So far, I've used Hotties as body warmers in cold climes. What do other folk use? Is there something better?
Hotties ... or what ???
- Thread starter Elen Sentier
- Start date
Never actually tried one by I need a couple in my rucksack on hike for emergencies. I've heard they can be good for aching feet.
I use the re useable gel warmers with the little disc in em. Boil to re activate. Also got a highlander solid fuel which is great, gets red hot....if you can light the bloody thing. The best one is the zippo, should be for £20 though.
Ta muchley, Gray. I've never used the reusable boiling ones and some of the reviews say they don't last long so hoped somebody else here had and could tell me. I'll almost certainly need some for Glencoe in Feb, to fix the osteoporosis in the back if it be cold, which is likely. I need something that will keep my back warm all night.
Will look at the zippo, Hotties are quite dear though too. I might give the higlander a miss for now if it's diffiult to light.
Will look at the zippo, Hotties are quite dear though too. I might give the higlander a miss for now if it's diffiult to light.
... if I could only roll about like that !!!
Hot water bottles? Sometimes I'll fill two or three from my Ghillie kettle. The fuel's cheap enough. 
I've used the reusable boilable things that set solid when they cool down and they're pretty good, but they're a bit of a pain to boil up and they aren't generally big enough for serious heating. It's better to use them while they're still hot from melting them, you get more heat out of them that way. I worry about them bursting after prolonged use. I've had a couple of hot water bottles do that, so I keep them in an Ortlieb bag if I've worried about a burst.
I've used the reusable boilable things that set solid when they cool down and they're pretty good, but they're a bit of a pain to boil up and they aren't generally big enough for serious heating. It's better to use them while they're still hot from melting them, you get more heat out of them that way. I worry about them bursting after prolonged use. I've had a couple of hot water bottles do that, so I keep them in an Ortlieb bag if I've worried about a burst.
For all night the re usable ones are no good, they stay warm for 20 min max. Zippo stays hot for 12 hours. I read somewhere on here about keeping warm, the poster said he used an osprey bottle full of boiling water wrapped in a towel and it was still warm the next morning. Oh yeah it was How to stay warm in a hammock thread.
It certainly was and I stand by my findings! I've also used the disposable handwarmers and find them to be far superior to the gel ones
Hot water bottles? Sometimes I'll fill two or three from my Ghillie kettle. The fuel's cheap enough.
I've used the reusable boilable things that set solid when they cool down and they're pretty good, but they're a bit of a pain to boil up and they aren't generally big enough for serious heating. It's better to use them while they're still hot from melting them, you get more heat out of them that way. I worry about them bursting after prolonged use. I've had a couple of hot water bottles do that, so I keep them in an Ortlieb bag if I've worried about a burst.
What type of bottles were the ones that burst? Were they filled all the way up or was there significant air in the bottle also?
I also use a hot water bottle - a polycarbonate Nalgene that I fill almost all the way with boiling water and put into a thick sock. I have not had a failure of the bottle so far and I am wondering if I am just lucky or there is some pattern to the failures. The reason I fill them as full as I can get them is to reduce the pressure delta that occurs as the hot air cools off.
Nothing stays hotter, longer than a Hottie, hand warmers are mediocre at best but for good deep warmth...def a Hottie.
I've bought the Hotties, found a good deal on ebay. I need them for the osteoporosis in the back at night and I know these work for that. I think a friend had the Peacock ones, about the same price as I got the hotties for.
