Charcoal hand-warmers - lighting technique?

[LittleSister]

I've bought some charcoal hand-warmers - the type where you light a charcoal stick and then put it in a small case which folds shut and fits in the hand or pocket. We can't get the stick to stay alight once closed in the case. Can anybody offer any advice?

The instruction say light stick with match or lighter, and blow on until there's about 1/2 inch alight. Find this a bit hard to achieve as the bit first lit burns away faster than the burning spreads, but even on those occasions that there's been a good spread of burning - approaching 1/2 inch - it's gone out as usual.

We've found some of the disposable hand-warmers really effective (the matching foot-warmers less so - perhaps they don't get enough oxygen?) but it would be nice to have something a bit less extravagant.

 

[mobeydick]

I have used them OK with the technique you describe - probably 75% 'hit rate'. They don't like damp though.

Have you tried the re-usable gel ones that you "snap" to generate heat, and boil to to re-generate? They work well, but do not last as long as the charcoal ones (if you can get them to stay alight)

md

 

[WindermereColvic]

Few things ive found helpful, after they have been used a few times, hoover over the glass wool inside (makeing sure it dosnt go up the hooover!) , cleens and adds air space. then when lit, hold it (closed) with the lit end down, to encourage it to burn upwards. Does your charcoal spit when your blowing on the lit end? scorched a coffee table doing that once :-s

 

[matelot]

my crew gave me a Mr Grumpy hand warmer - one of those where you crack the little tube and the whole thing goes hard, opaque and hot.