Disposable hand warmers have become a staple in nearly all winter sports, with both retailers and renters having large displays located conveniently near checkout.
There is absolutely a time and place where traditional disposable handwarmers can get the job done, such as when you’re out for a walk or need some emergency heat while your car heater gets working.
For skiers, handwarmers are a less than ideal option. Most skiers find that having the packets in the palm of their gloves uncomfortably interferes with their grip on their ski poles, resulting in poor plants and less aggressive turns.
For all of us that love the outdoors, there is the environmental impact to consider as well.
While most of the major manufacturers now use safe and non-toxic ingredients, Matt Hickman of Mother Nature Network explains the following:
“Although the chemicals in hand warmers are about as ‘natural’ as chemicals get, there’s a not-so-slight eco-caveat that needs to be addressed: the dreaded ‘D word.’ You guessed it, ‘disposable.’ Sure, throwaway hand warmers are super convenient, but for active folks like yourself who live in cold places, they, along with all that packaging (remember, they’re ‘individually wrapped’) can amount to a whole lot of landfill-bound waste.”
