Hatch Winter Patrol gloves aren’t just any pair of shooting gloves — they’re designed with a clear purpose: to keep your hands warm while preserving dexterity and control.
I find myself wearing gloves a lot, and different situations call for different types. In the summer, gloves help maintain a solid grip on my gun when my hands become sweaty. They also protect my hands during long shooting sessions, especially from the aggressive texturing on some firearm grips. But when winter rolls around, keeping my hands warm becomes a priority, which requires a specialized glove like the Hatch Winter Patrol.
Before I worked in law enforcement, winter gloves to me were those big, bulky insulated things—the kind that kept your hands warm but made them pretty much useless. I didn’t mind much back then because warmth was my only priority, not handling or picking things up.
Becoming a cop changed that. I was introduced to a whole new world of gloves—not so much for warmth, but for protecting your hands from all kinds of situations
We wore them when searching for suspects, making arrests, training at the range, and for tactical applications like residential search warrants. But even in this world of guns and tactical gear, the need for warm gloves still exists — especially for those of us in colder climates.
So, where’s the balance between warmth and practicality? Hatch found it with their Winter Patrol Glove (WPG100). They’re warm enough for cold weather but not so bulky that they sacrifice dexterity.
Hatch: Leather Insulated Winter Patrol Gloves
You can learn a lot about these gloves by their name: they’re made of leather, insulated, and made for patrol use. Are they super thin and easy to handle a gun with? No. But you can use a gun with them and that’s the point: a middle ground for extreme cold weather and operability.
Made of goat leather, the exterior is slick on top with a textured bottom for better gripping. They even smell like leather because you’re not getting an imitation version. They are the real deal.
The gloves feature C70 Thinsulate insulation with a Tricot inner liner for warmth and comfort. A leather cinch strap lets you tighten them around your wrist for a secure fit, and an inner elastic band ensures the wrist area stays snug while you wear them.
Hatch offers sizes ranging from S to XXL, so you can find the right fit. I’d describe these as a medium-thickness glove — somewhere between slim shooting gloves and bulky winter ones.
Can you shoot with them?
Those who carry concealed or work in law enforcement always face one key question: What’s practical for the mission?
If I’m carrying a concealed gun, I want to be able to effectively draw that gun and use it for protection. Thick gloves aren’t ideal for that. But when it’s bitterly cold outside, numb, half-frozen hands aren’t practical either. In those moments, I prioritize warmth, and a thicker pair of gloves wins out.
Drawing my gun, firing, reloading, and performing other tasks will undoubtedly be slower and more challenging. But that’s the trade-off we make in cold weather conditions.
However, there are a few ways to prepare for the challenges that winter gear, like gloves, can present First, train while wearing your winter gloves, coat, and other gear. The more you practice, the better you’ll perform. If the cold weather requires extra layers, make sure you’re comfortable using your gear on the range.
Second, remember that gloves can be removed quickly when needed. If your firearm is small enough that drawing and firing safely with gloves on isn’t possible, practice taking them off swiftly. Again, this may not be ideal, but it is more of a reality for those in colder climates.
Are the Hatch Winter Patrol gloves just for police?
Here’s the thing about military and police gear — it’s been rigorously tested and used extensively. So, are these gloves only for the police? Absolutely not. Many people gravitate toward military and law enforcement gear for their personal needs because they trust it to be built for serious use.
To see how practical the Hatch Winter Patrol gloves really are, I headed to the range. AmmunitiontoGo.com provided some 115 grain 9mm Magtech ammunition for this article.
The goal of this range test wasn’t just to see if I could shoot while wearing the Winter Patrol gloves, but to see what their limits are. I own several pairs of gloves that fit snugly enough to load ammo into magazines, but these gloves were just a bit too thick for that. While I didn’t have any trouble getting to the range with the gloves on, I couldn’t load the ammo into the mags.
Once the mags were loaded up, I placed the gloves back on and ran through some drills.
Drawing, holstering, loading mags into the gun, and cycling the slide were all manageable with the Winter Patrol gloves. Drawing the gun from my IWB holster took a little more time and attention, but after some practice, it wasn’t too bad. I was able to shoot and perform mag changes without any issue.
Just like drawing the gun from my holster, everything just took a little longer to do. I was able to get my phone out of my pocket but had to take the gloves off to actually use it. Overall, these gloves perform well for cold-weather range sessions, even if they require some adjustments for certain tasks.
Summary
The good thing about gloves that are made for patrol purposes is they are designed for more than shooting at the range. You can easily wear them for everyday tasks like driving and outdoor work. I’ve worn them on cold nights, and they’ve kept my hands completely warm.
Like I said earlier, it’s a matter of finding that perfect balance of insulation without too much bulk. When it comes to cold weather, the Hatch Winter Patrol gloves from Safariland strike that balance perfectly.
