Equipment Tip: Use adhesive craft felt on cold surfaces

Most telescopes are made of metal. Metal gets very cold in the winter and touching it, even with gloves on, sends a chill through your body. Even on relatively warmer nights, metal will still get uncomfortably cold to the touch. This tip is mostly applicable to Dobsonians that require you to grab the tube to position it, but may also apply to other scopes and gear.

Putting patches of adhesive craft felt on touch points can really help keep your fingers from freezing.

Next time you are out observing, take mental notes of where you typically touch the telescope. If these points are metal and relatively smooth, you can cut pieces of adhesive felt to fit. 

On my 10 inch Dobsonian, I have craft felt along the lip of the aperture and on the lower half of the tube where I rest my hands when moving the tube (arrows in image at left). For shorter tubes, I'll place the felt along part of the edge of the mirror holder at the back. It really does make a difference.