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Getting the most out of your chemical warmers

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Getting the most out of your chemical warmers

Old 02-12-21, 10:47 PM
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SalsaShark
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Getting the most out of your chemical warmers

We've had a pretty good stretch of sub-zero weather in my neck of the woods. Along with the wind picking up, i have had to bust out the chemical warmers to suppliment my mittens on my commutes. While this works nicely to keep my fingers from freezing, i don't like wasting a consumable product that is designed to last for hours on my half hour ride to work.
I know many of you are aware that these hand and toe warmer packs need oxygen to keep the chemical reaction going which creates heat. This can be snuffed out by starving the oxygen again after use. I have heard of people using ziplock bags and other ways to do this. I thought i would share my success of using mason jars to stop the reaction and store partially used packs for later use. Seems like most households already have at least a few jars lying around, and they work great. I have gotten 5 or 6 usages out of a pair of warmers, and they seal up so well that you can even save them for next winter season (I have stored them for a couple years and they heated right up when removed from the jar).
I am sure many of you already use similar methods, but this works so well and it is so easy to seal and store, I thought i would share and maybe save somebody a little cash.
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Old 02-12-21, 10:49 PM
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Dang. Good tip.
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Old 02-12-21, 11:34 PM
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I just got these today, haven't used them yet. They heat up to around 110F, 3 settings. Charge is supposed to last 6 hours on low and take 500 recharges. Maybe a bit thick to keep inside the glove unless you wear then oversized a little, but pretty light weight. I am planning on keeping them in my pockets, if my hands start getting cold just stop and put my hands in my pockets for a minute. At the current temp of 15-20F that works even without the heaters, but heaters will make the warmth last longer. For the distance I am riding at these temps that's all I should need. Probably don't get much colder than that very often around here.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Just tested them, they do fit inside both my lightweight and heavyweight gloves.
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Old 02-14-21, 09:59 AM
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Good tip on the Mason jar. I've sealed them in zip lock bags and get about three uses out of them,, my commute being about an hour long. The hand warmers are suppose to last up to 8 hours and the smaller toe warmers up to five. The toe warmers dont work as well as there probabaly isn't enough O2 inside my socks, shoes, and neoprene covers to power the reaction.
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