Outdoor Research MGS Shell Gloves: military Gore-Tex protection at a surplus price

Introduction

Cold rain is one of the harder conditions to dress for. A waterproof jacket and trousers take care of the torso and legs, but hands are often left out of the plan, and a soaked glove is worse than no glove at all. That is the gap the Outdoor Research MGS Shell Gloves are built to fill.

These are shell gloves in the truest sense. There is no insulation and no liner inside, just a 2.5-layer Gore-Tex shell with a synthetic palm and leather reinforcement at the thumb and forefinger. They were developed for military use, which explains both the construction and the retail price of around $270. Surplus and marketplace listings, however, frequently bring them down to a fraction of that.

This guide covers what the gloves do well, where they fall short, and how to think about the price before buying.

Who This Product Is For

These gloves suit anyone who prefers thin handwear and adds warmth through layering. Hikers, walkers, and anyone moving fast in wet, cold conditions will get the most from them, because the shell blocks wind and rain while still letting moisture escape. The design is intended to be worn over a thin liner or a combat-style glove, and the cut is roomy enough to accept a thicker liner when temperatures drop.

People who run cold and want one pair of insulated gloves to pull on will likely find these too minimal on their own. This is a system component rather than a standalone winter glove.

The generous cut is deliberate, and it shapes the sizing advice. Someone who normally wears a medium can often use a small, because the shell is meant to sit over another glove. That leaves plenty of room to slide a liner underneath, or to size up in warmth without sizing up in the glove itself. Together, a thin liner and this shell form a genuinely capable kit for wet weather and for cooler months when snow replaces rain.

Main Strengths

The gloves are built around a small number of things done well, and each of them matters more than a long feature list.

Waterproof and Windproof Gore-Tex Construction

The shell uses 2.5-layer Gore-Tex with fully taped seams, and it is described as waterproof, windproof, breathable, and fast drying. Light testing backs up the waterproof claim: five minutes fully submerged produced no leaking, and a soak in a creek gave the same result. Those are short tests rather than a full season of use, but they point in the right direction.

Because the material is Gore-Tex rather than a solid coated shell, breathability should hold up well over longer efforts. That is the practical difference between this glove and cheaper waterproof options, which tend to trap moisture and leave hands clammy once the pace picks up.

Grip and Touchscreen Functionality

Grip is a standout. The palm and fingers use a synthetic material with a noticeably tacky, sticky feel, while leather runs along the thumb and forefinger for durability where hands work hardest. The result is a shell that holds onto poles, straps, and zipper pulls rather than sliding off them.

Touchscreen support is included as well, and it works with both iPhone and Samsung handsets without removing the gloves. Each glove also has a wrist lanyard that can be pulled tight, a drawcord at the cuff, and a small connector so the pair can be clipped together and kept from separating inside a pack.

Lightweight Shell Design

At around five ounces, the pair is remarkably light for a waterproof glove. Sizes run from small through extra extra large. Outdoor Research describes the fit as 3D fit technology, a construction intended to allow freedom of movement and dexterity rather than a stiff, blocky feel.

That low weight matters when the shell is a backup layer carried in a pack rather than worn all day. It packs down small, clips to a strap, and adds almost nothing to the load, which is exactly what you want from a glove that exists to be there when the weather turns.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The first thing to understand is that no liner is included. Bare-handed, the shell feels a little baggy, and the fit only makes sense once there is something underneath it. That is the intended use, but it does mean the gloves are not a grab-and-go solution on their own.

The second consideration is price and availability. At the retail figure of around $270, the material on offer is difficult to justify, and the number looks far more like government contracting than consumer pricing. Marketplace listings change constantly, and the cheapest pairs tend to be concentrated in one or two sizes rather than the full range. Camo versions of the same glove have been seen at even higher prices, in the region of $360.

Buying Advice

Value here depends entirely on what you pay. At full retail, the gloves are hard to recommend on materials alone. At roughly $60 to $70, they are impressive for the level of protection and the build quality on show. At the very bottom of the market, around $30, they are an outright bargain for anyone who layers their handwear.

Sizing deserves a moment of thought before ordering. Because the shell is designed to go over another glove, buying your normal size gives you room for a thin liner, and buying a size down works well if you plan to wear it over bare hands or very thin gloves. If the size you want is not listed, other Outdoor Research military Gore-Tex gloves follow the same layered philosophy and are worth searching for under that description.

Conclusion

The Outdoor Research MGS Shell Gloves are a focused piece of kit: waterproof, windproof, breathable, light, and grippy, with touchscreen support and a cut that layers properly over thin liners. They are not a complete glove on their own, and the retail price asks far more than the materials suggest.

Bought at a surplus or marketplace price, though, they deliver a lot of genuine wet-weather protection for very little money. For anyone who already prefers thin gloves and a layering approach, this is an easy pair to feel confident about.