hand heaters

[lorraine]

I'm in Ecuador and have had some cold moments. ;-) I've got one of those hand heaters left, the kind with chemicals in a little pouch which you shake to get going. Now, there's no chance of me getting me here, but does anyone have the vaguest ideas of the proportions so I could buy the chemicals and make my own???
Lorraine

[juddadredd]

I have heated grips which I love, but I carry one of those medical (hot/cold) gel packs for my bad knee as the heat kills the pain. I heat it up on my engine block but wrap it in a sock first otherwise it will melt, works lovely.



On a misson from Google I found the following


The heating process takes place in this fashion:
The iron in the pouch, when exposed to oxygen, oxidizes and therefore produces heat (aka, "Air Activated").
When iron oxidizes it produces iron oxide, more commonly referred to as rust.
The salt acts as a catalyst.
The carbon helps disperse the heat.
The vermiculite is used as an insulator for the purpose of retaining the heat and the cellulose is added as a filler.
All of these ingredients are surrounded by a polypropylene bag.


So Water, Salt, Carbon (sand) and vermiculite (use Gel pad) and Iron, But you will have to McGyver the proportions yourself.

Queue cheesy 80s sound track.

[Michael B]

Lorraine, I don't know which chemicals are in a heat pack or where you would buy such chemicals on the road but I have two good tips:

1) Seal the heat pack in an airtight plastic bag and the chemical reaction will stop. Reopen the bag at a later time and the heating will resume!

2) Two 9 volts batteries plugged together (+ on - and - on +) will get hotter than a chemical heat pack but won't last as long.

keep warm!

[lorraine]

All very interesting.... thank you both!!!
I'm sure I can find the chemicals in a hardward store or something, if anyone can track down proportions... would be much appreciated!
Lorraine

Originally Posted by lorraine

I'm in Ecuador and have had some cold moments. ;-) I've got one of those hand heaters left, the kind with chemicals in a little pouch which you shake to get going. Now, there's no chance of me getting me here, but does anyone have the vaguest ideas of the proportions so I could buy the chemicals and make my own???
Lorraine

Before the chemical hand heaters there where old fashioned lighter fuel hand heaters. I did a google and found these, high class hand, pocket warmers from peacock hand warmers

Not sure you will find one where you are but might be worth asking around.

Steve