Bring da Heat! Personal heating options in emergency situations

[majorhavoc]

This topic could include everything from those Zippo hand warmers to, I suppose, compact, portable propane area heaters like the Mr. Heater Buddy.  It would be great if others would weigh in and share their ideas for emergency personal heat.

I'd like to start things off with something like this.  It's currently on sale for $50, down from $179.



I'm wondering if this (or perhaps their heated jacket) would make sense for a car winter emergency kit.  Think about last December's Buffalo blizzard where people were trapped in their cars for literally days in subzero temperatures.  (And where some citizens saved lives by taking sensible action that technically we can't talk about here, but was widely seen as nothing short of heroic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZda9jhc9RA)

A few random thoughts:

• The advertised 6 hour run time would definitely be on the low heat setting, and I have no way of gauging how much usable heat that means.
• A heated jacket or vest would be more efficient, but a blanket can be shared with others (along with shared body heat).
• It would make so much sense from an emergency use perspecitive if this kit included a way to run the battery charger directly from your vehicle's 12 volt accessory port - that way you could conserve gas by alternately running the engine for heat/charging the blanket, and relying on the blanket alone.
• I'm personally invested in Ryobi's 18 volt cordless system, so I wish Ryobi offered something like this.  But I don't think that will ever happen because Ryobi uses their bulky, slightly archaic post/pillar battery pack format.  Which is fine for power tools, but unlike a flatter, slide-in battery pack, it doesn't lend itself as well to pliable, flat applications like a garment or blanket.

Do people think this general concept makes sense?  Or are there better approaches to emergency heat in a trapped vehicle?  Am I just drawn to this because I'm a sucker for electronic gizmos that I see an prepping related use for?

[tirls]

I'm for a good sleeping bag. A sub 2kg sleeping bag can get you down to -20°C comfort temperature, no fuel or upkeep required, with minimal storage space in your car.
With other options you need to regularly check for functionality, keep fuel, worry about carbon monoxide or running out of electricity. I think some electric solution might be nice in addition for comfort, but not as a primary solution. Though to be honest I'd rather have a gas stove to make myself a tea in that situation.
I keep some heat packs in our first aid kit for emergency situations. You can put them under your arms or similar spots if you are chilled, but ideally I'd avoid using them.

[Brekar]

I'm wondering if this (or perhaps their heated jacket) would make sense for a car winter emergency kit.  Think about last December's Buffalo blizzard where people were trapped in their cars for literally days in subzero temperatures.  (And where some citizens saved lives by taking sensible action that technically we can't talk about here, but was widely seen as nothing short of heroic).
A few random thoughts:

• The advertised 6 hour run time would definitely be on the low heat setting, and I have no way of gauging how much usable heat that means.
• A heated jacket or vest would be more efficient, but a blanket can be shared with others (along with shared body heat).
• It would make so much sense from an emergency use perspective if this kit included a way to run the battery charger directly from your vehicle's 12 volt accessory port - that way you could conserve gas by alternately running the engine for heat/charging the blanket, and relying on the blanket alone.
• I'm personally invested in Ryobi's 18 volt cordless system, so I wish Ryobi offered something like this.  But I don't think that will ever happen because Ryobi uses their bulky, slightly archaic post/pillar battery pack format.  Which is fine for power tools, but unlike a flatter, slide-in battery pack, it doesn't lend itself as well to pliable, flat applications like a garment or blanket.

Do people think this general concept makes sense?  Or are there better approaches to emergency heat in a trapped vehicle?  Am I just drawn to this because I'm a sucker for electronic gizmos that I see an prepping related use for?

Well as someone who works outside a lot in all sorts of weather, I have some personal experience with using heated gear in cold weather. 2 of my coworkers have used a Dewalt heated work jacket that runs off of their 20 volt battery. They work pretty well in all but the coldest blizzard style weather. They paid something around $200 per jacket but have so far, gotten 2 years of continual winter usage out of them. I used rechargeable Weston Heated Socks with great success last winter. For me though some good car based gear is a wool blanket, a way to big hoodie to put over clothing already worn, and extra socks. Layers is key in cold weather.

My wife uses a 12 electric blanket in out SUV when even the heated seats don't keep her cold. She enjoys it and it lives in the SUV as soon as the weather hits below 40 degrees.

[EBuff75]

I carry blankets in my vehicles year-round and add a sleeping bag in the winter.  However, I'd been considering various portable heated blankets (i.e. something that doesn't require AC power) for various scenarios.  This year, when we had the ice storm and power outage at the end of February, I decided that I needed to get something for future use.  The use scenarios that I had were for cool weather camping, being stranded in my vehicle, outdoor events, or power outages.

I ended up buying two different blankets:

• Ihealthcomfort 12v heated blanket
• New Fi USB heated blanket

The 12v blanket was for me to keep in the Suburban, since that's what I use in the winter whenever there's a chance of adverse weather.  If I'm traveling somewhere that's a little farther away I even toss in a portable power station which would include a 12v cigarette socket. 

The USB blanket is for when I might just be sitting around somewhere and want something to help keep me warm.  It's got a built-in pocket and will run on a USB power bank that could be tucked in the pocket.  This makes it easy to pull out and use when sitting in a camp chair, or just around the house if needed (I live in an older house and sometimes finding a nearby outlet is an issue if I wanted to use an AC powered heated blanket).

My testing of both of them was fairly brief, because I bought them as spring was arriving and there wasn't a lot of opportunity to use them.  For both of them, I tested them by putting them underneath another blanket, since that's the way I would likely use them.  By putting them under another layer, it helps to trap the heat and not just let it out.  Both of these are called "blankets" but they're really more of a small throw.  The 12v blanket is roughly 55" x 40" and the USB blanket is 55" x 30".  For comparison, I have an oversize heating pad that's 33" x 17" that I used as a sort of comparison.

The 12v blanket produces a fair amount of heat, but nowhere near what the heating pad does (I usually don't even turn the heating pad all the way up, because it's too hot if I do).  In comparison, the 12v blanket was slower to warm up, but eventually produces enough heat to keep me warm and I was able to cycle it on/off. 

The USB blanket is much weaker and slower to warm up, but it will eventually do enough that it can make a difference.  It does come with a nice bag to carry it in.  There are only a few heated spots in it, so it might take some adjusting to get it positioned just right for it to do the most good.

The goal that I have for both of them is as a supplemental way to warm up.  They're hardly windproof and aren't very thick on their own, so using them without a way to try and trap the heat is a waste.  Under a blanket, or inside of a sleeping bag, these could be quite useful, particularly for someone who is always cold or who has circulatory concerns.  Yes, they're going to eat up batteries, but if you were in a vehicle that you were either driving at the time or were cycling on/off to use the heater, these could be employed at that time without draining the battery. 

And if you're just looking for something that can assist with comfort (camping, a vehicle with poor heat or that takes a while to warm up, attending your kids outdoor sporting event, etc.) either of these could work.  You'd need a portable power station for the 12v blanket, but the additional output might be worth it.  The USB blanket is nice for being fully portable, but you will have a heavy corner on it where the pocket for the power bank sits.