Do any of you folks use toe warmers? The non-electric type that apparently stick to your socks and emit heat through a chemical reaction. They are supposed to last about 6 hours.

On the moose hunting trip in northern BC this year my feet got really cold to the point where I had to keep moving just to keep them warm. I wear Prospector leather boots with thinsulate, gor-tex, etc.

I don't want to use felt packs because the area where we hunt is wet with lots of wading and I've never found felt packs to be very water-proof.

I have used these and they can work well when used as intended but there are some potential pitfalls.
Once I was riding a motorcycle from Kamloops BC to Calgary Alberta. It was late March. In Kamloops the weather was clear but not real warm probably around 50F. I left in the afternoon and by the time I got to Revelstoke the weather had deteriorated considerably. I have come to realize that this may be the norm for the Revelstoke area. I have been wet in Revelstoke much more than I have been dry. As I climbed the Rogers Pass on the way to Golden the rain turned to snow and I had to admit I was feeling a bit chilly. In fact, there were times when my shivering was nearly enough to cause me to lose control of the bike on the slick road. I warmed up as I ate in Golden then gritted my teeth (I was able to do this now that they had stopped chattering) and headed up toward Field. The rain again became snow and I was seriously miserable. I could hardly feel my feet or hands. I had to remove the visor from my helmet because it kept freezing up.
I stopped at a service station in Field to warm up. While I was purchasing a choclate bar I noticed a box of Hotshot handwarmers on the counter. Figuring it was worth a try I bought a half dozen. I put one in each glove and one in each boot. For good measure I dropped a couple down the front of my shirt.
Well, I'm here to tellya, those things flat worked! My feet felt toasty and my hands the same. With the temperature at about 18F I was still shivering a bit and maybe a little lethargic mentally but I at least felt like I would make it with my fingers and toes intact.
The rest of the trip was a bit of a blur due to my decreased brain activity but there were some things that stood out. I remember following a car at about 65mph and realizing I could read the reflection of the license plate in the ice on the road. This ability disappeared as we began travelling in about 4 inches of snow. I was low on gas but my barely functioning brain seemed unable to hold on to this bit of info and I rode right through Canmore in a daze. Luckily the reserve capacity of the Suzuki was sufficient to get me to Calgary and my sister's place. I was miserable but by golly my hands and feet were warm! As I went up to bed I realized my stomach felt really warm. In fact it felt hot! I yanked my shirt off and removed the Hotshots that had by now blistered my belly. It appears these things generate a lot more heat when they get more air and the ones on my belly got plenty! As I fell asleep I was thankful that my belt had stopped them at my waist. Regards, Bill.

I have those in my pack but have never used them because I use the big one that goes over your kidneys and uas a glove size in my hat. Get the core warm and everything else will get warm. Old saying, "feet cold warm your head."

My wife and I share a box-blind, and when my toes get cold I kinda wiggle them up under her umm ahh ..... shirt. They be toasty in there.

ROTFLMAO at Tailgunner!!!

JohnTheGreek

M98:

The best thing I've found for keeping your feet warm in the stand is to place a small piece of 1" thick styrofoam (the type used for housing insulation) on the floor and rest your feet on that. Most boots have a lot of insulation on the top of the foot, but it seems all the heat leaks out through the sole because it gets compacted as you walk. The housing grade styrofoam (blue or pink) doesn't make noise like the white stuff.

I have also used a seat warmer, but the styrofoam seems to work a little better, and it doesn't move around as much. You will notice a difference with either of these.

Ryan

[ 11-11-2002, 08:34: Message edited by: Big_R ]

I have used the toe warmers for years. A godsend for me - inside my pac boots when sitting for hours on stand for deer in the UP. I have a lot of problems keeping my feet warm and these do the trick. They last about 4 hours. When you walk, air gets in and they do get very hot! Probably not a good idea if you are walking alot unless your boots aren't insulated. My toes can get very hot/uncomfortable through a thick sock and thin liner.