Boot Drying

Just got back from a week in Soldeu and have noticed that our boots are a bitr damp. Last time we went we kept the boots in our room but this year we kept them in the locker.
What is the best way to dry them out have tried newspaper but doesn't seem to work.. Thanks Smudger :?

Hiya, regarding yur boots query, I had two thoughts when reading your post. I presume you mean what is the best way to dry boots overnight during your trip! Well, I used to leave my boots in the car overnight and quickly learned that A) they don't dry and B) they are really cold and go all stiff so putting your feet in the next day is NOT pleasant! I always take my boots into my accommodation - atleast its a decent temperature and your boots will have a chance to dry out (unless your camping that is)! Also, I have a mate who uses these moisture soaker things and swears by them - you can buy them in some ski shops and the look like a little bag that you wedge inside your boot and they absorb moisture! As an alternative take a haldful of silica packets (like what they use when they pack electrcal stuff) - throw them in your boots - they absorb any moisture and then you can chuck them out!

Hi Smudger,
Did you check if you can take off the inside shoe ? It looks like sleepers and they much easier to dry. You should be able to open them wildy.
Don't forget to spray with special deodorant for shoes, if not next year moisture smell will be unbearable.

Hi There,
Usually when you go skiing your hotel, Pension or whatever will have a boot room with heated boot stands. If not use a hair dryer.

cheers

Max

Smudger,

You have discovered an important "ski survival" point. Ski boots must be taken care of just like skis.

You must after ever single day of skiing take out ski boots liners and allow them to dry. You can get a great boot warmer to over night dry boots. DO NOT get the hot air blowers very much like hair blowers. They get too hot and make noise.

There are some that have a ceramic element that heats up slowly and will heat up boots overnight without "melting" plastics. If some skiers want name ( I do not sell them or own store) ask via PM.

Never keep your boots in car. They will become vices! There is a medieval torture apparatus called the boot rack which does same work!

Never keep boots in damp cellar or room! Some hotels have side electrical heaters. Do not place on side or on top of heaters. It will melt boots!

I have an old oil stove which heats up my water heaters and it is covered in an outside ski! Every day I place my boots on top of this skin!

For the skiers that do not warm boots you will find some "strange" green and yellow micro-organisms that will multiple. Seems your feet have tiny bacteria that under correct conditions create a perfect colony!

Also the ski boot liners decompose first the,,,,,,,, too clinical for most! Just believe me that I have seen a boot that was put away after Spring skiing and then placed in garage! The boot became a petri dish and the organisms loved the water!

Some skier biologist have put forward the theory that life as we know it began in a ski boot. Seems a sample of water from ski boot has at least 15 types of bacteria. SO TAKE CARE OF YOU BOOTS!

Some smart hotels now have a boot tree or boot wall! This is a series of pcv pipes which allow hot air to "blow" into boots! Yes the room is well sealed and has air fresh sticks.

Boots the forgotten servant!!!

Max Cottle wrote:Hi There,
Usually when you go skiing your hotel, Pension or whatever will have a boot room with heated boot stands. If not use a hair dryer.

cheers

Max

Since most modern boots and foot beds are thermo-formed then application of aggressive heat will deform them. Heat levels used to form boots and inners are comparatively low as the customer is required to be standing in or on the item as it's formed, these heat levels are well within the range of hair dryers or radiators. Good commercial boot dryers will use very low heat for this reason, I'd be careful with some of the older ones in hotels.

Heat's less effective than ventilation so, if it's possible, removing the inner is good idea. My boots and inners are sat outside now gently steaming in the midday sun but as they're touring boots it's easier to remove the inners.

ise wrote:gently steaming in the midday sun

Not sure I really needed that image just as I was biting into my (aromatic) blue cheese sandwich... :lol:

Snowgirl mentioned a foot powder for that wonderful aroma!

I use a Dr. Sholls ( I am sure wrong spelling) powder before I put boots on for two reasons.

Have you ever noticed how old boots in the top back section are all worn and ripped? The foot powder first "dries" my feet, makes me slip into my ski socks very easily and it allows feet to slip into boots with minimum resistance!

Also this powder makes my boot smell like a rose garden. No embrassing odors at the end of the day!

I am now using this powder for my gloves. Seems some gloves have two major layers and when you take gloves off, these layers separate! A major problem getting fingers to align inside glove. Since using this "foot" powder ( now called foot/hand powder) never have problems with inner liners in glove!

Hope this helps others.