View Full Version : reusable hand warmer
boil to recharge hand warmers -- like "hotsnapz" -- am i the last to know these things exist? (...be nice...) does anyone use them while hiking? do you boil them when prepping dinner -- and use the same water you then drink in your meal? do they make any sense at all? are these the very hand warmers everyone was referring to when I thought they meant single use hand warmers?
are these the very hand warmers everyone was referring to when I thought they meant single use hand warmers?
No. Never used them.
Contact them directly and ask about whether it's OK to consume the water that they were boiled in is safe for consumption. My guess is that they'll advise against it in case the clear sided pouch the crystals are in somehow leaks but still say it's generally safe.
Tri-Pod Bob
11-30-2013, 16:50
I have 2. I only use them during hunting season for deer. I don't know the brand name, because they were not packaged. They were given to everyone attending a game dinner I attended at a local sportsmans club. The person at the door handed them out of a lg cardboard carton. The club closed 15 yrs ago, so these are at least 20 yrs old & still work fine. I wouldn't drink the water....it may turn out to be 'koolaid'. Heh heh!!
wow, great concept - this Florida boy has never heard of such a thing. I read some quick reviews online and they seem to be decent. Most common complaint is they don't last as long as the disposables, but I'm usually happy with 30-60 minutes of heat to take the edge off anyway. Plus they do seem to work as advertised from just boiling for
a few minutes and you're good to go again if needed. I love the idea of not having the "waste" of the disposables. Looks like you want to be aware of the size you're ordering depending on where you plan on putting them (some are too big for mittens etc). Popular brands seem to be Hotsnapz and Heat Wave.
I'd be happy to play guinea pig - I think I'll give these a try for my Feb start and will report back assuming I still have frostbite-free fingers and am able to type :) I agree with the others and would not want to drink the water afterwards in case of a leak etc.
Wise Old Owl
11-30-2013, 21:15
Nice find 1azarus (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/member.php?10244-1azarus) !
http://hotsnapz.com/FAQ.html
No I haven't used them ...or anything like it... The Jonz or Zippo Hand Warmer actually sits in the "Too much" bin.
Gonecampn
11-30-2013, 21:23
THis is my can't leave home without survival tool :)
Odd Man Out
11-30-2013, 21:40
Have have seen these. Fun to play with. Never used when camping. You could boil in your dinner water. It is a sealed plastic pouch. As long as it remains intact, it should be fine. It is filled with a concentrated sodium acetate solution, so even if it broke open, the sodium acetate in your water would be harmless (but may not taste very good). Once it hits your stomach it would be salty vinegar. The one I had years ago was made from pretty thick plastic and was very robust. Don't expect a lot of heat. It basically is a plastic bag full of warm water. It doesn't continue generating heat after it is triggered. Here is a science video showing the effect:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ5VN7Te1BA
MuddyWaters
11-30-2013, 21:57
Aquired my first one of this style back in .......about 1982.
Its a gimmick. Too much trouble, even for hunting. They can accidentally "go off".
I have one in a box in top of my closet that my wife gave my in my stocking at Christmas about 15 yrs ago. Never used.
Wise Old Owl
11-30-2013, 22:00
The zippo really does work.
HotSnapZ™ reusable hand warmers and heating pads contain water, a small metal disc and sodium acetate, a safe food grade salt ingredient. Based on that, I wouldn't worry about consuming the water that is used to boil them.
squeezebox
12-01-2013, 10:15
What about those blue reusable freezer bags? I would think they would hold heat as well.
Odd Man Out
12-01-2013, 10:28
What about those blue reusable freezer bags? I would think they would hold heat as well.
A bag or bottle of water will hold as much heat as well as any of these products. The thing with the hotsnapz is you can make it become hot when you want to (unless it goes off prematurely).
A bag or bottle of water will hold as much heat as well as any of these products. The thing with the hotsnapz is you can make it become hot when you want to (unless it goes off prematurely).
...so, i could just boil water, put it in a nalgene, and put it in my sleeping bag like everybody else? where's the fun in that? i did just get a Skratch Labs Purist Hydro water bottle and i was wondering how warm the water could be that i can safely put in it. I did just email them to find out.
pickNgrin
02-04-2015, 11:27
The king daddy of all hand warmers is the Jon-e. They run off of lighter fluid, and will stay hot for up to 12 hours. They don't use a flame, but instead use a chemical reaction between the fuel, oxygen, and a platinum catalyst. they will get hot enough to burn you, which is why you leave it in its felt pouch. Those suckers get the job done! A little on the heavy side for lightweight backpacking.
They don't make them any more, but you can get a good one on ebay for $20-30. Try to find one with a burner that it in good shape.
29841
During the day while walking I rarely get cold hands. In winter I always carry a stainless water bottle as plastic bottles get brittle & can crack. Whenever there's a fire at night I fill the bottle with water (unfiltered) & bring to a boil. After a few minutes I take it off the fire & let it cool a bit, then put it in an insulated bottle holder I wear on my hip belt & it becomes my hot water bottle for sleeping. In the morning the pre-boiled water takes less time to heat for coffee & breakfast, which saves on fuel that I have to carry (alcohol, usually, which, btw, makes an excellent fire starter with the right kindling - a subject in another current thread).
peakbagger
02-04-2015, 12:18
Yes they work but the disposable ones last longer and weigh less but obvious are trash once you have used them. The reusuable ones put out more heat for a shorter time.
Zippo still makes a copy of the Jone hand warmer. Nothing else come close for the heat those buggers put out. I used to have several of them for boy scout winter trips, scouts would inevitably not have adequate sleeping bags so the handwarmers were a backup. Put one in the bottom of the sleeping bag and it adds at least 10 degrees of rating.
squeezebox
02-04-2015, 23:19
A couple of ideas, The nalgene hot water bottle sounds good, maybe put it in a sock or something so the heat radiates a longer time. A rock washed off heated in your cook pot, or said rock cleaned wrapped in Al foil put in the fire, but if you have a fire why would you need a hot rock?