Leaving Skates in Car

[robinsnest]

The temps are getting up there, but I was looking over the summer schedule for the rink and there is going to be all sorts of beautiful ice time almost every day after work... this is usually not the case except Wednesday night.  I would love to take as much advantage as I can, but I don't usually know from day to day how late I will get out.  How bad would it be to leave my skates in the car so I will be ready to drop in anytime?  I am not worried about them being stolen as I park right next to the parking security guys, but it will be HOT in there.

[TropicalSk8ter]

The temps are getting up there, but I was looking over the summer schedule for the rink and there is going to be all sorts of beautiful ice time almost every day after work... this is usually not the case except Wednesday night.  I would love to take as much advantage as I can, but I don't usually know from day to day how late I will get out.  How bad would it be to leave my skates in the car so I will be ready to drop in anytime?  I am not worried about them being stolen as I park right next to the parking security guys, but it will be HOT in there.

It's not good to leave boots in the car because it's like sticking them into the heat molding case they loose support and life. Now Edea boots is a big NO NO because when they are heated up they loose the entire boot structure on the inside and out.


Ripping the ice all day!

[PhysicsOnIce]

I did this once with my Super Teri's.... and never again... the inside sole both of my skates came off completely. I had to bring them to a shoe maker to have them fixed. These were pre-heat molding came into play. I would be more terriffied now to do that, specially if your skates are heat moldable. Why not just take them into the office with you? They will be safer from everything!

[fsk8r]

I used to do it in the Texas summer. I thought it was brilliant, the boots used to remold to my feet every time I skated!
While I wouldn't really want to be doing it all the time, I would only put the boots in the car on those days when I knew there was ice time that I could potentially make after work (or would make no matter what as I had a lesson booked!).

[Loops]

I'm going to third the "don't do it".  You car is definitely going to get hotter than the heat molding oven.  The glue and other resins involved in holding the boots together might be compromised.

Can you rent a locker at the rink?  That's what I do here- then my skates are always available!!!!  Except if you're dealing with multiple rinks, that might not work so well....

Or, as Physics suggested....schelpp them into the office.....

[robinsnest]

Wow!  OK so definitely won't leave them in the car... I guess I will be toting them into the office with me then.  It is a little extra effort because where I work there are metal detectors/scanners, so it gives the cops a little excitement/conversation piece in the morning.

Thanks for the feedback, probably a pretty dumb question in retrospect.   

[Loops]

No, it's not at all a dumb question!!!  Given your location, I'm sure there's lots of metal detectors in your life (lol....I used to work downtown), you'll have a good laugh with security at the beginning, but after a week or so it'll be back to normal.

[robinsnest]

Further dumb question I just thought of if you will indulge me... is it bad to leave them in the car when it is very cold outside?  I was doing that every Wednesday during the winter after my patience for the security questions started to wear thin.

[Loops]

That wouldn't worry me, no.  Cold is OK, I think.

[PhysicsOnIce]

Cold is not really a probelm... They will just be icey when you put them on.

[Bill_S]

They will just be icey when you put them on.

You can say that again!

About 1/2 hour into my session, they thaw enough to require re-lacing.

[rachelplotkin]

I never leave my skates in the car no matter the weather.  I usually skate very early (before work) and bring them into the office with me.  Not only does it seem wrong to subject them to extremes in temperature I don't want to risk having them taken out of my car (which has happened to my coach.)

[FigureSpins]

This isn't a dumb question, especially given the change in seasons.

Extreme temps (hot or cold) aren't good for leather skates at all.  The heat triggers re-molding and the cold freeze-dries the leather.  I used to take my skates into my office if I needed to coach after work but we didn't have metal detectors.  In your case, I think I'd leave the bag in the car and just hand-carry the skates.  Go to the same security guard if you can, so you don't have to explain why you have ice skates in the middle of July.

If you really, really have to keep your skates in the trunk, do it with some precautions:  put the skates inside a soft-sided cooler in the trunk.  You can pick one up really cheap at a thrift store.  In the heat of the summer, put a frozen blue-ice pack in the bag each morning to offset the high temps.  For cold winters, I guess you could use a microwave-gel seat.  Nuke it and put it in the cooler.  http://www.amazon.com/Lava-Buns-Heated-Seat-Cushion/dp/B000KU74MM

The problem with the frozen boots is that the cold transfers to your feet when you use them as skate warmers, lol.  You can use a hand/hairdryer to take off some of the chill.  Some people put the boots under their car's heater vent, others use their heated seats feature, lol.

In the winter, I use sk8dreams' rice skate warmers.  Really easy to make: take a thin sock, fill it partway with ordinary rice, tie a knot in the end.  Microwave for 1 minute, then put inside the boot.  It doesn't get hot enough to trigger any heat molding and the boots are nice and warm to wear on a cold 5am freestyle.  (Put the rice sock in your sneakers while you skate - it's a nice treat après-skate!)

[alejeather]

In the heat of the summer, put a frozen blue-ice pack in the bag each morning to offset the high temps. 

If you do this, just make sure that you do something to protect your skates from the condensation. I'm not sure what would be best, maybe wrapping the ice pack in a washcloth or making sure there's some layer of protection or separation between the ice pack and the skate. But definitely don't want that moisture sitting right up against your boot.

[FigureSpins]

If you do this, just make sure that you do something to protect your skates from the condensation. I'm not sure what would be best, maybe wrapping the ice pack in a washcloth or making sure there's some layer of protection or separation between the ice pack and the skate. But definitely don't want that moisture sitting right up against your boot.

Oh, my skates wouldn't fit inside the cooler if I put them in upright; I have to lay them on their sides.  I see your point: if it's a 6"x6" or larger blue ice pack, then yes, you should put something in between, but if it's a really small ice pack, like lunchbag-sized, insulating it like that defeats the purpose.  With the soakers on, there won't be any condensation because they insulate against extreme temps.  Lay the skates on their sides rather than putting them in with the blades against the ice pack. 

Another point: I would NEVER recommend using real ice.  The "blue" ice packs melt slower so there is less condensation.  The heavy plastic casing prevents leaks and spills.  Blue ice ftw!

[icedancer]

I never leave my skates in the car (except if I have to go somewhere before or after) for all of the aforementioned weather-related reasons (although I live in the temperate Pacific NW where we don't have so many extremes generally) BECAUSE so many of my friends have had their skates stolen from their cars - either because they left them in the back seat or because the car was stolen - even from really secure vehicles and of course they were devastated.

[FigureSpins]

<snip>many of my friends have had their skates stolen from their cars - either because they left them in the back seat or because the car was stolen - even from really secure vehicles and of course they were devastated.

I know people who HOPE someone steals their skates because they need new ones and they'd like to have insurance pay for a portion, lol.  I doubt any thieves are breaking in just to get a pair of skates, but some of my friends have had a BMW (Break My Window) experience where the crook grabbed the skate bag and took off.

Someone once told me that they got their skates back because they saw them advertised on Craigslist a week later.  I don't know if the police were involved at the meetup, but I do know that the skates were Klingbeils.  Klingbeil used to etch the skater's name into the soles of the custom boots, right near the Edelweiss flower.  It must have been easy to prove who the rightful owner was, lol.

[icedancer]

I know people who HOPE someone steals their skates because they need new ones and they'd like to have insurance pay for a portion, lol.  I doubt any thieves are breaking in just to get a pair of skates, but some of my friends have had a BMW (Break My Window) experience where the crook grabbed the skate bag and took off.

Someone once told me that they got their skates back because they saw them advertised on Craigslist a week later.  I don't know if the police were involved at the meetup, but I do know that the skates were Klingbeils.  Klingbeil used to etch the skater's name into the soles of the custom boots, right near the Edelweiss flower.  It must have been easy to prove who the rightful owner was, lol.

True and true.  I have actually wondered if someone would just steal my skates and then I would have an excuse to get new ones LOL

I think in most cases the thief stole the bag - whether it was a backpack or a sports bag - we figured they were probably pretty disappointed with what they got (although one friend's skates had an autograph of a very famous skater on them [so disappointing for her and probably flew over the head of the thief unless they were cultivated skating fans LOL]) - looked craigslist and checked second-hand sports shops for weeks afterwards and but had to get new skates in the end (which they groused about constantly actually) -

[CaraSkates]

I only leave my skates in the car when the weather is ideal - not too hot and not too cold. Right now I work from home but when I worked in an office setting (in the heat of summer!), and skated before work, I would take my work clothes in a tote bag, change, shove skate clothes in the skate bag and toss the skates in the tote bag and bring them into work. We didn't have metal detectors so that wasn't an issue.

Now my coaching skates....those live in the car year round. They are an old pair with a flattened blade that hasn't been sharpened in 2.5 years....I try and remember and toss warmers into them before teaching during winter because my rink is frigid. I live close to the rink and many times I am the "back up" for LTS and get called 15 minutes before needing to be on the ice - after the week where I had to borrow pants to teach in, I started keeping a pair of pants in the trunk with the skates!

[AgnesNitt]

I'm a bad girl. I leave my skates in the car year round and they will not die.
My experience is unique.

[dlbritton]

I need to start toting mine inside now. I try to park in the shade so my car doesn't get brutally hot but best not to take chances.
I am skating 4 days a week so they have been living in the car. No more.

Wish the rink had lockers because I certainly don't need them anywhere but at the rink.

[Doubletoe]

Hmm. . . I leave my skates in my skate bag in the trunk of my car all the time.  Never had a problem in the 10+ years I've been doing it.  Of course I also have subterranean garage parking at both home and work, so they aren't often sitting in the trunk parked outside in 100*F+ heat (although they occasionally are).  What kind of temperatures are you looking at?

[fsk8r]

Hmm. . . I leave my skates in my skate bag in the trunk of my car all the time.  Never had a problem in the 10+ years I've been doing it.  Of course I also have subterranean garage parking at both home and work, so they aren't often sitting in the trunk parked outside in 100*F+ heat (although they occasionally are).  What kind of temperatures are you looking at?

Neither have I.
I'm more concerned about leaving them in the cold. That's worse on the leather.

[robinsnest]

Hmm. . . I leave my skates in my skate bag in the trunk of my car all the time.  Never had a problem in the 10+ years I've been doing it.  Of course I also have subterranean garage parking at both home and work, so they aren't often sitting in the trunk parked outside in 100*F+ heat (although they occasionally are).  What kind of temperatures are you looking at?

DC in the summer, parked outside... Yesterday my car said it was 98* inside it when I got out of work.  A subterranean garage would be very nice!

[lutefisk]

It's rainy/overcast today in the Maryland suburbs of DC, but my skates are with me in my cubical.