Chemical hand warmers

[Craig Schoneberg]

I've had good results with the HotHands - on shorter hunts I vacuum seal them- and get up to 3-4 uses out of them.  This year I used some given to me last Christmas - seemed to work as well as the ones I bought this year.  Last year I had some of the larger ones - that had adhesive on one side - I stuck them to my t-shirt - over my kidneys and seemed that really helped - anyway, this year I haven't been able to find the ones with the adhesive.

I like the idea of the Thermacare back wraps, will have to give them a try.

[Squint]

Hot hands,body warmers,dont leave home without them.

[GingivitisKahn]

Originally posted by J. Adams:
I remember my Grandpa used a little metal hand warmer that was covered with red felt I think.  He used to light a little bar and place it inside the warmer, which would smolder for hours and keep your hands toasty.
I don't remember who made that hand warmer, or if that type is even manufactured anymore, but they sure did do their job well...

You can still find them at Wally World.  Those things use some kind of charcoal stick or something for fuel. They work but they smell a bit.

[lpcjon2]

J Adams I used the same thing in the Corps It's a charcoal hand warmer and they are great Also go to shnydas closet.com and you can get a case of the grabbers or hot hands for like 30.00.

[Cookus]

HotHands from the local WallyWorld seem to work well for me.   They last from 8-10 hours in my KOM muff.

[Eric Krewson]

I use one of those insulated hand muffs and no chemical warmer. I found the chemical warmers generated a lot of moisture which made it hard to keep my hands warm if chemical warmer started cooling off.

I have a zippered pouch on my muff that I put a pair of wool gloves in to increase the insulation factor. I can also wrap a wool scarf around the muff to further increase the insulation. I never need the hand warmers with my set-up.

Of course it only gets down to the high teens where I live and is usually in the mid twenties.

[Don Baker]

I use some that are called "little hotties" and they work quite well and last around 8 hours-I have found that if you shake them every once in awhile that they seem to work better and last a bit longer.
Don

[Wary Buck]

Bulla--yeah I remember the ones you're talking about, except I boiled them back to life again.  I have no idea whatever happened to mine, and use the HotHands mostly now.

I do remember the old handwarmers that you had to light the little charcoal bars, etc.  I never could get those to work right.

[Zbearclaw]

Originally posted by J. Adams:
I remember my Grandpa used a little metal hand warmer that was covered with red felt I think.  He used to light a little bar and place it inside the warmer, which would smolder for hours and keep your hands toasty.
I don't remember who made that hand warmer, or if that type is even manufactured anymore, but they sure did do their job well...

I got a few burns from those when I would put them in my cargo pants and forget them.  Not serious, probably not quite a first degree, but a burn for sure.

I would like to find one and the sticks if for nothing else but to remember "when".  I am also not old enough for that to be an uncommon memory.  

I just ordered a windproof cabelas hand muff for my upcoming arizona hunt on sale for 9.99 in Mossy Oak Treestand (the best MO pattern and a really good one for ground hunting the West in my opinion)

[fido dog]

Originally posted by waiting4fall:
Another type of warmers I found to be very helpful during the late season.

  http://www.youtube.com/user/W8N4FALL#p/u/17/76tufK6wglM  

Ohhhh.....to have the hand wraps the last time I was out.

Nice idea as I am limited on cold weather clothing. I still have one more time out before the Texas season ends. Body-wise I'm good, but my hands (even with Grabbers) freeze up.

[Two Arrows]

I've used several different brands that have worked very well, I sure don't like to venture out on a cold day without them. Keep them in an Insulated pocket though! I went out a couple  of weeks ago, I had on my reversible snow camo coveralls. My hands wouldn't warm up. I had the hand warmers in my pocket of the coveralls, but the pocket wasn't insulated, warmers didn't work while hunting. When I got done and was in my truck, I wrapped the warmers in my hat. When I completed the 7 mile drive home, those hand warmers were as hot as they could be, so I guess that if you overexpose them to oxygen they won't work as well.

[KSdan]

I still have some of the type that J Adams mentioned. They can sure get hot- you really have to be careful. Though they have a burning charcoal type smell- I am not sure deer even care.  I would be curious as to others experience on the odor.

[Dave Bulla]

I've still got a couple of the charcoal stick warmers laying around.  They smell a bit like a kerosene heater but sure do work.  I found that lighting both ends when it's really cold helps boost the heat output.  The trick to keeping them lit in my experience was to let them burn down till the at least 1/2" of the stick is glowing.  3/4" is better.  Then put it in the case and keep it closed.

[Dave McDaniel]

I use the ones made here in the good'ol USA I think it is Hot Hands. All the rest are made in China. Check the label.

[rraming]

The metal hand warmers some of you are mentioning are called "Jon-e" hand warmers and they use lighter fluid (same as a Zippo lighter) they sell there own brand but I'm sure it's just lighter fluid. They do smell a bit and I have three, I used them the last time me and the kids went sledding. I'm sure you can still buy them, you can buy anything now. I would not use them for deer hunting (as my father did) but if any critter didn't use his nose your good to go

[KSdan]

By the way. . . just a TIP.  Those Jon-e hand warmers mentioned throughout the post sure stink- but they are great for drying out boots and gloves overnight.  I know guys running dogs in the north country have used them for years.

[David Mitchell]

I have a pair of "Wooly Boogers" that were sold by Too Short when he had the Screaming Eagle business.  They are unshorn sheep hide turned fur side in and no thumbs--just big old pouches to slide your hands into.  They have a cord to slip through your belt loops and you just gently slide them off when a shot presents itself.  I never have needed any hand warmer inside them to keep fingers toasty warm.

[knobby]

I use whatever brand is available, but do think that they have a shelf-life of a couple years. The best combination for extreme cold is the larger "body warmer" inside a hand muff. Just be sure to swing the muff off to your non-bow side as an animal approaches, so you don't have string clearance problems with it.
   I used the charcoal sticks many years ago, until I once had the container open up on me as I was walking in for an afternoon stand. I didn't realize it until I could smell something burning. I eventually looked down and saw the smoke was coming from my jacket pocket. We're talking "stop, drop and roll" in the December snow. After it was over ,I sheepishly looked around, hoping no one else saw me, then started laughing at myself and continued on my way. (With a new hole in my pocket.) Just another day at the office...

[Moooseran]

The charcoal stick warmers are what I've used for the last 10 years. You can either light one end or both ends and they do keep your hands warm. I also use the Toe warmers , one on the top and one on the bottem................Old and I need all the help I can get to stay warm......

[SMA]

The hot hands left over from last year do not last very long.