The Gun Counter

1) Coughlan's hand warmers in the small plastic sleeve: the fact they're about the size of a tea bag is telling, because they feel like a tea bag stuffed with peppercorns. They warmed to just above body temperature, in a 1"x1" square. Perhaps Janet Jackson could use them to cover a nipple. Grade: D-

2) FIRSTAID PLUS MORE!'s Instant HOT Compress: they're advertised as a 5"x6" hot compress for muscle cramps, stiffness, fatigue, and to soothe minor aches and pains. I bought them as a survival item for cold desert nights. I would die using them as such, but someone should investigate their claims for first aid use. An affirmative defense would be parody. Upon popping the inner pouch, mixing the contents within the sealed outer pouch, the bag slowly warmed at a nearly imperceptible rate, at which point it exceeded my body temperature. By concentrating hard and holding very still, I could tell it was warm. If you've ever urinated in a plastic bag... yeah, that's the temperature, and the feel, by the way. If you put it on your skin, it feels like a ziploc freezer bag. If you put a paper towel between it and your skin, the heat would not pass a layer of paper towel. Grade: F

EDIT TO ADD
3) Super HOTHANDS by HeatMax: This product mixes the size of #2 (5"x6") with the air-activated process of #1 (the tea bag). Quantity has a quality all its own, so even at the $1 price I can't recommend this product. At barely over body temperature, I don't think this would do a thing. Grade: D

Thanks for the review!

I took some "outdoor heating" accessories with me when I went hunting in the snow in January.

The "teabag in a plastic envelope" type (I suppose it's iron filings which rust on contact with air) were pretty useless, except as boot insoles. They produce so little warmth, and so slowly, that the faintest draft of cold outside air negates their effects entirely. Inside my boots, they were able to build up a little warmth, which just about maintained the status quo (no frostbite!), but certainly didn't feel cosy.

What I found worked much better - but at a considerable weight penalty - were the gel heatpacks with a metal "coin" inside. When you bend the coin so that it clicks, they give off a good deal of warmth, as the gel crystallises. Of course, the gel packs are no good for inside one's boots. I did see that some other hunters had battery-powered boot heating...