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Post by swilk on Nov 4, 2011 8:09:34 GMT -5
I use chemical hand warmers each year for the simple reason .... that is all that I have available. I decided to order a couple of Zippo hand warmers to try out this year. They burn fluid but are flame-less ... they have a catalyst burner. Supposed to burn around 185* for anywhere from 12-24 hours on a little lighter fluid.  Comes with a little measuring cup to do the filling .... I normally wouldnt even bother to use this thing but considering it supposedly gives a rough estimate of burn time I might give it a shot.  Once filled up you light the catalyst head and it has a flame less heat.  About the size of a cell phone.  I have two of them sitting on my desk lit .... gonna see how long they burn and how hot they stay. I cannot smell them in the room but if I stick my nose right up to them (careful to not burn the sniffer) I can faintly smell the fluid. I know these designs are nothing new but I have never had one. Always looking for ways to be more comfortable when the weather gets cold ... and for $15 these things will actually be cheaper in the long run than a chemical warmer. |
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Post by raporter on Nov 4, 2011 8:58:21 GMT -5
Haven't used mine for deer hunting for a few years now. Still use them when ice fishing. I have the belt that holds two against your back and it does feel good.
While I haven't seen one in years Johnee(sp) used to have a thing that clipped on theirs and you would drip some doe scent on it. Not sure if it worked or not but it sure smelled like it should.
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Post by swilk on Nov 4, 2011 9:03:08 GMT -5
A couple against your kidneys would be nice on those cooooold days.
They have been sitting on my desk burning for two hours now. I have one inside the velvety bag they come with and one out of the bag. Supposedly the bag cuts off the oxygen supply and makes them not burn as hot. I would say that is definitely true ... the one out of the bag is lots hotter. But is is not hot enough I cant hold it.
I bet buried inside a hand muff that not using the velvety bag would be just about right.
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Post by featherduster on Nov 4, 2011 10:26:13 GMT -5
As dependable as Zippo lighters have been for decades I would think their hand warmers would be good also.
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Post by Russ Koon on Nov 4, 2011 11:15:13 GMT -5
Brings back memories...
I have four of them in the drawer near my left foot. Just opened the drawer and looked at them for the first time in years. Two are brand new in the original unopened packaging, and the other two I used for several years and still operated just fine last time I needed them.
I also saw one of the stick-fuel burners in that drawer. I think I went to that type because of the scent of the lighter fluid, but the dry fuel sticks gave off an odor of their own and I didn't use them much for hunting, either. Haven't done any ice fishing in years, but just kept these things in case I ever do. There was also a new Jon-ee body belt and an army surplus cloth ammo belt in there that I bought at an army surplus store for 50 cents and it did the same job quite well.
I'm getting a bit more sensitive to the cold in my golden years...may have to get some more use out of these antiques.
They did do a pretty good job, and were reliable. I think the reason I quit carrying them was that I finally bought some decent insulated coveralls and got rid of my old cotton long johns in favor of some of that new-fangled fleecy stuff, and didn't need the extra heat.
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Post by swilk on Nov 4, 2011 11:30:04 GMT -5
I hate wearing heavy gloves ... wont wear heavy gloves. I use a hand muff but a heat source is needed to warm my hands up after being out of the muff for any period of time.
Im not real concerned about the smell .... I look at it as I got a better chance of killing a critter by actually hunting than I do sitting at home because my hands froze off.
Might only use them a couple times a year ... not like I live in North Dakota.
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Post by Russ Koon on Nov 4, 2011 11:31:22 GMT -5
Mine didn't come with the measuring cup.
Would have probably been a good idea.
I seem to remember getting mine overfull a few times while they were new and I was getting used to them. Got excess fuel smelling up the clothes and had some excitement when I did decide to light one while in the woods on a cool day that turned colder.
Better to light them in a draft-free area before going into the bush. I liked to start mine before before eating breakfast and make sure they were settled down and producing good heat before leaving the house. Occasionally, I'd get a sort of false start that would quit shortly after seeming to be lit.
Never had one quit on me during the day's hunt, had to remove the catalytic element to shut them down at day's end, but after I learned to trust them more, I usually just let them use the rest of that fuel load and burn themselves out. IIRC, they were usually good for about eight hours, maybe a little more, but it varied somewhat with how much air got to them, as you noted.
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Post by Russ Koon on Nov 4, 2011 11:33:13 GMT -5
I hear that...I hunted in ND for many years. You'd want a couple of them in the 55-gallon size out there!
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Post by bigballer on Nov 4, 2011 12:26:07 GMT -5
If I may ask where did you pick yours up at? I have a sister and one brother that the cold turns them into truck watchers after a couple hours..  Also how long does the wick last or the burner? If they would last the 5 weeks of hunting season I would think they would be worth it. Just not sure how safe they are burning in your pocket.. LOL... And like someone else said wouldn't really worry about the scent that much. Where I am the wind is blowing so hard most the time the deer don't smell us. Thanks BB |
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Post by swilk on Nov 4, 2011 12:30:51 GMT -5
Bought them off of ebay through "lighterusa.com"
They have a website that you can buy direct from as well ... same cost with no shipping charges.
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Post by raporter on Nov 4, 2011 12:31:36 GMT -5
Russ I had completely forgotten about those stick warmers. Don't remember why but they didn't seem to go over very good.
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Post by bigballer on Nov 4, 2011 12:44:39 GMT -5
Yea I found them on Ebay... And found them for $11 each and $3 for shipping. I'm thinking these would make a great deal for my brother-in-laws (construction work) so I might try to swing a deal for 10 of them or something. Would be just right for Christmas presents!!! BB |
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Post by swilk on Nov 4, 2011 13:34:26 GMT -5
7 hours and still going strong.
I saw your post over on archery talk .... I wonder if the smell has changed since the technology has evolved. Honestly, the smell is not bad at all with these.
Dont get me wrong .... you can smell them if you try .... but I cant smell them when they are more than 6 inches from my face.
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Post by deerdude on Nov 4, 2011 19:46:36 GMT -5
i had one of these gizmos years ago ,they did work well but the one i had smelled pretty bad.the chem.hand warmers work at times then at other time's you might as well not have them with you.kind of neat to see they still make these type of warmer's.
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Post by swilk on Nov 4, 2011 19:53:00 GMT -5
Still warm. Can tell its about out of fuel because it is just warm instead of hot.
Not bad....over 12 hours on a single fueling.
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Post by old3arrows on Nov 4, 2011 19:59:36 GMT -5
Ever had one of those chemical hand warmers bust in your pocket? Quite a mess they make! ;D
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Post by esshup on Nov 4, 2011 20:11:11 GMT -5
You guys are talking about hand warmers that I used when I was a kid. I think I still have some of those stick type hand warmers in a drawer, along with some sticks....
I'm sure I have the old lighter fluid type hand warmers too.
I've been using the chemical "bags" for a number of years now, and just need to remember to buy new ones every year. If they are old they don't work so well, or won't work at all if they are really old.
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Post by kevin1 on Nov 5, 2011 13:19:27 GMT -5
Russ I had completely forgotten about those stick warmers. Don't remember why but they didn't seem to go over very good. I tried the charcoal stick type once, the performance was iffy at best, and the sticks become useless once they absorb even the slightest amount of moisture. I have a Jon-EE that I've used for a long time, it's never failed me yet. Probably the coolest one I've seen is the sodium acetate type, you squeeze a small metal clicker inside a plastic bag of fluid and the acetate turns into a waxlike solid that releases up to 135 degree heat for about four hours. They're completely odorless, and you recharge them back to their liquid state with a brief soak in hot water. They're perfect inside a muff or pocket. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2011 14:44:20 GMT -5
Those things were around when Woody was a boy.
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Post by Woody Williams on Nov 5, 2011 15:50:32 GMT -5
Those things were around when Woody was a boy. After my time.. We always just carried hot coals in our loin cloths from the fire in the cave. You had to be tough back then. Rapporteur knows what I am talking about....  |
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Also how long does the wick last or the burner? If they would last the 5 weeks of hunting season I would think they would be worth it. Just not sure how safe they are burning in your pocket.. LOL... And like someone else said wouldn't really worry about the scent that much. Where I am the wind is blowing so hard most the time the deer don't smell us.
