Magic Gel Reusable Hand Warmer Heat Pack

I've been using clicker instant head pads for years (I used to import them for my personal use from Canada back in the 1990's before this country started selling them). There are several tricks that I've learnt on how to get the best from them.

A BETTER WAY TO RE-CHARGE
The perennial problem so often heard is their practicality of re-use. Way-back I messed around with folding towels and filling the kitchen with steam but on advice from the original company (Hood - in Canada), I ALWAYS use a microwave now to re-liquify them and I've not had a failure yet.

The key is to set the timer on the microwave and monitor them. I use an old 650 watt model and either do one at once (bit more hassle), giving it an initial 40 seconds, then turning it over and then give 20 seconds, turning it over after each period of heating until there are no crystals left. It's essential to make sure that all the crystals have gone, otherwise the pad will start to solidify as soon as you turn your back! I find if you hold the hand warmer up to the light, you can easily see if you've heated it sufficiently, as the final crystals stop swimming around and liquify completely.

Once it's clearly liquid, then stop heating and place it somewhere to cool down.

I've got scores of these things because I find them so useful and during the cold weather, typically keep 10 or so in a box in the car for when they're needed. I use a sandwich box with a secure lid so they're safe and protected whilst they're in their liquid state.

As such, I typically need to recharge several at once. As above, I lay them out on the turntable in the microwave and give them a proportionally greater heating duration. If you put them all with the writing side upwards, then it's a doddle to know which way to turn them "to heat the other side" and avoid potentially damaging hot-spots. It's not rocket-science, but some pads, even with the turntable active, will get to the liquid state quicker than others. As before, I monitor them and hoick them out as they're done.

Another couple of points.

HOW TO GET THEM HOTTER AND MAKE THEM LAST LONGER
If you don't need the heat instantly, by keeping the liquid (cold-state) pads in your pocket or elsewhere about your person before clicking them, so that they're "pre-warmed", you'll be amazed at how much hotter the pad becomes when you do click the clicker. Be careful if you do this, because there's a chance they'll be too hot to touch and you'll need to wrap the pad in something once the solution activates. I've found that irrespective of wrapping the pad (which in itself will prolong the heating effect), pre-heating the pad definitely means that it retains its heat for longer. Let me clarify - by pre-heating, all I really mean is taking the chill off - the pad will still feel cool, just not as cold as if you hadn't done anything with it before clicking.

If you've more than a couple of pads, consider warming a fresh pad against a "dying" one - again, I find this greatly extends the potential heating duration.

A FINAL WORD ABOUT EVAPORATION
I've heard it said that in their solid state, they evaporate more than when they're liquid, so the general advice is to recharge them sooner rather than later, so as not to alter the concentration of the solution contained in the pad. But to be fair, I've not noticed any difference in leaving them solid, although to be fair, I normally charge mine up soon after I've used them 'cos I like to "be prepared"...

All-in-all, for instant heat, pads such as these are brilliant in my opinion, if you realise their limitations and how to get the best out of them.

For longer-term hand warmth, I use the Zippo hand-warmers (or sequential mugs of cocoa - but this isn't always practical when you're out and about)!

Very cool, really handy to leave in the car for icy mornings. Click the little disk inside the pack and it instantly heats up and stays hot for about 30 mins. To use again you just boil the pack in water til the liquid is clear and you can reuse it once it's cool again. Great price as well; I got one of these from the Gadget Shop about 10 years ago (it lasted about 3 years) and it cost like £12, so get a couple cos they're handy to have around.

These handwarmers do their job quickly and efficiently. Flexing the metal disk in the sachet creates a chemical reaction and quickly releases heat. They don't become hot - just pleasantly warm and the warmth lasts for about 40 minutes after which they can be recharged in boiling water.
They're also just the right size for soothing for an attack of earache or toothache.

As they can be reused until the sachet eventually disintegrates, they represent excellent value for money but I'm surprised they're sold singly rather than in pairs - because most people have two hands....!!