Our Favorite Backcountry Ski Glove is Just $20
Nov 20, 2024
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It’s also blue.
The glove’s proper title is the Showa Temres 282, although skiers and climbers know it more colloquially as the “blue fishing glove.”
I’ve been wearing the iconic blue glove for almost a decade of cold-weather pursuits, and I consistently rave about its capabilities. It’s fully waterproof, warm enough for most winter activities, decently breathable, surprisingly durable and dexterous, and—the best part—available for just $20 through Amazon.
I first learned about the Showa Temres 282 from my friend and climbing mentor Dan Alyward. Dan’s a MacGyver through and through—he once tried to sell me on the benefits of the “reverse crampon” for mountain running, which pairs a track spike with a strap-on sticky-rubber sole (that’s a story for another time). In his search for a new mountain glove, Dan discovered the Showa Temres 282 at a fishing store in Seattle and quickly became an evangelist amongst his friends. Of course, I can’t claim that Dan was the premiere adopter of the blue fishing glove—Japanese climbers have been known to use them, too—but I’d like to think he can be credited with bringing the Showa to the Northwest mountain community.
It’s too bad his reverse crampon idea hasn’t caught on too.
So, what makes the Showa Temres 282 such a cult classic amongst backcountry skiers, alpine climbers, and mountaineers? In addition to their remarkably low price, the gloves deliver a ton of performance for winter use.
The Showa Temres 282 are fully waterproof thanks to a polyurethane shell—in other words, they’re a rubber glove. This means they don’t require a waterproof membrane or water-repellent finish to keep out moisture. This is about as no-frills as waterproofing gets, and—I can say from experience—it works. The Showa Temres 282 require zero maintenance to retain their waterproofing over time, which (in my opinion) makes them the ultimate glove for cold and wet conditions.
The Showa Temres 282 gloves use a fixed acrylic liner to insulate the hand. The warmth is comparable to midweight ski gloves like the Flylow Ridge and Rab Khroma Tour Gore-Tex Infinium, but certainly less than that of cold-weather specialists like the Black Diamond Guide (read our Guide review) or Outdoor Research Carbide Sensor. I’ve relied heavily on the Showas during hut trips in British Columbia and while winter climbing in the Pacific Northwest, and I trust them in temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit (or lower if I am moving consistently).
You have a right to be concerned about the blue gloves’ breathability given their rubber construction—the two generally do not go hand in hand. However, Showa dotted the polyurethane shell with micro vents, which help to release heat. The blue gloves are not remarkably breathable—I consistently overheat in them while skinning—but they’re much better than you’d expect from a rubber glove. The acrylic liner also helps to wick moisture away from the skin, although it can get bogged down if you sweat a lot and doesn’t dry very quickly.
The Showa Temres don’t look as durable as burly leather and synthetic ski gloves, but don’t let appearances fool you. The polyurethane shell is impressively abrasion-resistant and doesn’t wear down with normal use. After wearing them for several seasons, the palms of my gloves are still tacky and show no signs of thinning or stretching. However, where the polyurethane falls short is cut and tear resistance. I once caught the palm of my blue glove on the sticky side of my climbing skins, and the skin glue tore a patch of the polyurethane shell right off the glove.
It’s no surprise that $20 doesn’t get you a super refined fit, but the Temres 282 are still impressively dexterous compared to other models of similar warmth. Their simple construction—an acrylic liner affixed to a polyurethane shell—doesn’t have the bulk of gloves with waterproof membranes or removable liners, contributing to less slip at the fingertips and more fine motor control. The polyurethane shell also has some noticeable stretch that further refines the fit. Wearing the Temres 282, I can comfortably open zippers, put on and remove my climbing skins, turn ice screws, rack quickdraws, pull ropes, and even tie knots into cordelette.
It’s hard to go wrong with a soft acrylic liner and a stretchy, rubbery shell. The Showa Temres are cozy next to the skin, easy to get on and off (thanks to their flared wrist), and offer great freedom of movement. They’re not loud like some synthetic gloves and don’t require a break-in period like leather. You don’t have to mess with any wrist or cuff adjustments, either. As a result, the Showas are among the most comfortable and easy-to-wear gloves I own.
You can’t blame a fishing glove for being out of its comfort zone while climbing or skiing, and frankly it’s amazing how well the Showa Temres 282 performs in the mountains given its original intent. None of its weaknesses have been noteworthy enough to dissuade me from using the glove, but they’re nevertheless worth calling out.
The Showa Temres 282 is a simple over-the-cuff glove with virtually no features to speak of. There’s no padding at the back of the hand (a feature many skiers and ice climbers love), no added grip at the palm, and no extras like leashes, nose wipes, or touchscreen-compatible fingertips. I’ve found that the polyurethane’s subtle texture has enough grip for my needs (holding onto a ski pole or gripping an ice tool), but it certainly offers less traction on slippery surfaces than broken-in rubber or grippy nylon. Finally, the missing gauntlet cinch has been my biggest issue with the blue glove, although this is addressed with Showa’s Temres 282-02—a glove that I’ll touch on below.
As I mentioned above, the blue glove is surprisingly durable: In my decade of experience, the polyurethane shell doesn’t wear down or stretch out despite heavy use. However, the shell has minimal cut and tear resistance. I first became aware of this when handling my climbing skins: My glove got stuck to the skin and, when I pulled my hand to detach it, a patch of the blue shell tore off. Given that climbing and skiing involve many sharp objects—crampons, ice axes, sharp rock, etc.—this is a notable downside.
The Showa Temres 282 isn’t the best breather, so sweat retention can be an issue. If you’re building heat, the glove’s interior can grow wet—and stay wet. For this reason, I often swap the blue glove out for a liner glove for sweat-inducing uphill travel (my same friend Dan also sold me on the merits of using a thin gardening glove as a liner).
Well that was obvious. Truly, I don’t mind the color of the blue fishing gloves, and they’re a great conversation starter, too. In some places it’s even a badge of honor: Where I live in the Pacific Northwest, the blue glove has become commonplace in the local mountains, particularly amongst backcountry skiers and ice climbers. If the color bothers you, check out the black Showa Temres 282-02, which tacks on an extended cuff and gauntlet drawcord (more on these below).
The Showa Temres 282's low price and simple features make it an ideal and incredibly versatile winter glove. I’ve used it during January ascents of Mt. Rainier, ice climbing in the Canadian Rockies, and on countless days of backcountry skiing. It’s also my go-to for shoveling my driveway (or roof) in the winter, and I keep an extra pair in my car for just-in-case scenarios. I have friends who wear the Showa Temres 282 while alpine climbing in Patagonia, and it’s equally as useful for cold-weather or high-elevation backpacking. Wherever you need waterproof protection alongside midweight warmth, competitive dexterity, and reliable durability, the blue glove delivers.
Showa must have caught onto the trend of climbers and skiers using their fishing gloves: A few years ago they released the Temres 282-02, which offers identical construction to the 282 but with the added protection of an extended cuff with a drawcord cinch. This addresses one of the blue glove’s major shortcomings for activities like climbing and skiing, bringing the glove’s coverage up to snuff with most gauntlet ski gloves. The 282-02 is also black—a more palatable color for many outdoor enthusiasts—and includes a buckle for securing the pair to each other. If I hadn't built a scrapbook’s worth of memories with the 282, I’d be a whole-hearted 282-02 convert—they’re the more protective glove and the best place to start for new Showa adopters.
If you want to try on the Showa Temres 282 before purchasing, you might be able to find them in your local fishing shop (just like my friend Dan did). However, most of us will order the gloves online from a retailer like Amazon, so you’ll want to give some extra thought to sizing.
Like many Japanese products, Showa’s gloves tend to run small. I’m a men’s medium in most gloves (and between a women’s medium and large) and wear the Temres 282 and 282-02 in size large. The glove is ever-so-slightly short in the fingers (my fingers touch the end) and baggy across the back of the hand—as I mentioned above, it’s certainly not a refined fit. I like this fit though, as it gives me dexterity in the fingers without cutting off circulation at the palm. And if you want to wear the Temres in particularly cold conditions, size up another size to make room for a liner glove underneath.
Leather gloves like those from Kinco get a lot of attention for their low-priced performance and durability, but the Showa Temres 282 is truly in a league of its own. Not only is it about half the cost of the Kinco and equally as warm and dexterous (if not more so), but it’s also fully waterproof, which is more than most budget leather gloves can claim. And this waterproofing requires no upkeep—that’s right, no leather waxes, no durable water-repellent sprays, no wash-in finishes. For the price, you won’t find a better waterproof glove, period.
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