I just grabbed a few more of these at Waldy tonight. A 4-pack (2 pair) goes for $1.28 where I live. So, 32 cents per. Strangely, the 6-pack (3 pair) goes for $1.97 - 32.83 cents per for those who care. It's just a hair more than the base cost of that auction you pointed to. But without the shipping, it more than makes up for it. They have loads of them laying about.

My local Chinese Conglomerate, er... Walla-Mart has clearance aisles and these things typically show up about the end of February when they get in the spring stuff. I've seen these 4-packs go for 50 cents and one time I snagged a boxful at $0.25 per 4-pack - yep, about 6 cents per warmer! If you get that deal, I recommend reselling them on eBay. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Not a bad price. I'll watch for WMT's spring clearance. I bought several from them once on sale and during hunting season, they barely got warm. I never knew they had an expiration and wouldn't have paid any attention to it if I had known it.
Well, I wrote the company (Heatmax) in Dalton, GA. They were very apologetic and said to return what I had left. I did and they sent me a whole case with a letter of apology. In these days of big business, you have to appreciate a company like this that still seems to care. From now on, I'll buy Hot Hands2. I notice now they have a bigger one they call a body warmer. I've read that you can snuff one out prematurely by putting it in an airtight container and then reactivating it later. I am skeptical but will try it. Last ones I saw there were NO NAME brand, no expiration date, and made in Korea. Guess they got a better deal than they did from Georgia. Need to keep our foreign friends in business. I read in the paper that WMT is the largest importer in the US of Chinese merchandise. Go figure. <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the info.

Boone

Yeah, I just saw that they account for 10% of our trade deficit with China. 10%. I'm currently reevaluating my dependence on cheap Chinese goods. I find myself looking at "made in" labels a lot more and opting for German, Japanese or UK make if USA isn't available. But sometimes they have run our guys out of business and Chinese suppliers are the only ones left... <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

I remember reading somewhere that Walmart is the PRC's fifth largest trading partner. The rest of the US still has the shame of being number one on that list. Walmart beat out France, btw. At least on the data I saw.

That's the shame of it all.

Think about what the PRC is doing with the money it gets from us. Think of tall pointy things that travel a long way and make a big bright flash when they arrive. <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

They have thier nukes, yeah, but most of what they are buying is tactical hardware, mostly Russian, but some of it from the Isrealies (and mostly stuff they made for/with us, or stuff we liscenced them to make for themselves- the AIM-9X and the seeker for the Hellfire-Longbow in particular). From the Russians... Wow, what is Moscow thinking? Tanks, gunships, these can threaten Taiwan, the PRC has no sealift capability to speak of, and even less ability to fly thier tanks in, assuming the runways are still in existance. The Indians don't have much that the ChiComs would want, and they have to go over the Himyleas to get there. The only use for all those tracks is a northward joyride.

If we get it, it will be a dsabler attack with the nukes, most likely. DC, Pearl, Diego, Guam and some of the bases on the Pacific coast. The real fight will be for Siberia. Of course, the Russians might pull the Indians into it, which in turn could make all the warm fuzzies between the ChiComs and Pakistan kick in... Yeah, four nuclear powers. Just ducky.

I feel sorry for the Japanese, they are downwind of the whole mess. And just think, we'll have provided the cash for all of it.

A Pax, a Pax upon us!

I couldnt agree more about the cup...
I would say in general wilderness travel a cup is as important as anything else in your kit (maybe not the knife?). You can't improvise a metal cup. You could improvise a serviceable knife easier than improvising a cup.
Your comment on the desert is pretty true:
"If I was in a REAL survival situation in the desert and found water, I think I would be inclined to stay there and await rescue.."
I live in Las Cruces, NM. I spend much time in remote desert areas. If there is a reliable perrenial water source (I wish, as of yet I have only seen them in movies.. I have been here on-off for 20 years) there would be a constant stream of animals to be eaten if hungry, water to drink, wood to burn (any desert plant exposed to year round water is gonna be huge) and people nearby or soon to be nearby.
From what I know about Desert Survival, there ain't gonna be any water in the desert that you dont carry into the desert.
I have tried to get water using every trick in the book. I have gotten usable amounts of water 2 times (both from digging!) out of 12+ attempts and counting. And I am doing this with everything I need, under ideal conditions.

I've had good luck with the Primus tea pot. The opening is big enough to use as a pot or bowl. I cooked some chili in there and ate from it with a cut down plastic spork that fits inside.

Tea pot chili! <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Bee:

I saw a post on some list (I read too many to keep it straight) that claimed you could boil water over open flame using a turkey baking bag.

I'd love it if you experimented and reported on this. If it works, it would be a reasonable compromise for a metal cup to use for melting snow, maybe even purifying water or cooking food.

Bear