Heated Socks / Gloves ? (rechargeable battery powered)

I tried heated vest, socks, gloves and pants for motorcycle touring; Widder, Gerber, Aerostich; good brands. I found it all disappointing, a pain in the arse. Too much trouble for the limited comfort they provided. Temperature regulation needed constant adjustment. I still have some of it but I don't use it any more. If it's too cold for winter boots and wool socks, I stay home! Never used it in the woods.
 
I have probably tried every version of every product that has come along in the past 40 years and never found any of it worth the money they cost or the aggravation. I've always suffered from cold feet more than anything else and if I get a boot/sock combo that keeps me comfortable while sitting their impossible to walk in. Then I find a boot/sock combo that keeps me warm when walking then I freeze when sitting.
My ultimate solution is stalking/sitting on the ground and when my feet begin getting cold I go back to slowly stalking until I get them warm again and sit until they cool off..... Usually about 15 minutes of each is perfect for me.... YMMV.....
 
There's a rechargeable hand warmer that plugs into USB. I've put a couple in my coat pockets to keep my hands warm. Forgot the brand but they are cheap off Amazon.
 
Good? no.
Bad? no.
Junk? no.
Any experience, recomandations ?

all the ones i've tried are "good"...in that, they actually work, but they are bad in just about everything else.
some are junk, just like any other thing that man makes. the good ones aren't good enough for me.
i recommend using Hot Hands. no batteries and they're cheaper. stuff one in each boot toe AFTER
you "settle in" and replenish as necessary. https://www.amazon.com/HotHands-Hand-Warmers/dp/B00PY8N0UU
 
Yall just need to get you some of this neuropathy in the feet like me. My feet never get cold....

But I also don't know that I have stepped on a nail till I try to take my boot off!
 
Everything I have tried just ain't worth the money. I Now Use hot hands which work pretty good and they also have ones for toes. They have ones that last 4, 6 or 8 hours I believe.
 
I won't waste my money on battery powered heaters in clothes. That's because I understand the electrical power requirements, which just can't be gotten around (d*mn those laws of physics!).

In my opinion, unless you combine GOOD insulating clothing in the first place, at best battery powered clothing heaters provide short lived comfort. All you'll do otherwise is waste the heat produced away to the envirnment.

The best generator of heat is your own body. Proper insulation may even require "venting" excess heat by unzipping jackets, etc. The body at rest radiates about 100 Watts worth of heat. If you're physically active, this is higher.

I suppose if you have circulation problems, heated clothing may help. Likewise if you're not physically active in cold weather for some reason, such as hunters in a stand or something.

Even so, battery powered heaters should only AUGMENT the body's radiated heat under the use of decent insulating clothing...because you can't comfortably carry around a battery source large enough to afford to waste the heat produced.

Wattage for DC heaters is simple to calculate: Power (Watts) = Voltage (Volts) X Current (Amps).

Play with Ohms Law and the power equation and you also get Power = Current squared X Resistance (Ohms).

Battery capacity if typically expressed in Amp-Hours (Ah). If you have a battery rated at 12,000 mAh, it's theoretically capable of providing 1 Amp of current for 12 hours, or 12 Amps for one hour. (Capacity is usually determined at lower current loads: higher current loads typically not 100% ratioable and result in less time.)

So, if you assume a power in Watts for an electrical heater and know the voltage of the battery source, you can figure out the current draw and therefore battery life. A quick google found typical jacket liner wattage to be 75 to 100 Watts. Assuming the lower power rating of 75 Watts on a 12 Volt battery, that's a current draw of 6.25 Amps at full power.

A 3.0 Ah battery won't last a half hour at that setting.

If you assume a power setting of 12 Watts on a 12 Volt battery, that's 1 Amp. A 3.0 Ah battery would last 3 hours.

At 6 Watts...6 hours. 3 Watts? 12 hours.

So, insulation is absolutely critical.
 
I’ll support the “hot hands” recommendation above. When I hunt it’s mainly my hands that get cold as I take gloves on and off. So a pair of hot hands in my front jacket pockets and I’m golden. If it’s really cold I’ll drop a few extra and put them in my scarf.


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I find that the best solution for cold feet is a better hat, and if sitting to have a cushion. Hand warmers in pockets for when you have to take off a glove.

With today’s insulation there is really no reason to feel cold unless you happen to get wet when it’s below freezing, that sucks.
 
My hands and feet sweat, for gloves I've found wool gloves with nibs or leather grips work best, they'll have visible steam rising. I've heavy wool socks, 800g Thinsulate hunt boots, yet my feet were cold/numb from the ball to the toes within two hours Saturday at 45 F. The only thing that works is to swap socks mid hunt.
 
i had a pair of heated gloves i got from llbean when i lived up north. they cost $200.00 came with 4 lithium batteries. the batteries lasted
about 1.5 hours then quit. i used them for snowblowing. before i left i gave them to my youngest son.
 
If you want to keep your feet warm, focus on keeping your core warm. I started using First Lite merino wool base layers and a vest this year. Last Saturday I sat in 25-30 degree weather for 4+ hours with uninsulated boots and a pair of Arctic Shield slip-on boot covers, and stayed warm.

Yes, I’ve spent about a grand in new camo by switching to FL, but it’s made my hot and cold hunts much more enjoyable.

I have the Aerowool base shirt and neck gaiter and the lightweight merino pants (can’t remember the name of them. They are awesome in hot weather. I sweat like hell hiking in and climbing, but I’m dry and cool in no time.

I have the Kiln series base layers for cold, along with the Woodbury jacket, Catalyst pants, and Tundra balaclava and soft shell gloves. From 50 down to 25 (so far) I’ve been able to stay comfy by zipping/unzipping various layers.

I hope they last a good long time because I don’t want to have to replace any of it any time soon.
 
I recall a Sydney Poitier movie, he is a US Marshall and leads a manhunt for a fugitive,
he stops at the local outfitter and leaves with all the gear his US Govt credit card allowed,
including electric socks and gloves, his local guide laughs at him later when the socks short circuit and give him a hot foot.
 
Foot and hand warmth are a function of core temperature, circulation, and insulation.

For most of us, this means two things in cold weather:

- Keep properly insulated (layered clothing works exceptionally well), including your hands and feet. This means keep dry, too.

- Keep active. Being active helps keep core temperature up and circulation good.


People with poor circulation will have more problems with extremities...and will have to take more care to deal with it.
 
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