves can be a very useful part of your caching gear. I went to my local Army Surplus shop and picked up a cheap pair of Leather gloves. You don't really need anything fancy. Just remember to use your handy flashlight to look into the hole before you go putting your hand in there. The best way to protect from getting your hand bitten by an animal is to see that animal before you attempt to reach for anything. But if you feel you need better snake bite protection get a leather glove with a Kevlar liner. Quote Link to comment
+Presence Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 Im just nervous now that Ive seen a few pictures. Ive been caching, camping, hiking for years without a problem but I guess as I get older I become (well I want to say more responsible but I don't think thats it lol)more afraid of creepy crawlers. So leather with a kelvar lining is the way to go. MMM Now I need to find a army/navy store near me.Ive been using sticks to poke in holes but I don't think that will scare spiders away. Thanks for the advice Quote Link to comment
AZcachemeister Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Almost any glove will fend off a spider bite...even thin Nitrile exam gloves. Heavy leather with Kevlar lining will probably just make you clumsy and sweaty. Quote Link to comment
+Presence Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 Nitrile exam gloves Will these work against snakes as well? Quote Link to comment
+mpilchfamily Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Nitrile exam gloves Will these work against snakes as well? No. Those are just regular latex glove. Like having a balloon on your hand. But you should be looking into a hole with a light and poking around with a stick before reaching in. SO a snake shouldn't be a problem, as long as you take the proper precautions. Quote Link to comment
Clan Riffster Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 I do a lot of bushwhacking, so for me, gloves are mostly just to protect my hands from the pokes and scrapes Momma Nature has laying about out yonder. I recognized that I was unwilling to wear a pair of gloves dense enough to protect my hands from things like snake fangs or used needles, so I just pay attention to where I stick them. I decided that my gloves should be comfortable enough to wear for extended trips through the bush, and pliable enough that I can open even the smallest cache without removing them. After trying on several pair, I opted for a pair of Mechanix gloves. Quote Link to comment
+CanadianRockies Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Up here, gloves serve multiple purposes: protection against some animals, protection against some scraps and scratches while bushwhacking and/or rock climbing, protection against some of the winter cold, etc. Mostly, however, they offer protection against some of those sharp tree needles while searching for micros in spruces. Quote Link to comment
+Team Dennis Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 ...After trying on several pair, I opted for a pair of Mechanix gloves. +1 I love my Mechanix gloves. Quote Link to comment
+Manville Possum Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 ...After trying on several pair, I opted for a pair of Mechanix gloves. +1 I love my Mechanix gloves. I lost my Craftsman Mechanix golves and replaced them with Stanley Hidex gloves from Wal-Mart. I think they have a better feel to them. I use my welding gloves for hampster caching. Quote Link to comment
AZcachemeister Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 No. Those are just regular latex glove. No, they're Nitrile! Also, no, they are not likely to protect you from snakebite. The Kevlar-lined leather gloves mentioned earlier should be employed where snakebite is a concern. (Or perhaps the chain-mail gloves I sometimes see in use in restaurant kitchens.) Quote Link to comment
+G & C Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 ...After trying on several pair, I opted for a pair of Mechanix gloves. +1 I love my Mechanix gloves. Another vote for the Mechanix gloves. I love mine. I use a pair for climbing/rappelling, a pair for yard work, a pair for hunting, and a pair for caching in the bushes. I don't know of many reasonable pairs of gloves that will save you from a snake bite, but spiders and bushes won't be a problem anymore. Here's the pair that I use: Quote Link to comment
+Chrysalides Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 This won't protect you against snake bites, but it will protect you against sharp metal. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003DZ02MA/ There is a rating for protection gloves - EN388. The 4 numbers following that are abrasion, cut, tear, and puncture resistance. They're all rated 1 - 4 where 4 is highest protection, except for cut resistance which is rated 1 - 5. You can google for EN388 if you want all the dry details on what each level means. If you really want protection from snake bites from a glove, look for one specifically. Like this. I'd take the stick + light approach and not stick my hands into a hole blindly. Quote Link to comment
AZcachemeister Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I'd take the stick + light approach and not stick my hands into a hole blindly. Heh, yeah...you can get a lot of really good sticks and flashlights for $323. Quote Link to comment
+Chrysalides Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I'd take the stick + light approach and not stick my hands into a hole blindly. Heh, yeah...you can get a lot of really good sticks and flashlights for $323. For $323 I can probably pay someone to stick their hand in there instead Quote Link to comment
+DragonsWest Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I'd take the stick + light approach and not stick my hands into a hole blindly. Heh, yeah...you can get a lot of really good sticks and flashlights for $323. For $323 I can probably pay someone to stick their hand in there instead I used to have my "sticky stick" in my pack, to poke in places before deploying hands. It's misplaced somewhere, but a hiking or walking stick usually goes in the locations of questionable safety. Prodded a couple rattlers with my Tasmanian Blue Gum hiking stick and it's none the worse for wear. Quote Link to comment
+angevine Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Gloves are excellent but to avoid snakebite, always use a stick to pock into holes. It will save you from all sorts of unpleasantness! Jeannette Open Your Heart with Geocaching http://www.amazon.com/Open-Your-Heart-Geocaching-Exploration/dp/1601660049/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318030791&sr=8-1 Quote Link to comment
+CrackerFL Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Cracker's Rules of Hiking: Number 3-LOOK BEFORE YOU SIT, STEP OR TOUCH! Saves all manner of ouchfulness. I wear the 6 dollar nitrile-coated utility gloves you can get from any old hardware store. They offer really good grippiness, but they're still really flexible and let me stay dexterous. Like others have said, I use them more as protection against thorns and other spiky stuff than against being bitten by critters. Quote Link to comment
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