People joke about how Canada is so cold all year long that we must stay indoors.
But that couldnβt be further from the truth!
We love getting outside in every weather. All it takes is mastering how to keep your body warm.
My best advice would be to keep moving so your body produces enough heat, and with the help of a few layers of clothing, youβll be cozy all winter long.
As you might have guessed, I will introduce an essential piece of winter gear in this blog post β Hand & Foot Warmers from Aurora Heat.
Believe it or not, I was able to test them out already..in October! We got 15cm of snow within a day, and from the pleasant autumn temperatures of +15C, we went to -10C literally overnight. And that was just the first winter storm of many to come.
While we get -20C temperatures throughout the winter, people live in much colder temperatures. So, who else knows better about winter protection than Canadians living up North in Northwest Territories?
Enter Brenda Dragon, the founder of Aurora Heat.
Brenda and her family grew up in temperatures dipping to -40C and spent lots of time outside without being cold! What was their secret? Beaver fur. Living sustainably as part of their Indigenous culture, lots of their family clothing was made of fur. The fur is a natural insulator that retains body heat, and as a result, the cozy warmth got them through winter.
*In the spirit of full disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through them, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. We appreciate your support!
About Aurora Heat, Brenda says:
We use all parts of our pelts in deep respect and gratitude to the Land and to Tsa, the beaver. It is this world view that has formed our company’s slogan, “Live in harmony with Nature.” – Brenda Dragon
Iβm honoured to introduce you to a Canadian Indigenous-led company offering sustainable solutions to living comfortably in a cold climate.
Iβve tested Aurora Heat Reusable Foot Warmers & my son tried Kids Hand Warmers, and this is my honest review.
What I love about Aurora Heat Reusable Foot Warmers & Kids Hand Warmers
Incredible warmth
During our recent cold spell, I went for a walk wearing the foot warmer on just one foot to compare how warm I would feel. I must tell you, my toes where I had the foot warmer were toasty warm, while my other foot was a bit cold.
The same thing happened with my sonβs hands. I purposely tried thin mitts for him (because, letβs be honest, -10 Celsius is not cold enough for using the warmest mitts), and I only used a kids hand warmer on one hand. After a while, I checked his hands; one was noticeably warmer.
Flexible use
While you can use the foot and hand warmers in any way you like, itβs recommended theyβre worn directly on your skin because the beaver fur naturally stores and circulates body heat.
In my case, I placed the foot warmer around my toes, with the fur facing my skin, put a sock on, and then the shoe. Hereβs a quick video demonstrating how you can use it differently.
I placed my sonβs kids hand warmer in the mitten with the fur facing inward and then put the glove on, easy-peasy!
Due to the universal shape of the foot and hand warmers, you can wear them on your hands or feet. I can comfortably fit my foot warmers in my mitts, but I use them on my feet since my toes always get cold.
You can either place the whole foot warmer on top of your foot, as shown in the video linked above or wrap it around your toes and then put the sock on. Wear it as it fits best for you!
Reusable
If you live in a cold climate, I bet youβre familiar with the single-use packets of hand or foot warmers. You know..the ones that heat up when you shake them and then put them in your gloves.
I just checked the price, and one packet costs $2. It sounds cheap, but not when considering how many times you need them in winter. You can easily spend $50 on hand warmers each winter. And itβs really tricky to use them for kids; they can get hot at one point and lose the heat very quickly afterwards.
Well, what if I told you that Aurora Heat Kids Hand Warmers also cost $50 (although itβs even less with my code TRAVELWITHTHESMILE) but last for years? Yes, years! One-time purchase lasting for years to come (one of the first customers of Aurora Heat from 2015 is still using their product 8 years later).
Sustainable
Aurora Heat Hand & Foot Warmers are handmade by Indigenous Artisans while producing NO WASTE. They use up every single inch of the beaver fur.
Moreover, beavers are abundant in the Northwest Territories, and the harvesters never take more than the ecosystem can replenish naturally. In fact, this regulation helps promote their abundance in the long-term.
Since itβs a natural product, theyβre also biodegradable, but I doubt you will ever want to throw them away since they last several years.
Every shoe is a winter shoe
I have several pairs of winter shoes. To be clearer, theyβre advertised as winter shoes. However, not all winter shoes are meant for Canadian winter. I love wearing my barefoot winter shoes, but they only keep me warm in spring.
So, of course, I first tried to use the foot warmer with my favourite shoes. Guess what? My Aurora Heat Foot Warmers made my shoes a real winter shoe! My toes were warm, and I canβt wait to enjoy them all winter.
Do I need to say more?
And now what youβve been waiting for:
Aurora Heat Coupon code
Use code TRAVELWITHTHESMILE to save 10% off your entire order! And let me know what winter adventures you enjoy, thanks to Aurora Heat Warmers.
