Hand Warmers

[Little Rickie]

For those interested in the solid fuel hand handwarmers, here's what they look like:

The fuel stick in the middle is lit on one end. The metal case is covered with velvet. It's about the same size as the lighter fuel variety.

Both types have a slight odor while burning.

I have and have used this before but not very often and may go back to it after reading this thread. I usually put on a pair of dry gloves or put one glove inside another and I'm OK.

The solid fuel is fragile and hard to lite with cold hands. Get it started early. I also found if you light both ends it is much warmer but burns a shorter life.

Anyone else use the liquid fuel type mentioned above. I think they light better/easier? and you don't have to worry about the fuel stick breaking and burning out prematurly.

 

[erugs]

WinterWarlock - I have a gadget, the "Brunton Fill Adapter" that takes fuel from my stove canisters and transfers it to my lighter. I wonder if it would also transfer fuel to something like the Zippo hand warmer? Why not, as they use lighter fuel? I read one report on Amazon that said allow there is no on/off switch, you can do as someone here suggested, put it in a baggie and squeeze out the air. That leaves you with unused fuel to light it again. Another Amazon reviewer wrote that it was bigger than they thought, and another suggested buying two.

 

[peakbagger]

The zippo hand warmers use liquid lighter fluid fuel. They are not pressurized and basically consist of the metal box filled with cotton with the catalyst on top. You basically saturate the cotton and light a wick that warms up the catalyst, until it starts glowing, then blow out the wick and cover the catalyst over with the top cover. I dont think gasous fuel would ever work. If you want lots of heat for a long time, there is nothing like them for output. I suspect that at one point the catalysts may have used Asbestos fibers but they still sell them so they either switched to a new fiber or already had a non asbestos fiber.

They are overkill for most folks as a handwarmer and get very warm. As a scout leader long ago we used to bring several of these style units to throw into the inadequate sleeping bags that many scouts ended up with on winter campouts. I use mine on occasion wwhne I am going to be standing around in the cold for long periods without a lot of activity.

They werent hard to turn off, just remove the cover and pop the catalyst off with a scout knife. Witin a couple of seconds the catalyst would stop glowing. Once its cool, reassemble and its good to go, although relighting it when half full takes a few more minutes.

Jon E used to make a special fluid that had less of an odor than Zippo lighter fluid but most folks just use Zippo fluid and get used to the smell.

 

[Dana]

I don't know if what I tried was from this company - a co-worker heard I was going sailing in November and offered me his reusable ones. It's true that they didn't work for all that long, and I also thought they were heavy. Maybe newer models are lighter? I like the fact that they are reusable.

Is there a product that is battery operated, perhaps using rechargeable batteries, so there would be an on/off switch?

The reusable ones are all the same, a supersaturated solution of sodium silicate in water, so they're all going to weigh the same for a given heat output. Clicking the tab starts it crystallizing and releases the heat used to melt it. And no, they don't last very long... but when you're sitting on a deer stand and your hands start to go numb, it can give you that extra half hour you need.

One thing about the reusables, though... you recharge them with boiling water, so you can do that over your camp stove at your evening campsite. You can also recharge them in a microwave oven, but I destroyed one that way... it didn't heat evenly and the plastic cover melted before all the solution was remelted.

There are battery powered heated gloves, some of the guys on the powered paragliding lists have talked about them... apparently they work well but I don't recall how long they last (but D batteries aren't exactly light, either). For my flying I generally use the disposable toe warmers and stick them inside my gloves on the inside of my wrists, where the arteries are close to the surface... works quite well to keep my fingers warm without putting the bulk farther inside my gloves.

 

[DougPaul]

a supersaturated solution of sodium silicate

Actually, it is sodium acetate, but everything else is ok.

Presuming that the warmers all use the same concentration, the amount of available heat would be proportional to the solution weight. (The plastic package is probably only a minor part of the total weight.)

Doug

 

[Dana]

Actually, it is sodium acetate...

Doh! Yes, of course, brainfart...