Mechanix M-PACT 3 Review

Mechanix M-Pact 3 Review

We got our hands on (well in) some great tactical gloves by Mechanix Wear and we loved them. I do a lot of outdoor activities, so I wanted some gloves that would cover most of my tasks and save me having to swap out or carry multiple pairs when I'm out and about. So when I discovered the Mechanix Wear range, I was eager to get some and find out if they were up to the task. I browsed their many departments and options to get an idea of what they had in stock and then I wrote a list of activities I usually undertake to give myself some idea of what might work out best. I do some hiking and climbing (when I have to), some bushcraft and chopping wood and generally I have two pairs at any one time, one pair are for warmth and one pair are just some general construction gloves for when I'm swinging an axe or carrying logs. I came across these ones and thought, as all rounders, they are probably best I've seen in a long time. I did like a few of their other gloves more for my tasks, but these had the least amount of parts on the pads of the hands and I figured the less seams there are, then the less points of failure there are. So these should be more durable and probably more comfortable for general use, but lets find out.

Since I mentioned comfort I must point out that they aren't bad, but there's one thin that I dislike and that's the seams of the fingers. You can really feel them although, in these at least, they aren't uncomfortable and I don't notice them when I'm wearing them and swinging an axe. It is a shame though because, as far as I'm concerned, this is the only real flaw in these gloves. The only other minor thing I would change is the knuckle padding. I would like it to be a bit thinner as it's quite bulky and I don't think it's necessary for what I generally need.

As for warmth, they aren't thick, but the materials used definitely keep the wind out. They aren't going to go with you to arctic environments, but on chilly days throughout most of the year these are more than adequate. The grip on these things, when I held on to a few different wood and composite handled axes, was superb. I grabbed a few of my knives and felt more secure with these on than any other pair of gloves I've tried before (granted these happened to fit more securely on my hands which is a benefit there). There's a sort of suede used for the palms of the hand and a few strategically placed rubber strips that aid in grip which, together, perform very well.

I'll talk to you a little bit about the gloves and I'll go through some of the tasks I've put them through to give you an idea of how they worked out for me. I've already talked about chopping wood and handling knives and axes with these (which were all passes in my book), but I also done some climbing of rocks, ropes and trees, and also just general wear while walking.
So climbing was ok, although I really do wish I had chosen the fingerless gloves for these tasks as any material between you and a lifeline can be dire. These weren't bad though, and for climbing rope, or pulling on it(if you were belaying somebody while climbing) was very nice. Trees weren't a problem really, but the padding on the knuckles did get in the way at times.
While chopping with an axe (which again performed very well) I did smack my hands a few times (intentionally, so not as hard as I might do it if I accidentally missed a swing) and the padding really did protect my knuckles rather well. There's also a little bit of padding on the lower knuckles of the fingers which you don't see in pictures.
For general wear, they were comfortable enough and kept the wind off, but you can always feel the knuckle padding. This is fine if you want to walk around feeling like your about to punch somebody in the face, but obviously a pointless feature otherwise for this task.

Overall, these are pretty decent gloves. I would prefer it if the main knuckle padding wasn't as bulky, but I guess these weren't designed around bushcraft/survival but are very good for a pair of combat gloves. They do work well for most of the tasks you would be doing on a day-to-day basis out of combat, but really Mechanix probably has something a bit more suitable for us 'civvies'. That being said though, I can use these over the usual gloves I carry and they will perform the task of the usual 2 pairs I require. I will be looking at some other Mechanix gloves more closely when I get a chance, but for now I'm quite happy with these.

[taq_review]

Mechanix M-PACT 3 Review

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