Alaska’s North Slope is the definition of cold. With winter temperatures plunging well below –40°F and winds that can strip heat in seconds, every day routine tasks become high-risk operations. For oil and gas crews working in these extreme conditions, PPE is essential equipment.

On these sites, gloves fail fast. Coatings crack, insulation packs out, and oil exposure eats through materials shift after shift. Add extreme cold to that, and crews were burning through pairs in a day, and losing warmth long before that.

These severe winter conditions are what the Chrome SLT® 4064IMPW gloves were built for, and the North Slope put them to the test.

The challenge: Quick glove breakdown in hazardous, subzero conditions

For fluid operators working in North Alaska, the challenges aren't just cold conditions; it's everything they have to do while working in it.

In this environment, most gloves don’t stand a chance. The combination of freezing temperatures and oil saturation weakens materials fast. Palms wear down, stitching fails, and coatings split. Insulation becomes compromised with moisture, leaving hands stiff and unprotected only hours into a shift, increasing the risk of frostbite.

For this fluid operator, the result was predictable and frustrating for him and his crew members: gloves barely survived a single day on the job and continued breaking down as the shift went on, offering less warmth and less safety with every task.

He knew his crew needed a glove that wouldn’t break down under extreme cold, oily equipment, and high-impact, high-abrasion tasks. Something durable enough to keep up with real work, not just survive the conditions.

The solution: A glove engineered for extreme cold + heavy industrial use

HexArmor® saw firsthand the challenges workers were facing in subzero temperatures and set out to build a glove that could withstand the true rigor of the North Slope. After field evaluations, operator feedback, and in-house testing, the team developed a solution that exceeded expectations.

The Chrome SLT® 4064IMPW was built specifically for the conditions of the North Slope. Every element of the glove was engineered to solve the exact problems operators face: extreme cold, constant oil exposure, and nonstop high-abrasion tasks.

To combat the cold, the glove is constructed with C200 Thinsulate™ insulation that delivers reliable warmth in subzero temperatures without sacrificing dexterity. A thin yet durable goatskin leather shell adds flexibility for precision tasks, while the OilGuard®-treated leather resists the rapid breakdown caused by constant oil exposure. The waterproof H2X® liner keeps moisture out entirely, maintaining insulation performance and helping protect against frostbite conditions.

Impact protection across the knuckles and back-of-hand adds another layer of safety for operators constantly navigating tight spaces, frozen equipment, and heavy truck components. And despite its rugged build, the glove remains surprisingly comfortable and dexterous, something this operator called out immediately.

This combination of warmth, durability, flexibility, and oil-resistant performance is exactly what crews in Alaska had been missing. And once the 4064IMPW hit the field, it didn’t take long for operators to notice the difference.

The results: 1,500% longer wear life in one of the harshest environments in the country

Once the 4064IMPW was used on the jobsite, the difference was immediate. This fluid operator reported that the gloves outperformed every winter glove he had used before, lasting 16 full days in a job site where most gloves barely survived a single shift. That’s a 1,500% increase in wear life, even with constant exposure to oil, frozen metal surfaces, and high-abrasion tasks.

After 16 days in subzero conditions, the gloves showed signs of surface cracking, a normal result of repeated oil exposure and frozen equipment contact, but what stood out was how fully intact and functional they remained. The leather didn’t tear through, the seams held, and the insulation continued providing consistent warmth throughout every shift. Even in this worn state (as shown in the photos), the gloves maintained both their structure and thermal performance.

Operators also noted that the waterproof barrier continued blocking moisture, preventing the insulation from becoming saturated – a highly critical factor in avoiding frostbite conditions.

Overall, the 4064IMPW delivered exactly what crews on the North Slope had been missing: warmth, durability, dexterity, and oil-resistant performance built for real work, not just the weather.

See the Chrome SLT® Winter 4064IMPW