Originally Posted by vger285
(I'm kind of opposed to chemical or electrical warmers on principal)
Sometimes you have to set principal aside and go for a little common sense,chemical heat packs are great for winter riding,
Actually, I felt the same way, but these warmers
claim to be "non-toxic, environmentally friendly". The ingredients are "iron, water, cellulose, vermiculite, activated carbon and salt". The only one I'm a little hesitant about is vermiculite, but I admit I don't know anything about it except hearing something bad about the mining process recently.
Additionally, the company donates to a bunch of non-profit and conservation groups, so that makes me feel better about it too.
Finally, as you say, a little common sense is order at 0*F. That is the primary reason I "broke down" and bought them today, for the first time ever. But no matter how non-toxic they may be, they are still disposable, which I don't care for.
I used to have a couple of homemade rice-filled fabric squares that I could stick in the microwave, that would provide a good 10 minutes of heat. Unfortunately, I lost one of them and haven't gotten around to making another yet! And I think that after a year of use, the other is losing its effectiveness, so maybe it's just time to just make a whole new set.