Cut price dry boots.....

A snowHead

OK folks,

So I asked about keeping my boots dry and folks pointed me at Newspaper (the ultimate cheap solution), boot dryers (looked at these - they came in at around £45), and those chemical drying granule things - seemed to be 'Newts' and retailed at around £16, but I had to pay postage on the internet. So I went shopping and visted my camping shop today and asked about Newts. He told me that he didn't stock them due to price, but showed me a product called a drying box and showed me the bags of calcium chloride granules that refilled them - £2.99 for a bagthat must weigh about 400g - It's got to be same chemical that's in the Newts.

I bought 2 bags and will keep them in their sealed bags until I get there. Then I'm going to use an old pair of laddered tights and tip them in and tie between little bundles of the granules, i.e. like sausage links. I can then stuff them into the boots down to the toes and up to the ankle cuffs. What do you think of that as an idea? - I bet they'll even refresh in the microwave or conventional oven like the Newts are supposed to - I'll certainly cautiously try it. The only downer was then going into Woolworths and finding that they sold the same drying boxes and refills and that they were on special offer - half price - at £1.49 for the same refill bags! I didn't even know that Woolworthes sold this sort of thing.

So there you go DIY boot drying bags - If you're trying to stick to a budget like me it might be worth a try. I can't see why it won't work unless anyone here tells me otherwise.

A snowHead

It depends on the drying capability of whatever is the chemical; any anhydrous salt will absorb atmospheric water, the questions are

I wouldn't have thought microwave very effective (or safe Shocked

) , radiator would work better or long slow bake. (I was going to say overnight.... Confused

)

You can also get boxes to dry caravans, bathrooms, etc, not sure what they contain.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

doctor_eeyore, several drying gadgets do recommend drying out in the microwave. So long as the salt is heat stable (and doesn't absorb at the microwave frequency!) and the container is OK, why would there be a problem?

Megamum, CaCl2 will heat up as it absorbs water, so be aware of that. If the stuff is just CaCl2, you'll end up with a gooey mess all over your tights (and we all know how embarrassing that can be); I assume that the CaCl2 is held on a substrate which contains it as it dissolves. Might be worth checking how the material you have bought is presented in the original but of kit, in case you need to take some precaution.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

richmond, That's a valid point - a dry, or would that be wet, run seems to be in order - will trial here and report back - I'm thinking tights full of granules dish full of water in large air tight box overnight - max/min thermometer if I can find one.

Thought I'd also look up things on Google - found this: http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Drybags seems I'm not the first to have the idea - no notes on its effectiveness though

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I don't think it works by water dissolving the chemical - more the anhydrous salt absorbing the water, becoming the hydrated salt. (is this adsorbtion or absorbtion? or neither...)

Chemistry a long time ago...

What about silica gel?

You'll need to Register first of course.

Megamum, dry/wet run sounds like a good wheeze. Calcium chloride deliquesces, IIRC; it absorbs and disolves in water form the atmosphere. Heat it up and it'll release the water, no problem. However, if it absorbs enough of water it will become a soft paste and then a gooey mess. What I don't know is whether there is real risk of that happening during the course of boot drying. There are other water absorbents, such as good old silica gel, which do the same job without liquefying.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Megamum, I use the Woolworths drying boxes myself at home to help combat condensation. It works pretty well but it's not very good for you if you get the crystals on your skin. And the crystals turn into a sludgy mess. I personally wouldn't want to use them in my boots so if you do decide to use them please be careful.

After all it is free

doctor_eeyore, I think that CaCl2 does deliquesce, possibly resulting in the sludge of which snowshine writes. Slica gel I think aborbs water of hydration (or something like that it's a chelating agent IIRC) so it stays nice and firm throughout.

Megamum, you can buy Dryzone (non electric) driers for less than £20, so you're not going to save much. You don't want sludgy CaCl2 over your nice new boots or your well worn in feet; the loose CaCl2 could be a false economy.

Megamum, have you priced 2-outlet aquarium air pumps, such as this one:

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=OE1050

(don't forget the appropriate length of tubing to reach down into the toebox)

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

comprex, Another good idea - will look into it.

snowshine, That's what sites like this are good for - you can usually find someone who has trialled/used what you are thinking about - doesn't sound good from your description I wouldn't want a boot full of goo. I kind of hoped that the product might be a mineral impregnated with the chemical. However, when I opened the packet I must admit it didn't look like that - more like vitually pure chemical - with an astonishing amount of heavy perfume that I wasn't overboard about.

Anyhow - trial in in operation - sealed old lunch box - containing 100g of the granule in a laddered stocking, and 100ml water (according to my household scales and jugs - it will be interesting in any event - will report back tomorrow. I guess I could refer to the typical hydrated formula for the chemical and work out how many moles and therefore typical volume of water at STP 100g should hold, but I think that might be overkill

richmond, Yes, I began to wonder about the deliquenscent nature of the chemical tonight - some of these crystals can get very wet can't they? I guess I would have used silica get, but I've only got about 3 of those tiny packets that come with IT and camera equipment, and didn't see it for sale first. It was the bloke in the camping shop that suggested the drying granules from the boxes, so I thought well why not. If they don't work in the boots I guess I can find somewhere to use them up.

Anyhow, all interesting stuff, and if nothing else its thoroughly amused my father. I've stuck a big note on the box saying 'do not disturb - experiment in progress' just to wind him up.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

snow reports

OK folks, I promised to report back. Well after one night there was pretty much no change - the chemical looked pretty much as I left it, and the water was still in the dish. However, mindful of snowshines experience with the product I don't think I'm going to try it in the boots. Oh, the other drawback is the rotten perfume thats in them - to say I've got a kitchen which stinks of little else is an understatement - certainly I wouldn't want my boots stinking of it - in fact if anyone uses the compound in drying trays I don't know how you put up with the smell!!. So all in all not a brilliant solution. - Strke this one from the threads someone please.

Megamum, You can get perfectly decent little heaters (not the air-blower type) for about 15-20 quid a pair, and dry them out overnight and warm them up nicely. I have used these for years with no problems. Seem to be more easily available in resort than over here. These are an example of what I mean.

You know it makes sense.

stoatsbrother, they look neat - 15-20 is a tad more affordable, thanks. I wonder why some things are only available in some places - I will have a look when I'm in Switzerland.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

double glazed units have small balls of silica beads in the seals to dry up condensation as the beads get wet they heat up and stop glass misting, having had these in my hand as a child and spitting on them i van yell you they get hot, inside some sort of bag i would imagine this would work?

Help!!

Cut price dry boots.....

snowHeads Forum Index >>> Equipment Reviews/Questions