I'll do some research. Supposedly the Montana gloves are top notch but it seems TNF stuff is a bit overrated.
Are you talking about the North Face Montana mittens/gloves? I've never had great luck with their stuff, but that might just be me.
I used to try different kinds of liners for an extra insulating layer, but after trying a few different materials and fits, I realized that when I went no liners, my hands were actually warmer when I just wore a single larger mitten or glove.
I've come to prefer leather for winter gloves and boots whenever possible because it is easily waterproofed with boot oil, and it is way more durable than any of the synthetic materials I've tried. Believe it or not, these are by far the warmest mittens I have ever worn:
they were a white elephant christmas gift, and I have over a hundred days in them so far, down to -20F with no complaints. They were maybe $25 from the hardware store, with a fluffy Thinsulate lining and a fairly loose fit.
for a little more dexterity, you could go with the glove version. but like the others said, its tough to have dexterity and warmth, especially where your hands are concerned, but I was blown away by how warm and dry these simple winter work gloves are. and for 20 bucks, its a pretty cheap experiment.
I love those carhartt jackets, I have 3 of them and they are bombproof and really warm. Add another midlayer, and that could be a winning combo for outside work around 0F. (I typically wear a wicking baselayer, Patagonia micro puff hoody, and a technical shell, and usually end up keeping my gloves in my pockets until around 10-15F simply because my core is happy and that excess blood flow is enough to keep my hands warm.
In my opinion, the 3 best insulating materials are:
- Down
- PrimaLoft
- Thinsulate