Good point, AFLM. They're pretty bulky for what they do (give you a short burst of tepid warmth). Nice to have in some situations but not critical, not reliable enough to depend on and kind of heavy.

Back to the old days of handwarmers filled with lighter fluid, and those lousy sticks that disintegrated into powder after a year in storage. The lighter fluid ones are the bomb. They still make and sell them, and one in each coat pocket can really make a difference out in the duck blind, or ice fishing hole, or waiting for the train up on the platform while the snow is blowing sideways.

I gotta get me some more. I can never seem to keep them around for long.

I used to use those for ice fishing, and still have an old one buried out in the garage. They are a little stinky for deer hunting, but I'm going to get some fluid and fire it up for winter hiking etc. It's been dipping below 0 Fahrenheit here for much of the last two weeks, with more cold and wind predicted.

Funny you should mention that... I always end up giving mine away to someone who DIDN'T bring a proper coat or gloves.. I hardly ever use them myself these days.

I have a whole new appreciation for good socks. I have a several pair of Wigwam in a couple different systles and I don't think I'll ever go back to those white Hanes socks...

Waterproof pants.. I have a super lightweight set and a heavier set for colder days... Which reminds me.. I need to get the kiddo's out to the Tubing hills!

I had a pretty favorable experience with these at some late fall campouts with my son's Boy Scout Troop. The first one, the temps dropped down to 30 or below, which I know is not very cold for late fall/early winter camping, but for my son and I, who aren't big on cold weather camping, the handwarmers we had put in our sleeping bags sure helped get us through the night, so much so that I bought the bigger hand and body warmers in a 3-pack for the next campout. Those along with the addition of fleece sleeping bag liners really made a huge difference at that campout. As these have expiration dates, they are probably another example of something you should check before you leave the comfort of your home. As others mentioned, maybe these aren't something you should rely on for emergencies, but based on my recent experience I'll continue tossing a few in the pack for those colder nights. If weight and space permit, tossing in more than you expect to use for yourself and others could also be a backup for the time that one goes bad or doesn't work quite like it is supposed to.