The Prairies in Canada are cold, real cold. Winter can bring on temperatures of -35 Celsius and if you add the windchill factor, can feel like -53.
Canada Post Prairie delivery agents are expected to deliver in wind, snow, heat, slush, cold, or rain. The only exception is a nuclear meltdown. Almost whatever the environmental challenge is, Canada Post delivery agents are prepared.
Except when it comes to gloves. Delivering mail and flyers in subzero temperatures is a niche market–one that no large scale manufacturer has tackled. There is no be all to end all solution yet–though Delivery Agents are experimenting every day to try and find the answer.
Gloves for a Canada Post Delivery Agent requires great dexterity for handling mail, great grip, extremely good warmth, and easy to take on and off. Waterproof is not a concern for colder temperatures. Warmth and dexterity is everything.
It is extremely important that the glove is not tight. It has to feel just right. Any restriction can cause frostbite. If one has a bandaid on a finger(s) for whatever reason, this cannot be too tight either or it can cause a condition for frostbite.
Manufacturers tend to make gloves too small and tight. Small is really petite and large is for a medium sized person. This problem is especially a challenge for people with large hands.
The recommendations here are for general purposes only. I will not be held responsible for any problems that arise from any advice here. Any glove that you buy should be tested outside of work first before using them. You should have a number of extra gloves on hand to adjust to whatever conditions arise. If your hands get cold, you should discontinue work and take the necessary time to warm them up. If the gloves are not sufficient to finish your duties, it is a health and safety issue. Return immediately to your Depot or go to a store and find better gloves. Frostbite is a serious condition.
Every Delivery Agent has a different solution. Here are some patterns that I have picked up from others over the years along with my own experience. These solutions are for use for working in conditions -15 degrees Celsius or colder. Almost any glove can work in warmer conditions.
A list of conditions for glove buyers
- Gloves with a 3M Thinsulate lining are preferred.A 200 gram rating of Thinsulate is the better bet. The thinness of the insulation combined with the warmth is one of the best glove solutions.
- Finger tip length is important.Gloves with outer seam at the tip of the fingers or extend a sizeable distance from the finger tips do not work. This style makes it difficult to sort mail.
- Cheaper gloves are often better than expensive ones. Felt lined Thinsulate gloves bought at Canadian Tire for $19.00 can outperform $60.00 Gortex windproof ski gloves bought at Mountain Equipment Coop.
- Neoprene or Rubber like gloves do not work at -25 or below.They become stiff and cold. The fingers do not want to bend. They are not good insulators either. They often feel like insulation stealers.
- You can wear two different types of gloves.A thinner one for the strong hand used for sorting mail, and a thicker one for the weak hand that holds the mail. The weaker hand tends to feel colder because it is not used as much.
- A layered strategy is utilized by many Agents:
- The first layer is a latex glove–the kind you buy for painting or medical work. This keeps the moisture in and traps some heat. This helps avoid the fingers from drying out and cracking–a common problem in winter conditions.
- Cheap-mini gloves found at places like Canadian tire for $2.00 are then placed over them. Often, even in cold conditions, this is all you may need. Some don’t bother with the latex gloves. Keep in mind that both latex and cheap mini gloves wear out very quickly. You will be replacing them at least on a weekly basis.
- Then a winter glove is placed over these two layers. Most gloves do not last a season. You should buy a couple of pairs.
- Hand warmers. If it is real cold, then one has to insert some disposable hand warmers between the hand and the latex glove. They last up to ten hours. They make a big difference.
- No Mittens (gloves without fingers) or two-fingered gloves. They do not work with sorting mail or flyers. Do not use them for this purpose. You still need to grip mail with your weak hand.
- Leather or Mechanics Gloves are not the best. They are bulky and usually do not provide enough warmth.
Your fingers will be too cold for touch screens. Trust me, even if you have gloves that are touch screen friendly. You have to take your gloves off and use the mobile inside. It is too cold to touch your finger on a screen. It hurts.
What do you think?
There are many more possibilities and delivery agents are invited to write in and add to these recommendations.
The two bundle system (excluding flyers) makes for cold fingers. Just not practical during a prairie winter. I usually wore a half glove on my right hand and a full mitt (with a removable liner) on my weak hand. There’d be this nauseatingly cold spell after about ten minutes outside and then the fingers were fine…so long as I kept moving. — Gabriele G.