Help with Zippo Handwarmers

[MD_Gene]

Anyone have experience with Zippo handwarmers? I can get it "ignited" but it seems to take a lot of patience. Is there a trick? Also, is there a technique for not spilling much fuel when "loading" it? Thanks in advance.

 

[sandfly]

I would not use one because it can make the fly smell or even eat your fly line..

 

[Bamboozle]

A few things I’ve learned about hand warmers from using a Jon-E GI for years and the Zippo:

1. NEVER overfill it!! If you don’t have one of the Zippo or Jon-E filler cups, find out the exact amount the manufacturer says you should use. If you put too much fluid in it the fluid will expand and extinguish the catalytic element.

2. Never cheap out on lighter fluid. Get Zippo brand or Ronsonol for the Zippo, the Jon-E stuff for Jon-E.

3. Never touch the catalytic element material and keep it as far up into the burner cage as it will go without crushing it.

4. Use a butane lighter to “light” the burner element while the hand warmer is as upright as possible for a good 30 seconds to a minute. One of the long “grill” lighters works great for this.

5. Replace the cover and let the hand warmer sit upright for a few minutes BEFORE putting it in the bag so it gets maximum oxygen. IT WILL BE HOT, or it should be so be careful. I let mine sit for at least 5 minutes before putting them back in the bag.

6. If the hand warmer doesn’t get hot, try the same steps again but DON’T add any more fluid.

7. If it still doesn’t get hot, get a new burner. Believe or not this can make a HUGE difference if the hand warmer has a few years on it.

8. Don’t sweat the fluid. Naphtha is far from a major solvent and nothing tackle wise should come in contact with fluid anyway. But if it makes you feel any better, I use a Zippo lighters regularly to light my cigars, and hand warmers occasionally and never ruined anything or got skunked fishing on a day when I used them.

Obviously to make life simple you should light it at home before heading out or at the car. Trying to do it streamside will be a challenge at best.

Good luck and stay warm!

 

[poopdeck]

I had a brand new zippo hand warmer that I used maybe three times and then promptly threw it away. Finicky junk that is a pain in the neck to get right. Hot hands for me.

 

[AkDan76]

Good thread.

I was considering carrying a pair of these on float hunts/fishing trips as a boot dryer or wader dryer.

The propane units are a far cry from small enough on fly out trips.

 

[MD_Gene]

I agree about the damage to flies and line etc. Should be far enough away wrt to time (fluid once on hands) and distance that is should NOT affect equipment. My warmer is in my pocket.

Interesting note. I got mine at Christmas. I thought that it was defective (missing the dome). I called Zippo, Nope - that's the way they make them. They just have space on top where one would think that the dome should press up against the top, but no.

Thanks for the insights.

 

[lineman]

Excellent advice from Bamboozle. If I could stress or add a couple things. DON'T overfill it and soak the catalyst. With each filling it should burn for 20 hours or more if it's in it's fleece bag. When lighting it, let it burn 5-10 minutes before putting in the bag if possible. The catalyst is a consumable item but should last at least 100 heating cycles.
I'm not sure Zippo tells you, but if you would like to extinguish it easily, put it in a plastic zip-lock sandwich bag and seal it. it will go out within 1-2 minutes.
I've found that if you follow the directions they are very easy and economical to operate and work great.

 

[Bamboozle]

MD_Gene wrote:
Interesting note. I got mine at Christmas. I thought that it was defective (missing the dome). I called Zippo, Nope - that's the way they make them. They just have space on top where one would think that the dome should press up against the top, but no.

Thanks for the insights.

Doesn't yours look like this?:

If it doesn't, I don't care what Zippo told you, it will never stay lit without a cover (part with the holes in it) if that's what you are referring to as a "dome".

BTW - The photo came from the Zippo website.

In regards to extinguishing it. I have only done one thing in all my years of using either a Jon-E or a Zippo, I just knock off the burner element from the bottom of the hand warmer with a screwdriver or something else.

MAKE SURE TO USE A RAG OR THE CLOTH BAG TO HOLD THE HAND WARMER WHILE YOU PULL THE COVER OFF TO KNOCK OFF THE BURNER ELEMENT BECAUSE THE HANDWARMER WILL BE HOT ENOUGH TO BURN YOUR SKIN!!

Once the burner element is off, it gets no vapor, the catalytic process stops and effectively shuts off the hand warmer and it cools off. I let it sit overnight before putting the burner element back on and putting the hand warmer away.

 

[MD_Gene]

No. The one I have does not have the mantle looking thing in the dome.
Mine has the uprights on either side of the top. Once I get it lite, it works great.

 

[Bamboozle]

MD_Gene wrote:
No. The one I have does not have the mantle looking thing in the dome.
Mine has the uprights on either side of the top. Once I get it lite, it works great.

????

Do you have a photo of it or is there a photo of one ANYWHERE on the Internet? They only Zippo handwarmer I can find and the only type I am familiar with is the one I posted a picture of.

 

[Bamboozle]

Wait a minute, are you talking about this?:

Versus this?:

If so, that's the burner. The top one is the newer version which I believe is supposed to be easier to light ironically. Everything else on the handwarmer should be identical to this one EXCEPT the burner:

It also means everything else I said still applies.

 

[MD_Gene]

Bamboozle,

Yep. I'm glad I checked this thread as I was about to go to my gear room and take a picture of it. That's the one (on top). I appreciate all of your feedback. I do like the warmer. I have used it twice fishing this winter.

It does not seem intuitive that not having the mantle (dome) would be an improvement which is why I thought I had a defective unit and called Zippo.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Bamboozle]

Glad to help!

As a far as the redesigned burner goes...

I think the original Zippo rounded burner has too much metal surrounding the catalytic burner material and the element was a tad too far away from the fluid storage half of the warmer so it didn't burn as well. If you have ever seen a Jon-E, their burner looks like the rounded version but is completely exposed on the sides.

The Jon-E GI models that I have get so hot, that way back they had a large hole on the side where you could insert a cigarette to light it! My original from the 70's has that hole and it got a lot of use back when I smoked.

Jon-E also used to sell a "kidney" belt that you could use to put two GI hand warmers into. When you wore it, it was positioned over your kidneys in the back area. That location was supposed to be the best spot to warm your whole body. I can't attest to whether it worked but I bet it got pretty steamy when nature called. ;-)

Enjoy your warmer. The smell and warmth they bring on a frigid day brings back a lot a sweet memories for me.

 

[Aducker]

MD Gene: I used to have one and I always had best luck lighting it with a zippo lighter not a bic lighter. The zippo lighter just seamed to be hotter I guess. I used to torch that thing up and get the thing red hot for a couple minutes. Sometimes I would blow on it a little. I also would flip the warmer over to heat it on both sides with the lighter. Once it catches and glows you're good.
I had two of them. One for each pocket, I used to spend a lot of time out in the marsh duck hunting and swore by them.

 

[WingQuill]

Feathers stink. Thinskin stinks. Latex stinks. Head cement stinks. Dyes stink. Floatant stinks. Everything stinks.If you light your Zippo at the proper time, and use it properly, stink isn't an issue. I love my Zippo.

 

[AkDan76]

Ever try drying boots out or hippers with one? Too hot for hippers? Heck for that matter are they too hot for leather boots?

 

[lineman]

AkDan76,

If you shoot the fleece bag on a lit Zippo hand warmer with an infrared heat gun you'll find the bag at about 100 degrees Fahrenheit, give or take about 2 degrees.
Not nearly hot enough to ignite your boots. (Don't put it in your boots without the fleece bag around it though, pretty hot)
That is why it is easier, not to mention safer, to seal it in a plastic sandwich bag to extinguish it instead of fiddling around and popping off the catalytic burner.