Cold hands

I got out for an early morning ski, somehow I felt ten times better than Sunday. I was actually gliding! The skis were great again, only one fall when when I went around a turn way too hot on the black loop and sat down, hard. I probably would have skied longer but my hands were so friggin' cold they ached. My V1 is ok, my V2 is ok, V2 alternate sucks, bad balance and bad focus. I'll get better as I get out there more. I know now I want to ski a few times a week, at least. I just may need to cram it into three days. I keep thinking about the gear I have, circa 1996. Is it too old? Am I sacrificing speed and efficiency, does it matter? Any thoughts or input is appreciated here.