Hand warmers expiry date?

[PoorCyclist]

I just bought 40 pairs for $15 it was too good to pass up.. I paid $1.50 per pair at REI when I needed in a pinch. So it was time to stock up. I doubt the hand warmers I just bought will be stone cold dead on expiry date of 2014?

Oh, have you guys used hand warmers for your feet by putting it between the shoe and the shoe cover?

[xxl]

I just bought 40 pairs for $15 it was too good to pass up.. I paid $1.50 per pair at REI when I needed in a pinch. So it was time to stock up. I doubt the hand warmers I just bought will be stone cold dead on expiry date of 2014?

Oh, have you guys used hand warmers for your feet by putting it between the shoe and the shoe cover?

According to the Graber people, as long as you keep the things from being exposed to air, they'll last past the expiration dates. I bought a bunch on sale as well, and just put them into well-sealed plastic bags.

The hand warmers get a bit warmer than the toe warmers, plus they don't have the sticky side. You could use them in your shoes, but you'd have to keep them from shifting around.

[Golfguy]

The do eventually not work anymore, though. Some handwarmers I had that in my golf bag were stone dead a couple years after expiration. I did NOT seal them in a bag as xxl suggests, however. That might help.

[Rob]

I just put on my wool cycling socks and tape a handwarmer to my sock on the top of my toes. Then shoe, then shoe covers. Works pretty well for me. The handwarmers seem to get a little warmer than the thinner toe warmers.

[DaveG]

According to the Graber people, as long as you keep the things from being exposed to air, they'll last past the expiration dates. I bought a bunch on sale as well, and just put them into well-sealed plastic bags.

The hand warmers get a bit warmer than the toe warmers, plus they don't have the sticky side. You could use them in your shoes, but you'd have to keep them from shifting around.

I have had toe warmers become less effective even after one season. They will still work but not as long as when they were new. Now I try to avoid overstoicking and use up the oldest ones first

[dawgless]

I end up putting the warmers in the cup of my arch. Honestly, you'll never feel them if you happen to have a high arch. It took a couple of rides to get used to, but it works swell that way. Just crack the warmers about 30-45 minutes before riding, make sure they're good and warm, then stuff them in and ride! I just wear two pairs of socks and an inexpensive garbage bag between the socks and my feet do just fine on my normal MTB rides with temps around 20-25.

40 for $15 is a smoking deal! I generally purchase mine at WalMart and get three pairs for $1.97. The foot warmers I get are rated to 110-120 degrees, the hand warmers are rated up to 137 degrees, methinks.

[xxl]

I have had toe warmers become less effective even after one season. They will still work but not as long as when they were new. Now I try to avoid overstoicking and use up the oldest ones first

As have I; that means that air was able to penetrate the packaging. The chemical reaction (basically, you're making a tiny bit of cement inside those packs) relies on oxygen. The ones I noticed losing potency were ones I'd stuffed into saddle bags, pockets, etc., as backups. The packaging foil was probably compromised by all the handling, hence the use of plastic bags to hold the packages.

I practice stock rotation as well. Even so-called "air tight" packages have some permeability.