HOW TO CARE FOR AND MAINTAIN WILDERNESS GLOVES

So you’ve got yourself an amazing pair of Wolf and Grizzly® leather Wilderness Gloves. Congratulations! You can now say goodbye to blisters, cuts, and calluses caused by your outdoor adventures forever. 

The Wilderness Gloves are built to last using North American Grade C leather with double stitched and reinforced palms and fingers. As the old adage goes, if you take care of your gloves, they’ll take care of you. Help extend their lifetime by following these insider tips.

1. Avoid long exposure to harsh conditions 

While the Wilderness Gloves are made for adventures just like you, if you want your gloves to stand the test of time, it’s best to limit the extremes to a strictly necessary basis. The name of the game when it comes to maintaining leather gloves is to avoid the leather drying out. Natural oils in leather help protect the fibers and so a lack of these will ultimately result in cracked or flaked gloves. 

There are a number of reasons why leather gloves can dry out but the main culprits are extreme temperatures (hot or cold), UV exposure, and excessive water. Wilderness Gloves come pre-treated with odorless fish oil which makes them tough and water-resistant, perfect for hauling gear, chopping and carrying wood, and other camp activities, but make sure to keep them away from the intense heat of direct flames. 

Photographer: Lewis Gillingham

2. Keep them clean 

Is there any better feeling than that first shower after an amazing adventure? Well, just like you, when you come back home after enjoying the wilderness, it’s always best to give your gloves (and yourself) some good old R&R. Simply submerging leather gloves in water and leaving them to dry in a hot environment will cause the leather to shrink so it’s important to know how to wash your Wilderness Gloves correctly.

How to wash leather gloves

1. Use a clean dry rag to wipe off the gloves after use
2. Fill a bowl/bucket with cold water and saddle soap or mild detergent
3. Dip a clean rag into the cold soapy water and wipe down the leather
4. Repeat with clean water and a rag, making sure to wipe off all the soap
5. Lay gloves flat to dry in the shade (never in direct sunlight)
6. When semi-dry, insert your hands to give the gloves their correct form 
7. Leave to completely dry in a cool, shaded place
8. Condition with leather wax/oil (see tip #4 below)

What not to do:

Never ring them out - this will cause them to become misshapen and can lead to wrinkles and/or cracking.

Never dry them in the sun - UV and high temperatures will cause the leather to dry out and shrink.

Photographer: Lewis Gillingham

3. Make sure they are dry 

Yes, this is listed in the steps for how to wash your gloves, but this step is so important it deserves its own section. It’s vital that you make sure the insides of your gloves are dried completely after use, even when you haven’t washed them. 

It’s no secret that sweaty hands are a part of hard work, but what some people may not realize is that if your gloves are not allowed to dry completely, excess moisture could lead to glove rot (and no one wants that). 

So if the insides of your gloves get wet, whether that be through rain or sweat, make sure to allow them to dry thoroughly. Hanging them in the open using the included aluminum carabiner is a great way to allow the air to circulate through the inside. If it is particularly soaked, turn them inside out or use a hairdryer on the lowest setting to help speed up the process.

Photographer: Lewis Gillingham

4. Re-treat your gloves often

As previously mentioned, Wolf and Grizzly Wilderness Gloves come treated with odorless fish oil, but it is vital that you continue to re-treat your gloves as often as possible to keep them ready for your next adventure. Depending on the usage, we recommend treating your gloves every couple of months.

There are a number of products that you can use to re-treat your gloves like leather wax or vegetable/coconut or odorless fish oil. Whichever option you choose, add a little to a clean cloth and massage it into the glove in circular motions. Make sure to get into all the creases and wipe off any excess. Once finished, take a new clean cloth and polish the gloves to bring back the shine. 

Re-treating your gloves takes less than 2 minutes but will help them last a lifetime!

Photographer: Lewis Gillingham

5. Store them correctly

When packing away your Wilderness Gloves in between uses, make sure to store them in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. This will prevent the leather from deteriorating due to any of the aforementioned environmental factors.

That’s it! Some simple care and maintenance of your Wolf and Grizzly Wilderness Gloves will see that they last for all of your adventures, and can earn their place as a trusted piece of your adventure gear forever!