DIY heated boot bag.
Hopefully you’ve been skiing instead of trolling the malls for Christmas gifts. Here’s a few more suggestions for the backcountry skier on your list:
Having your ski boots warm when you slip them on sure feels nice. Plug a
heated boot bag into your car’s cigarette lighter and your boots will be toasty when you get to the trailhead. They’re pricey ($200) and heavy (4 lbs+); cheaper DIY options are available.
We’ve used a variety of boot dryers over the years including the Turbo WildSnow Special made from inexpensive computer fans.
Compacts down to small size, nice for traveling.
This season we’re using a portable heater by Innovative Gear that plugs into the car or a regular 110v wall socket.
Pros:
Con:
Portable boot hot air dryer with tubes extended.
Super durable, lightweight gear from Flowfold, made in USA. The cool little credit card holder and wallet make nice stocking stuffers.
We’re always on the search for lightweight but tough luggage. A real find is the 40L Conductor duffel by Flowfold. Guaranteed for life, it’s made of DiamondFiber, a strong fabric originally used to revolutionize the performance of racing sailboats. I’ve used a Conductor bag for literally every adventure this past year and it still looks like new.
Pros:
Cons:
For the ladies, Scott Celeste 2.
Selecting backcountry ski boots is definitely a personal thing. We recommend working with a local shop and an experience bootfitter.
A boot to consider for the ladies is Celeste 2 by Scott. Sizing is similar to the old Garmonts. They offer impressive performance without being too heavy. My size 25 boots weigh in at 1308 grams. Roomy and warm, they are currently my favorite ski touring boots, especially for days with challenging conditions.
Specs:
Happy Holidays!
5 comments
Good selection of stuff! Happy feet and organized gear can make all the difference. I like the ghetto DIY boot dryer project. Do you have a link to any ideas regarding a DIY heated boot bag or similar?
Cheers and Happy Holidays!
Hi Dave,
All we’ve done so far with DIY heated boot bags is in the first photo: insert boots into duffel, plug in portable boot heater and voilà — warm boots at the trailhead. But, knowing gear-mod-meister Lou, elaborations could be in the works.
Thanks for commenting and Merry Christmas!
Do the Celeste’s have the Dynafit-provided/certified inserts? That was one of the complaints folks had about the Garmont Cosmos, was that they had a janky tech fitting that mostly worked, but were a little shallow.
Scott boots are Dynafit certified now. I’m on a new set of Orbits, and the inserts mate notably well with my bindings (Radical 2’s).
Also, the Orbit is impressively stiff for a minimalist boot. Not a product specifically for women, but I’d recommend them for anyone who wants a lighter AT boot and has a wider forefoot (I’m between C and D width on a Brannock device).
Be careful about putting boots with heat sensitive liners or foot beds in heated boot bags. Some bags get hot enough to damage liners or beds.