12Volt body heaters??

[Dave in Eugene]

It seems to me that rather than trying to figure out how to heat a cockpit it might be easier to heat the person.

I have read about folks using electric socks (The D-Battery one I bought for $20 are useless).. I have heard that there is an array of options made for motorcycle riders...that plug-in... Vests...socks...gloves... how about an electric blanket for the GIB? How about those heat / message chairs liners you can get the department store for $70?...flying along; toasty getting a message..how cools is that?

Any good sources?

I would love to hear about any experience with this... is amperage a concern?

Thanks,


Dave

[EZRider]

Go to www.gerbing.com

[Drew]

Dcell socks did not do it for me.  In the Longez, I preferred the shoe inserts----chemical heaters that hunters use.  If I could keep my feet warm, the rest of me was ok.  Also helped to tape or caulk the canard cover.  My wife liked the car electric blanket it the back.

[Hmanvel]

There are a couple of LongEz's near here (SE MI) that have heated seats like a car.  You can buy the inserts and put them inside your upolstery.  Apparently it works very well.

[Joe Dubner]

Any good sources?

I would love to hear about any experience with this... is amperage a concern?

Dave, I wear Gerbing heated socks (http://www.gerbing.com/divmc/clothing/socks.html) for "high-altitude" wintertime long-duration flights.  I bought mine in a motorcycle shop in Boise.

Rather than use the Gerbing controller to regulate temperature, I plug them directly into 12V and unplug them when I feel too warm (about half an hour).  Or one could use a 1 or 2 ohm series resistor to lower their heat output so they could be left on continuously.

I've never considered other heated clothing items; the socks have been satisfactory for me personally.  My hands still get cold (of course).   And you may want a heated vest although I'm OK with thermal underwear and a jacket (when there's sunshine).

"Amperage" shouldn't be a concern unless you have a tiny (or no) alternator; the socks draw about 2A.

[rglos]

I have often thought about this as well.

Logic tells me that these guys in snowmobile suits stay pretty warm and they are riding around directly in the wind.

It might be something wirth checking into.

[tonyslongez]

Yeah but, it can be alot of work snowmobiling. You can easily work up quit a sweat inside your close so you do stay relitively warm that way. I like the seat heaters idea maybe a wrecked bmw at the local junk yard can help. Those have seat heaters that work very well 1990 and up I think. when I turn mine on I can only use the secound setting, the third setting being the hottest, is far to hot.

Tony

[Jack]

Any good sources?

I would love to hear about any experience with this... is amperage a concern?

.

I generally wear my nomex flight gloves for the airport environment and then if it gets really chilly switch to my ski gloves at altitude.  Then wrap my ski jacket around me at altitude.  Big problem in the cockpit is the bulk of the extra cold weather gear.  

As for using onboard electricity for warming gear, I tend to go with KISS and use non electrically heated gear.  You never know when you gotta walk out of someplace and need to shift into survival mode.  I also wear my Navy survival vest whenever I fly and it's loaded with survival gear.

Cheers;

Jack

[tonyslongez]

I wrap myself in toilet paper and say"Holy Sh#* it's cold" :lol:  :lol:

Just kidding . Couldn't resist.

Tony