Warming Cold Hands

[g]

Like this yo?

[cvrti5]

The easiest and fastest way to warm cold hands is to do 1 simple thing. Take your gloves off and stick your hands underneath your armpits. This is great because your armpits will warm both sides of the hand at once. It only takes about 30 seconds, and no water bottles or chem hand warmers required.

[susanjoypaul]

Then there's the obvious answer: don't take your gloves off, silly.

Your fingers are too prone to hypothermia, and - although there are some great suggestions here for rewarming them - it's always better to take the proper precautions to *keep* them, and all of your body parts, warm, rather than try to warm them up again after you've allowed them to get cold.

I always wear glove liners in winter, and they stay on till I get home. I usually have mountaineering gloves attached to my wrists with leashes as well, to slip over the liners if I need them. And a third pair - taped mitts - in my pack, in case it gets extremely cold and windy. Likewise, I have a jacket handy in my pack that I throw on whenever I stop for awhile, so I don't get cold. It goes right back in my pack when I leave, so I don't get too warm and start to sweat. I'd rather be slightly cool, than too warm, sweaty, and then cold when the winter air and wind hits my wet clothing.

I know you've taken some high altitude mountaineering courses, Kevin - would your instructor allow you to remove your gloves to set up a Z-pulley for crevasse rescue? Heck no. If you can manipulate the pulley, biners, prusiks, etc. to pull that off, surely you can rig your own personal gear to accomodate "gloved-travel." Here are a few ideas...

1) Package your food so you can get to it easily. "Pre-tear" the packaging on protein bars and other sealed items, or just remove the plastic completely and store everything in a Gladware container. I have one that fits a peanut butter sandwich, Tiger's Milk bar and Clif Kids Twisted Fruit (Aubrey & Jen got me on those damn things - they're terrific!) perfectly, and it's easy to open with my gloves on.

2) Rig your clothing and pack so you can manipulate the zippers, etc. with gloves on. For example, attach several inches of cordelette to each armpit zipper of your jacket.

3) Enlist help from your friends. My hiking partner knows where everything is in my pack, and I, in his. When it gets dark, I get his headlamp out for him, and he for me - and ditto for goggles, extra gloves, snacks, compass, etc. That way, we don't have to remove our backs and risk chilling our backs. It's a lot faster too, so less time spent standing still, and less chance of getting cold.

Hope this helps... but if I ever *do* get cold hands again, I'm going to try the reverse-shoulder-shrug thing.

This is a good topic. Cold can kill'ya, man!

[paul109876]

I learn so much from Susanjoypaul. It's nice to see someone take an analytical approach to solving problems. Good suggestions.
I like tieing the cordette to the zippers. Even without gloves I can't pick up a nickel off of the floor.
My wife and I do the pack thing already but I have a better idea, I'll let her wear my pack and I'll wear hers. That will take the searching for items out completely.

Plus, my pack wieghs more

[ezsuperkev]

Then there's the obvious answer: don't take your gloves off, silly.

I think that every time I am out in the winter and as hard as I try there are some things I just can't do with gloves on. Actually most things.The second I put gloves or mittens on I turn into a retarded lobster. I can't even open or close my pack with gloves on.

Actually I should probably practice doing common things at home with them on.

[mtman]

I have used a cream called Capzasin-HP for a while now with good results. This cream contains capsaisan (the chemical that makes hot peppers hot), which is a vasodialator, increasing the circulation in your hands. Not the only thing you can do, mittens are a MUST HAVE, but something that can make a big difference for some people. Can also work on your feet - rub a little on before you put dry socks on when you're camping, and your feet will be warm all night.

[prestone818]

i tried the swinging your arms in circles last week and it didnt do s**t. my hand was still frozen.

[ezsuperkev]

i tried the swinging your arms in circles last week and it didnt do s**t. my hand was still frozen.

You should probably swing your own arms. Thanks for your concern about my hands. I do appreciate it :)

[prestone818]

i tried the swinging your arms in circles last week and it didnt do s**t. my hand was still frozen.

You should probably swing your own arms. Thanks for your concern about my hands. I do appreciate it :)

maybe thats why it wasnt working.

[paul109876]

I've used the Capzasin HP before and when the area that it is applied to gets wet from sweat or hot water it burns. But you get used to it after a few times. Keep that crap away from your eyes and your ass should you need to pottie.

[steventraylor]

Something similar to Capsazin is a product called Screaming Toast. Works great for loosening up tight backs and neck also. Don't get on your hands, eyes, and crevasses!

[Doug Shaw]

Works great for loosening up tight backs and neck also. Don't get on your hands, eyes, and crevasses!

Crevasses?! Good lord, man, take it out of the container before you use it!

[England]

Something similar to Capsazin is a product called Screaming Toast. Works great for loosening up tight backs and neck also. Don't get on your hands, eyes, and crevasses!

Screaming Toast? Now that's funny. I don't have too many problems with cold hands, but if I do, then I put my hands down my pants.

[skiwall]

I think this would work to effectively and quickly warm the hands of everybody in your group.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2oEP3RWppA&feature=player_embedded

[gsliva]

It's simple to keep your hands warm; don't remove your mittens or gloves but: while above Hagerman Pass yesterday I had to take off mine to manipulate the camera. The winds were ferocious at a constant 40 mph or so which led to immediately very cold hands. The only solution was to drop back down to the tree line and out of the wind. I'm glad I had my two layer mittens. High winds change the game very quickly.

I like Susanjoypaul's tips. thanks.