Frosty days and nights are here, and those of us who spend an extended amount of time outside can get smacked by Jack Frost. When he gets us in the hands, face, or feet, it bites. When you’re outside jogging, camping, or doing your job, it helps to have something to keep the digits warm.

You may be used to seeing disposable hand and body warmer packs that you can put in your gloves or jacket pockets. They work well and are popular among construction workers, mail carriers, fishermen, and hunters. You might have used a few while walking your dog or shoveling snow.

Why not make your own? Stop blowing your warm breath onto your cold parts. Bring the heat with a few Ziploc bags, water, and ice melt. Back at it again is Crazy Russian Hacker with a method to create homemade hand warmers. Check out the technique below, and remember safety is the number one priority!

DIY Hand Warmers

Materials:

• 2 plastic zipper bags – quart size
• 1 plastic zipper bag – snack size
• 1 ½ cups of Driveway Heat® ice melt
• 8 ounces of room temperature water (1 cup)
• Cloth work gloves

Instructions:

1. Glove Up

   Put gloves on for protection.

2. Pour It

   Pour the ice melt into one of the quart-size zipper bags. Leave the bag open and place it off to the side.

3. Add Water

   Add water to the snack-size zipper bag and close it tightly.

4. Seal It

   Place the zipper top water bag inside of the larger, ice-melt-filled bag. After pushing all the excess air out, seal the large bag completely shut.

5. Double Up

   Double up the quart-size zipper bags by putting the filled one inside of the empty one. Seal it to ensure there’s no spillage or rupturing.

6. Pop It

   Carefully pop the water bag with your fingers, releasing all of the liquid into the larger bag. The water will mix with the ice melt, causing the mixture to heat up. Be careful not to burn yourself!

7. Cool It

   Lay the bag on a flat surface and allow it to cool down a bit before using.

 

At this stage, the packet should be warm and ready to use. You may want to try wrapping one of these warmers in a cloth or small towel before using it. In the video, Crazy Russian Hacker put his pack inside of a jacket to keep his body warm. According to him, the warmers should keep the heat going for anywhere from 20 minutes up to an hour. That’s just enough time for a snowball fight!

As the Hacker points out, the heat packets could come in handy during an emergency like a power outage. This is not only useful for hands, but also for other parts of the body you’d like to keep warm such as the chest, legs, or bum. Instead of falling victim to Jack Frost or the White Walkers, try keeping one of these warmers on deck to stave off the cold. How do you cope with long stays in the cold? Have you ever tried using disposable warmers? Tell us in the comments!