 Poster: A snowHead
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Having earned the name in our chalet as the 'Woman with the black toes' in Tignes just before Christmas and slowly getting better with the help of a lovely village nurse and endless supply of burns dressings I am, unsurprisingly, looking at buying some boot warmers before my trip to Morzine on 5th February and hope fellow Snowheads may be able to offer some advice.
Snow & Rock have some called Hotronic M3 or M4. £119 or £139 respectively which I am prepared to pay if they do the job. A couple of things I would like to know is does the clip on battery get in the way when on your boots? Secondly, if you have your own customised footbeds, do you have to use the insoles provided? I wouldn't want for them to replace my customised ones.
If anyone knows of other makes or uses boot warmers, I would love to hear from you so I can keep my toes in the pink next time!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I asked the same question in March.
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=63403
I haven't actually bought any yet but still thinking about it. We did take all our boots back to the apartment on this latest trip which helped. And my biggest problem was later in the day after stopping for lunch/toilet or just generally waiting around for the kids or cable car or a combo of the two.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Layne, Excellent thanks for this link. I did try a search but nothing relevant seemed to be found.
Incidentally, I do wear Falke SK2 socks (one of the warmest). The boot warmer in our chalet was broken which didn't help matters as the boots were always cold when you put them on (people ended up taking them to their rooms), plus the temperatures were around -24 which is abnormally cold.
Still... 
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Bluebell, your feet problems sound horrendous - here's a cut and paste from an earlier thread
since writing that I've had my son in law out here skiing - first time he's not had cold feet, on a ski holiday.
you need to get the right things if you want to add them to existing insoles (as he did).
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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They do make a big difference, although it's better to say they stop your feet/toes from getting cold rather than keeping them warm. I also had a touch of frostbite before Christmas (although nowhere near as bad as you) I'm getting boot heaters asap. The Hotronic and Therm-ic brands both have options where you can attach a separate heating element to your existing footbeds rather than use their footbeds with built in heating elements.
One thing to look out for is a means of attaching the battery packs to the side of your boots (the outside) rather than on the rear of your boots where they can too easily be damaged by getting struck by low chairlifts.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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pam w, Thank you for the link. I've rung them and had a chat with Chris there about the Therm-ic Powerpack Max and he's answered all my questions very well. I don't want boiling hot toes, but just to keep an even temperature ticking over and numbness at bay.
rob@rar, He has said they attach at the back of the boot but are small (6cmx7cmx2cm deep) and light. I raised your concerns about low chairlifts etc., which he can understand but said on the whole wearers are mindful of this and so doesn't feel it to be an issue. You can however, for £16, get an extension cable and keep the batteries in your pocket. This in turn keeps the batteries warmer.
He did say the boots need to start off warm in the morning rather than using the powerpack to warm the boots from cold. So either use a boot warmer in the chalet or if one isn't provided then to keep your boots in your room.
I asked about these versus Hotronic and there is very little to choose between them and it is generally a case of which one you decide to go for.
Am going to talk to Mr Bluebell but think this is the way for me to go, as Pam has said, £100 all in. If you could see my 2 big toes (skin now coming off and new skin and nerve endings repairing beneath - ouch!) then it will (she hopes) be money well spent!
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Try 'Little Hotties' or Mycoal toe warmers for about £1.20 a go (or a bit less if you buy a big box on Ebay). Keeps my 8 year old's feet warm in the cold December/January skiing.
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Bluebell, you can clip the battery packs over the power strap, and you can thus mount them anywhere along the power strap. On noggy junior's boots they sit at half past 4 (if 12 o'clock is at the front and 6 o'clock is at the back) and so don't get involved with any chairs etc.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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alti - dude, Thank you for the thought, but sadly I think I am beyond these and need quite drastic measures!
noggy, This is good to know because it was the one thing I thought I'd need to be careful of. Anyway, decision taken. Mr Bluebell says "Yes" and to order a pair for him too!
Will be able to ski for hours and hours in Morzine now. No coffee or Gamay stops noggy, 
pam w, Thank you again for pointing me in the right direction.
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alti - dude, I did once manage to get some of these under my toes, when desperate, but there'd be no chance at all now in my new Zipfits.
Keeping boots in a warmish room overnight is clearly vital - it amazes me that people sometimes don't, especially when temperatures are really low.
I have boot warmers which stop my feet getting cold. they don't feel "warm", they don't feel cold, I can just ignore them (or will be able to after a few more days in the new Zipfits). 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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You can also try 'boot gloves' which are really an old idea, but are a very cheap and simple solution and dont require any electrics. You might get some odd looks though. I've also noticed that some people have problems with the bulky insole that comes with electric boot heaters, especially with properly fitted boots, so these are an alternative. I agree with the previous posts that keeping your boots (and feet!) as warm as possible before you put your boots on is also critical.
'Boot gloves' website.. (on offer it seems)
http://www.dryguy.net/BGA-closeout.php
Discussion here, most folks seem to think they work..
http://www.epicski.com/forum/thread/65254/bootglove-does-it-work
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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You can get just the heating element, then install this into your existing custom foot bed.
If you are brave you can do this yourself, but its probably better to get the shop to do it.
Its better to get the proper mounting kit, rather than using the spring clip over a power-strap.
The only problem I've had with low chairlifts etc is the power setting switch getting knocked.
A bit of sticky tape each morning solves this.
As a traditionalist hardened cynic I thought these were just a gimic,
but I am totaly converted.
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If you are brave you can do this yourself, but its probably better to get the shop to do it.
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no, it's OK to do it yourself - provided you're careful and have some gaffer tape and a stanley knife. I did get one electric lead completely ruined by a bash from a chairlift - the tiny wires pulled out and they're impossible to mend. But only had to buy a new kit for about £20 (on Amazon - see my link above) not replace the whole thing.
they are expensive - even when sourced as above for £90 - but the difference they can make to your enjoyment of a day's skiing is well worth it. Far better value for money than rip off drinks in rip off bars - and you don't get many of them for £90.
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You know it makes sense.
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Bluebell, I have Hotronics that I bought years and years ago and haven't looked back. I have had to replace the elements every now and again but that's fine given I ski for a living. I think I've also only bought one replacement set of batteries over the years too. The money is just a non-issue for me as my feet suffer badly in the cold. Wouldn't be without my heaters now, they've fab!
With regards to attaching the batteries to the boots, Hotronic used to do a velcro strap that you could put around your leg higher up and then attach the battery to it. I use these. In all my years I've never lost a battery or worried about it when going on a chairlift. I put the strap around the top of my calf which means it doesn't slip down, plus the strap doesn't have to be tight or feel restrictive. Works brilliantly!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I put the strap around the top of my calf which means it doesn't slip down, plus the strap doesn't have to be tight or feel restrictive.
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that puts me in mind of those Boy Scouts socks, with the tops turned down, and a little green thingy to show what patrol you belong to. Do you have a dirk as well?
You're probably too young to remember those Boy Scots socks - worn with little elastic gaiter things - guaranteed to give you varicose veins 40 years later.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| pam w wrote: |
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I put the strap around the top of my calf which means it doesn't slip down, plus the strap doesn't have to be tight or feel restrictive.
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that puts me in mind of those Boy Scouts socks, with the tops turned down, and a little green thingy to show what patrol you belong to. Do you have a dirk as well?
You're probably too young to remember those Boy Scots socks - worn with little elastic gaiter things - guaranteed to give you varicose veins 40 years later. |
I'm a girl so wasn't in the boy scouts. And I don't have varicose veins because as mentioned clearly above, I don't make the straps tight on my legs. And no, I don't carry a dirk either.
I give up.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I have hotronics M4. They have been worth their weight in gold, I use them pretty much for -4C or below and for those -20C days they are essential, Like robrar says, they are not really to make your feet warm (which would make them sweaty and big), they prevent your feet getting cold. I think setting nr.1 is for ~27C, so don't expect it to feel like an oven- its not meant to.
The heating elements were installed in the shop, just little pads really which they cut slightly into teh base. The lead from my hotronics comes up the back of boot and is plenty long enough to attach to the power strap on the side of my boot .
One point is to check your ski pants will fit the batteries inside- models pretty tight round the ankles don't all fit. I have skied three full seasons on mine (probably around 100 days so far) and expect this season I may have to replace some parts.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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One point is to check your ski pants will fit the batteries inside- models pretty tight round the ankles don't all fit.
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A good point. One of mine does, one doesn't. One SH complained that her heating control was unreliable and she actually burnt her feet a bit - I think there must have been a fault with her set.
snowaddict, sorry if I offended you; 'twas a joke. I'm a girl too but can remember my uncle - a Scout leader - in those funny socks.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I did look at Hotronics, Apparently they are made by the same company as Therm-ic under a different name but Therm-ic have since sold this part of the business. Otherwise, they would seem much the same product. The company I am buying from have said if I post the liners and footbeds to them, they will do all the fitting for me as it can be a bit nerve wracking cutting into your expensive footbed and liners (I personally would feel nervous about doing this) so am going to post them off.
I know what you are saying about not expecting to feel my feet are in an oven and wouldn't want this. I just want to prevent numbness. It is my toes/balls of my feet that get numb in really cold weather and this would surely affect the feeling (or not feeling) through the ski?
Although my toes are still recovering I'm hoping they will be ok for 5th Feb in Morzine. Believe me, if you've had what I have, you never ever want the experience it again 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| pam w wrote: |
One SH complained that her heating control was unreliable and she actually burnt her feet a bit - I think there must have been a fault with her set.
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It was me. I have had trouble with the thermic battery pack switch sliding onto position 3 which is the pre-heat position only. I have had compression/circulation/numb feet issues and when this happened I didn't feel the burning until it was too late as my feet were already asleep. I believe there is now a model where the control is operated from a remote unit worn around the neck rather than on the batteries. If I was buying again I would get this, it is expensive though.
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