Hand Warmers and Cooling packs

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Although instant hand warmers are a everyday part of many skiers and winter activity ethustits, they are often overlooked or taken for granted. The first concept of the first hand warmers, was created by Jonathan Ellis, a scientist from 1891. However the first commercially used versions were made by Japanese inventor Miichi Motoba in 1923. Compared to the first models modern packs have vastly improved. Michi's parks were able to sustain heat for around 30 minutes, while nowadays heat packs are pushing 8 hours.

It is no secret that hand warmers make use of chemical reactions to produce the heat they give of, but how they do it is a bit more interesting. The reaction is caused by the same annoying orange thing you find on chairs left out in the rain, rust. Hand warmers use a variety of different chemicals to generate a speed up process of oxidizing iron. Just like when the carbon in trees burn, or oxidize, they give of heat and iron does the same. The warmers are designed with a small pocket of iron crystals which is surrounded by a layer of salt which speeds up the reaction. As well as salt and iron, carbon is added to help dissubse the heat around the warmer. Along with vermiculite which regulates how fast the heat is released. Eventual the iron will become oxidized to it max and the reaction will end.

As well as hand warmers there are also instant cold packs, which also use a chemical reaction except for a different result. Instant ice packs are mostly found in athletic facilities were having actual ice on demand for injuries wouldn’t not practical. Instant cold packs use plastic bag filled with water and refrigerant gel. When the bag is shaken gel reacts to lower the bags temperature to below freezing. Refrigerant gel works by absorbing high capacities of heat away from areas to create a cooling effect.

Even though warming and cooling packs are fairly old the possibility of new uses is far from out of the picture. Many new uses and products could start to emerge from survival and camping brands. In california there is always concern of pontanial wildfire hazards when camping at all. So if campers could revert to using chemical heating bags to cook their food, wildfire risks could go down. Heating pads could also be useful for winter hikers lost in the snow. If a hiker gets stranded and is exposed to the possibility of hypothermia they could pull out a strong heating pack to save them. Hikers south of the equator are also at risk of injury but by sunburn, and having a cooling source could prevent it.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_pack
https://io9.gizmodo.com/how-do-chemical-handwarmers-work-1670218718

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