Gloves

Gloves have been used for more than 2,000 years to protect the hands.  They have been developed now to the point where you can find a pair of gloves for every use you might have.  There are gloves to protect against cold, heat, chemicals, friction and for medical purposes.  There are fingerless gloves when dexterity is needed and there are gauntlets that go up the arm for added protection such as welding gloves or gloves for extreme conditions.  

With all the gloves that have been made over the last 2,000 years, the ultimate has to be the pressurized gloves for space travel.  Without it, the space flights could not have happened.  Any leak in the pressurized suit at all would have been catastrophic.  The spacesuit is like having a glove over the entire body. 

Most glove applications are focused only on the hands or the hands and wrist area where a gauntlet is concerned.  As opposed to the spacesuit where the glove is a part of the whole unit to protect the entire body.  This is an extreme case but there are others.  When involved in deep sea diving and using a dry suit, your gloves and suit are a unit.  Another unusual situation would be extreme winter conditions.  

When you think of winter conditions, think about Antarctica!  That's extreme!  Of course you don't have to worry about some of these circumstances unless you have reservations to visit Antarctica or Mars.  (or do you?) The temperatures in Antarctica range from 7 degrees F to -130 degrees F (-14C to -89C).  I lived in the mountains where the winter temperatures would get down to -20 F (-29C).  This temperature would remain for days or weeks at a time.  Occasionally it would drop and stay below -30 F (-34C) and stay for a few days.  Even the air didn't move at this temperature.  Every couple of years, the temperature would drop below -50 F (-46 C) but it didn't stay that low for more than a night before warming up another 10-20 degrees the next day. 

When you are in these conditions and you are outside in it for 4-8 hours a day, you are concerned about more than just gloves.  You are in extremes and you need to prepare for it.  You need your gloves to be an integral part of your entire suit just like the space suits.  Your headgear, your jacket, winter pants, the under garments, extra socks (preferably woollen), the insulated boots and possibly goggles if you have any wind.  If your hands don't work, you can get the work done you are out there to do and if your body isn't protected, you can become hypothermic.  If you are in these very cold conditions, be sure to have 2-3 pair of gloves with you at all times. 

There is one more category of gloves to look at.  These could be the most expensive gloves you ever buy!  These are the sporting gloves.  Baseball gloves, hockey gloves, boxing gloves, cycling gloves and many more.  Whatever glove you want for whatever sport, it is out there or soon it will be.  Gloves change every year although it is hard to believe there is much room for change.  With more demand and more competition in the field of sports, one glove might make a difference that the other one didn't.