Chemical Warmer Packets: 1 time vs re-usable

F

fnc

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Nov 13, 2005
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I have always intended to use some, but found other ways to keep warm.
I think I even bought the 1-time packets and then misplaced them.

So, can someone talk about trade-offs: convenience,cost, weight, duration.

War stories are welcome.
 
I've recently been thinking that they might be a saviour if you are ever in a situation where ya so cold that you lose the dexterity to strike matches or use a Bic ( I've experianced that and it's not nice), maybe using one of those could give ya the dexterity back long enough to start a fire !
 
I have used the one time disposable type many times while riding the motorcycle in cold weather. They seem to have a shelf life, they may or may not work if you've had them around for a year or so. Also, they take a while to reach peak temperature, about one hour from my experience with them. Don't expect instant heat from them, they slooowly warm up. I do pack them along in the winter, cheap enough and light enough.
 
When I drop nearly $700 for an elk/deer tag in Montana (after having to draw for the privilege), then spend a pile of money on gas and supplies getting there, I usually don't worry about the modest cost of the disposable hand/foot warmers. There are places on the net that offer them very cheaply. I got some from www.sierratradingpost.com and they still appear to have them at a low cost. There are also a lot of handwarmer reviews on their website.

If you were out for many hours each day of the whole winter, that might be a different story.

DancesWithKnives
 
I've always been going to buy some reusable ones (the kind that are recharged in boiling water) - maybe this year.

Doc
 
I have used both. For field work or bush bashing I use the disposables. Cheap, no effort to activate them and they are lightweight. Now, that being said I have had some that really weren't effective or only lasted a few hours. To the re-usable side of things. While going through some of my grandfathers hunting gear (after he passed) I acquired one of these and tried it this year for whitetail season:

http://www.cabelas.com/p-0006823.shtml

It works great, even after 25 years. Puts out a lot of heat, easy to carry, stays hot all day and has a cool retro feel. On the negative side it takes some time to fill, light and heat up. I've also noticed that if I leave it in a gear box or other enclosed space, there is a strong naptha smell that builds up. So what do I like best? Depend on how I feel. Hunting, where I'm sitting still for long periods I want strong, reliable warmth. If I'm moving or active I'll go with disposables. Just my .02:thumbup:
 
DOC-CANADA said:
I've always been going to buy some reusable ones (the kind that are recharged in boiling water) - maybe this year.

Doc
Click to expand...

Doc, I've tried those babies as well. Lee valley sells them. They put out good warmth but only about an hours worth. I bought a few and timed 'em. Nice that you can recharge them though . . .
 
BenchmadeBoy said:
Doc, I've tried those babies as well. Lee valley sells them. They put out good warmth but only about an hours worth. I bought a few and timed 'em. Nice that you can recharge them though . . .
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply, BMB. An hour's worth would be good. As somebody mentioned previously, they would be good to warm up those inefficient cold hands, and because you use boiling water to recharge them, they could be used indefinitely on an extended winter trip.

Gonna have to get a couple.

Doc
 
Costco has 40 packs of the disposables for $15 right now, if anyone has a Costco in their area and is in need. I'm probably going to pick up at least a couple packs, since these things are great for wet/cold feet on a long hike.
 
Zippo hand warmer. I bought one this year because it reminded me of the old Jon-E-Warmer of my youth. Works great because it heats fast, heats over the advertised 12 hours, puts out lots of heat compared to disposables. Also, there is no smell.
 
I wear a Therma-Care lumbar heat wrap when its really cold both for work or for hiking. It stays warm (Really warm!) for 12 hours and is like having a built in furnace under your clothes. Heat is trapped by your shell. It wraps around you mid-section like a back brace but is very thin.
Try it out on a cold day when your out in the woods and you'll be hooked.
http://thermacare.com/products-back-hip.aspx
 
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The disposable ones are very hit or miss. I took about 6 packs to Portland with me and only 2 of them worked. Not very pleasant.
 
When I'm alone at the house, the thermostat gets turned down to 60 degrees and I put on a down vest with two Zippo warmers in the inside chest pockets. I pretty much do this every day from November through March. Eventually, the burners stop working and need replaced. Zippo doesn't offer replacements, though. I've found replacements burners that work and fit. Get 'em here:

http://store.advancedmart.com/reelforbaprh.html
 
Well, there are trade offs. To the heart of the question as I see it:

Disposable: Not as reliable and take more time to heat. Take up MUCH less space than the reusable ones. Like everything disposable they take up space in some landfill and my (dare I say OUR) conscience. Good for adding to a kit you would otherwise not put them into, just as an after thought.

Reusable (chemical reaction type): These are more reliable and more fragile. However, you can re-use them, even in the field as long as you're able to boil water. They heat up MUCH faster, but take up much more room. Better for a dedicated winter kit.
 
I've used the disposables a couple of times as actual hand warmers, but the best thing I ever did with them was use them to relax cramped muscles on a hike.

I wrapped them onto my quads with kerlix and duct tape(I'm not manly enough to tape them right to my legs), and once the heat kicked in(a minute or two), the cramping started to subside. I was really impressed with how quickly and well they worked, though my tape job could've been better, as they slipped down to my knees a couple of times, and I kept needing to pull them up and re-tape them tighter.
 
I just tried both kinds out last week, the disposable ones last several hours but don't get near as warm as the reusable, the reusable get a lot warmer about twice as fast, but only last about half an hour. So probably about the same amount of heat energy overall, I think I prefer the reusable myself.
 
Btw, in the above post I'm talking about the chemical reaction reusable ones that you click the little metal disc and they go from clear liquid to solid white w/ heat not the battery/fuel powered ones, and yes they are about 5 times thicker than the disposable ones too.
 
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