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On the Ice => The Pro Shop => Topic started by: nicklaszlo on November 09, 2019, 03:33:26 AM

Title: Drying boots with a desk fan
Post by: nicklaszlo on November 09, 2019, 03:33:26 AM
Harlick recommended drying boots using a fan.  I've given it a try.  They dry about 5X faster. 

Where I live it's humid and I sweat a lot.

The fan's cheap, so if the boots last a few extra months as a result, it's worth it.
Title: Re: Drying boots with a desk fan
Post by: Bill_S on November 09, 2019, 07:08:38 AM
Great tip, Nick!
Title: Re: Drying boots with a desk fan
Post by: Query on November 10, 2019, 07:46:50 AM
I've used a Dry Guy ski boot dryer which is supposed to create an air stream heated to about 99 degrees F (essentially body temperature, so it doesn't unduly distort the heat mold of the boots). But I had to buy that, instead of using a fan I already bought.

I've got dryers that plug into a wall AC outlet, and another that plugs into the accessory outlet (cigarette lighter plug) of my car.

I believe storing the boots inside of a humidity controlled home instead of the car also helps. (And in the summer, too high a car temperature definitely distorts the boots. I've seen people dry ski boots on top of a wood stove, but I wouldn't let my skates anywhere near such an uncontrolled heat source.) I've seen someone who store skate boots inside of a car trunk who literally had mold and mildew on their boots. Incidentally, that person said their boots only lasted 2 or 3 months, though of course there are many other factors that contribute to boot life.

BTW I believe that drying out the boots also helps control odor. I'm not sure if you care about that, but I suspect that odor might be a sign that bacteria are feeding on and breaking down the boot - at least for leather boots, and maybe for others.

Some people claim I am over-cautious, and that I don't need to dry my boots. My feet don't sweat much. But drying out the boots seems like a reasonable precaution on such over-priced boots.