UKC

anyone have any experience with this kind of item?

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/heated-gear

i have terrible circulation and my hands and feet suffer badly on winter climbs. ive tried a lot of things and now considering other options

thanks

In reply to valjean:

I've used heated gloves which are great.

Not tried a heated jacket, but I think one would be great for belaying. After all WW2 bomber crews wore them, particularly the exposed rear gunners. The rear gun turret of a Lancaster at 20,000 was a very cold environment, particularly if, as most of the good gunners did, the perspex by the guns had been removed to increase their vision.

In reply to Trangia:

Off-topic, but any recommendations for heated gloves? I've got horrendously numbness prone fingers (Reynaud's) and looked into these last year but never took a punt (seemed to be a vast range of price-points - wasn't sure whether to take a chance on a cheaper pair or just fork out for the pricier ones).

In reply to thebigfriendlymoose:

I know Hestra do some but a friend has big gauntlet style ones so I'll get the brand from him and repost.

In reply to valjean:



Something about that home page image is hilarious.

In reply to thebigfriendlymoose:
Sorry I don't know the make. They were provided with an exposure suit (the suit wasn't heated, just the gloves) which I hired in Finland when on a snow shoe walking/sleigh ride holiday out searching for a sighting of the Northern Lights in mid January.

My ex wife suffers from Reynauds and used chemical heater insert pads in her gloves for skiing and winter mountaineering, which worked a treat - almost too hot!

In reply to valjean:

Yes. I have a gilet with a heating element across the back. Very cosy. Made by a company called Alpenheat. Provided I don't set it on the highest temperature, a battery charge lasts about four hours. More obviously if I turn it off when I've warmed up.

In reply to valjean:

There is a review/discussion on this here http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2508805/Heated-Threads

In reply to valjean:

I am just afraid that if the system fails, you get in trouble. I see the advantage of heated gear, but it does not sound as fail proof.

In reply to PPP:

It's not meant to be instead of warm clothing, it's in addition to.

In reply to valjean:

I wonder how the energy density of chemical (say iron oxidation) vs electrical hand warmers stacks up. I also wonder what happens at really cold and high places.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_warmer mentions lighter fuel powered ones, never seen one myself but I do find the idea interesting.

I've always dismissed li-ion battery solutions due to weight and high initial cost but then never did the maths to confirm it.

In reply to PPP:

definitely not the plan. the plan would be to treat it as just another mid or outer layer (as the weather dictates) and turn on the heat if and when needed (i.e. a long belay session) and turn it off when not needed.

In reply to thebigfriendlymoose:
Got Zanier thermic gloves as a present - used for 6 years, mainly skiing, occasional walking but too warm for the latter unless really cold.

They are warm most of the time themselves, but really toasty when heated in sub -5 C skiing conditions. Three levels of heat with battery charge lasting from about four to eight hours depending on heat level. Mine seem well made, supple leather, articulated, large gauntlet, and have no obvious signs of wear at all so years of life left (still on original batteries). Just googled price and, wow, Santa was good to me that Christmas 😄 (although they have gone up by a huge amount in price since I got mine).

Recommended if that is what someone needs. Chemical warmers though are just as useful if you don't mind the uncontrollable heat output and you make sure you protect the skin form direct contact.

In reply to Climbing Pieman:

Cheers, I'll get perusing some reviews. The chemical warmers work fine in a chalk bag for a few hours but don't really work for providing a warmth that envelops the fingers. I doubt any heated gloves that are legal would be too hot, my fingers can go almost irretrievably numb in pretty mild weather (a damp breeze can be enough). The number of times I have driven home / to a wall (with fingers jammed in the car heater vents all the way) after being utterly shut down is frankly depressing. Anything that gives the remote hope of a few more outdoor sessions would be considered, regardless of cost.

In reply to thebigfriendlymoose:
That sounds awful. Sorry, warm is a subjective term. The heating is down the back of each finger and thumb so I would have thought heated gloves would help you a lot unless they are medical reason for not heating the fingers in isolation. If you left the heat on in between climbs they would be warm for some immediate relief?

Cheap versions of heated gloves I've seen for as little as £15, so would be well worth a try, and they have the advantage of using readily available batteries. All Thermic based ones, afaik, use batteries unique to Thermic models so you would need spares if away for a while.

Other thoughts - have you tried out wrist gaiters (the ones that go well down the fingers and thumbs) at all to see if they help. You could of course wear them whilst climbing. I've a pair and for normal circulation they are great to use in conditions around zero where finger tips need to be free. Anyway, hope you find something to help you.