Drying boots in the back country

[colonel00]

For lighter weight tubes, I have an image of some children't toy in my head. I may have to go hit the thrift stores Also, do you think you really need rigid pipes? If you could prop the boots up, could a flexible pipe still provide the airflow without having the extra weight necessary to support the boot? How about hanging the boots by their laces?

Or, on a different front, how about stainless steel or titanium stove pipe material? You would still need some sort of elbow to roll the pipe up and create airflow but that might come out really light. Ideally, I would hope there could be something that could provide multiple applications around camp.

 

[Vandal 44]

Maybe a plastic water bottle would work I don't know how. There are some smart people on here, I have a feeling someone if figure it out

 

[Jager]

it seems the older I get, the more of a wuss I become.

Ha ha I know the feeling.

 

[BroodBuster]

Leather and heat are a bad mix. I got one of those propane boot dryers for Xmas and they basically ruined a pair of Zamberlin's. The leather cracked and, even worse, made them squiky.

Now I just make sure I have dry socks. Once the shock of a cold boot wears off it's not to bad. Gets me moving in the morning if nothing else.

I am thinking of getting some gait ores for snow though to help keep the socks dry in deeper snow.

 

[Brandon Pattison]

I haul in one extra pair of socks to sleep in. My wet ones get fire dried until I hit the rack. Then they go under my base layer next to my skin with my insoles. Stanky sox back on in the morning inside frozen boots. Once you start moving you will be okay.

 

[Randle]

What about using your bugle tube for 1 boot, and your buddies for the other, no extra tubing to carry.

 

[colonel00]

What about using your bugle tube for 1 boot, and your buddies for the other, no extra tubing to carry.

Now we might be on to something. I was actually looking at those accordion type tubes they sell as toys. They ones where you whip it around in a circle and it makes a whistling sound. Same basic thing as a bugle/grunt tube. Probably won't be able to support the weight of the boots but you could still hang them from the laces.

 

[colonel00]

So I was at Lowe's tonight picking up parts to fix a sink and I saw this. Didn't get a chance to see what it weighed but it was much lighter than PVC and still rigid enough to hold a boot.

 

[AK Troutbum]

So I was at Lowe's tonight picking up parts to fix a sink and I saw this. Didn't get a chance to see what it weighed but it was much lighter than PVC and still rigid enough to hold a boot.

Is that inch and a half diameter? Inch and a half was the biggest I could find in the thin-walled plastic.

 

[colonel00]

Yeah, I think so. I know ColoradoV made his out of 3" pipe but that sure seems big to get down into the toe of a boot. I guess it would depend on the style of boot you had too. They have the regular thin walled elbows for sinks there too. It is a trade off for a little less weight of the plain elbow or the ability to curve the bottom as you would want and have it more collapsible with this flexible one but it probably weighs a little more. For $6 I may give one a shot to see how it does. I would really still like to find another use for the tube to better justify lugging it along on a trip.

 

[Derek0525]

MRE food heaters they get hot fast real hot. Just an idea

 

[cwoodyt87]

I use cedar shoe trees when I'm camping near the car. No idea what the weight is, they've worked for me thus far.

http://www.containerstore.com/shop/closet/shoeStorage/shoeCare?productId=10000126

 

[Hunt'nFish]

I just tie mine upside down & hang'em from the tipi pole over stove. Adjust height to not harm boot materials.
Once I get back to camp, the first thing I do is pull off the boots and slip into the camp shoes.
They might as well be drying in the meantime. Most of the time they're almost dry by the time I slip into the bag.

I'm also a Seal-Skinz lover. The key to them is just make sure they're big enough to not compress your foot & sock.
Hunt'nFish

 

[Where's Bruce?]

I practice avoidance. The outsides will get wet but I'm not wading in water higher than my boot (even with gaiters on). I either take em off to cross or throw on a pair of Wiggy's.
http://wiggys.com/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=5

 

[cwh]

My buddy that runs plastics pulled the liners out and dried them over a jetboil one time. It did work, but it seemed to release every bit of foot stink that those liners had accumulated over their lifetime. Nearly ran me out of the tent.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Heat is no bueno.

 

[luke moffat]

My buddy that runs plastics pulled the liners out and dried them over a jetboil one time. It did work, but it seemed to release every bit of foot stink that those liners had accumulated over their lifetime. Nearly ran me out of the tent.

Yeah should have made him dry them things outside!!!! HAHA.

 

[Hornetoad326]

just avoid wet boots and wear plastic boots

 

[robert.illg]

I just putt the hand warmers in toe of boot. Pull and prop the insoles up in boot. It will dry my sweaty boots and help with rain soaked but typically would not dry them completely. If rain/snow soaked try to put near stove to dry outside too, but put further away then you think as heat and leather don't mix.

 

[Seeknelk]

Graksaw boot dryers with a hand warmer in the boots should work wonderful. I picked up the dryers last year, but haven't REALLY put em to the test. I know. Just a 3 inch fan that goes in each boot. Quite light, plug into your battery bank if you bring one. They are quite efficient but again I haven't put em to the test yet.