# Hey Root...boot heaters



## Glenn (Jul 8, 2009)

Finally got mine! $75 from Tramdock. I've been waint for months for these. I just happened to be at my desk this time when the notifier popped up on the PC. 

The charger/discharger looks pretty slick. My wife has a set of thermics, but you have to manually run the batteries down before charging.


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## RootDKJ (Jul 8, 2009)

Cool...glad you finally scored a set.

To be honest, I haven't even opened the box up yet.  That's cool that they included a discharge feature.


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## Glenn (Jul 8, 2009)

I'll do a writeup on the install. Looks simple...trim heated foodbed, install, run wire, mount battery. I'm sure I just jinxed myself though.


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## RootDKJ (Jul 8, 2009)

Good idea...I'll probably do the same.  I'm in no rush to do it now...that will just increase my jonesing


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## Glenn (Jul 8, 2009)

Amen to that. I'll do it in August when it gets really bad. HA!


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## Hawkshot99 (Jul 10, 2009)

Installing them are very easy to do.


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## RootDKJ (Jul 10, 2009)

Hawkshot99 said:


> Installing them are very easy to do.


Cool thanks.


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## Glenn (Nov 17, 2009)

Bump! 

Root, I installed these Sunday night. Of course, I left the damn digital camera in CT...figures. It's really not that hard at all. Cutting down the liners took the most time. I looked at my wife's Salomon boots which came from the factory with the Thermics. One thing I liked about hers: The element was attached to the "stock" footbed which is molded to the boot. On ours, it's just a generic flat footbed. I walked around in the boots for about 20 minutes after I installed them...I really didn't notice much of a difference, but we'll see how things go on the slope. If push comes to shove, I "may" be able to remove that element from the Thermic footbed and put it on the stocker. 

On her boots, the wire goes under the footbed, out through a slit in the heel then up the rear of the liner and through a small loop. My boots didn't have the loop, but that wasn't a big deal. I cut a small hole in each heel and just fed the wiring through. 

Another thing my wife's boots had is a neat little clip on the rear of the boot to hold the batteries. I was able to just use the power strap. Slight issue with the stop buckle hitting the batter pack when you try to undo it. However, just undoing the powerstrap first makes that problem go away. 

So, just a few minor gripes...but probably me being overly OCD. I'm sure I'll forget all of these when my feet are nice and toasty on a cold day.


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## RootDKJ (Nov 17, 2009)

I was going to do mine on Sunday, but I decided that I should try to kill off any lingering smell in the boots 1st.


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## WJenness (Nov 17, 2009)

Where did you guys get your stuff?

My gf's boots have the elements in them and I'd like to get her the batteries / a charger for Christmas.

-w


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## RootDKJ (Nov 17, 2009)

WJenness said:


> Where did you guys get your stuff?
> 
> My gf's boots have the elements in them and I'd like to get her the batteries / a charger for Christmas.
> 
> -w


Tramdock was putting them up a few months ago for about $70


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## WJenness (Nov 17, 2009)

RootDKJ said:


> Tramdock was putting them up a few months ago for about $70



Too bad I missed it... I'll see what's sitting on Backcountry's other sites...

-w


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## Glenn (Nov 17, 2009)

RootDKJ said:


> I was going to do mine on Sunday, but I decided that I should try to kill off any lingering smell in the boots 1st.



LOL! Are they smelling better yet?


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## RootDKJ (Nov 17, 2009)

Glenn said:


> LOL! Are they smelling better yet?


Haven't checked.


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## Glenn (Nov 17, 2009)




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## RootDKJ (Nov 17, 2009)

Tried that.  No luck.


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## Mildcat (Nov 17, 2009)

Glenn said:


> Bump!  If push comes to shove, I "may" be able to remove that element from the Thermic footbed and put it on the stocker.



New heating elements might be pretty cheap. I know the Hotronics are, I don't know about the Thermics though. They also sell the clips to to attach the batteries to the boots.


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## Hawkshot99 (Nov 17, 2009)

The freezer trick works great.  Febreez only masks the smell.  I was asked not to bring my boots in the store the smelled so bad.  Froze them and they smelled great!

On the install.....
I have only installed hotronic brand, so may be a little different.
I have always used the stock footbed.  Never the one provided by the company.  
I figure out where I will put the element, and then cut a hole large enough to fit the plug and wire through into the footbed.  This hole is right behind the element, were the wire comes out.  
The hotronics comes with a very thin piece of one sided sticky fabric, that we put over the entire footbed to cover the element/wire.
Cut the slit in the back of the boot liner and install footbed, and wire through the hole.
I either use duct tape, or another hottronics provided piece to tape the wire to the top of the liner.
The Hotronics come with a metal clip to secure the battery to the power strap of your boot.

When you are wearing the heaters on the mountain, if you can feel heat you have them turned up too much.  You do not want to feel heat, just lack of cold.


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## Glenn (Nov 18, 2009)

Thanks guys. 

Basically, these came with the elements already in a set of flat footbeds. The footbeds needed to be trimmed to fit into my boot liner. 

I just did some googling...semi custom thermic footbeds: http://cozywinters.com/shop/th-1304-10.html?source=base

Or,....just the element to use on the stock footbeds: http://cozywinters.com/shop/th-7372-7435.html?source=base

So there are options if these footbed don't work that well. 

Found the clips for the boots: http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorg...59&AID=10281785&SID=thermic7&avad=535_a58ee15

Of course...they're out of stock.....

Ah ha! More: 
http://cozywinters.com/shop/th-687758.html

Or power straps:
http://cozywinters.com/shop/th-1503.html


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## RootDKJ (Nov 18, 2009)

Sounds like I should really get these installed this weekend, if not sooner.


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## RootDKJ (Dec 7, 2009)

So wait a minute...I can't just put the el-crapo foot bed that the heating element is attached to on top of my Superfeet Green footbed???  

I've been trying to figure that out all weekend.


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## Hawkshot99 (Dec 7, 2009)

RootDKJ said:


> So wait a minute...I can't just put the el-crapo foot bed that the heating element is attached to on top of my Superfeet Green footbed???
> 
> I've been trying to figure that out all weekend.



If they come already attached to a footbed then no you cant.  Well at least not if your boot fit right before hand.


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## RootDKJ (Dec 7, 2009)

Hawkshot99 said:


> If they come already attached to a footbed then no you cant.  Well at least not if your boot fit right before hand.


:angry: Damn.  They fit much better with the Superfeet.


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## wa-loaf (Dec 7, 2009)

Hawkshot99 said:


> If they come already attached to a footbed then no you cant.  Well at least not if your boot fit right before hand.





RootDKJ said:


> :angry: Damn.  They fit much better with the Superfeet.



Can you cut the element out of the crappy footbed and attach to your Superfeet? Or return them and get the ones made for that kind of thing?


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## RootDKJ (Dec 7, 2009)

wa-loaf said:


> Can you cut the element out of the crappy footbed and attach to your Superfeet? Or return them and get the ones made for that kind of thing?


Return...no, got them off Tramdock more then 3 months ago.

I guess that's what I'm going to attempt.  I think cutting out the elements is going to be a lot easier then attaching them to the Superfeet footbed.


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## o3jeff (Dec 7, 2009)

RootDKJ said:


> Return...no, got them off Tramdock more then 3 months ago.
> 
> I guess that's what I'm going to attempt.  I think cutting out the elements is going to be a lot easier then attaching them to the Superfeet footbed.



They have a very liberal return policy, should have no problem returning them even after 3 months.


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## RootDKJ (Dec 7, 2009)

o3jeff said:


> They have a very liberal return policy, should have no problem returning them even after 3 months.


I don't want to return them...I want warm smelly feet.

I'll craft something up this week.  Worst case, I'll get this...
http://cozywinters.com/shop/th-7470-7524.html


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## Hawkshot99 (Dec 7, 2009)

Hot tronics sells just the heating elements, that you can add to any existing foot bed.  I am sure Thermic does the same.


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## RootDKJ (Dec 7, 2009)

Hawkshot99 said:


> Hot tronics sells just the heating elements, that you can add to any existing foot bed.  I am sure Thermic does the same.


Yeah, they do.  Do you think I should get just the element or the element with the fabric to cover it?


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## Hawkshot99 (Dec 7, 2009)

RootDKJ said:


> Yeah, they do.  Do you think I should get just the element or the element with the fabric to cover it?



The one with the fabric.  The element works best on top of the insole, closer to your foot.  If you had no fabric over it, I am guessing your sock would pull it off the footbed, as you put the boot on.


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## RootDKJ (Dec 7, 2009)

Hawkshot99 said:


> The one with the fabric.  The element works best on top of the insole, closer to your foot.  If you had no fabric over it, I am guessing your sock would pull it off the footbed, as you put the boot on.


I was thinking about carefully cutting the element piece out of the el-crappo footbed and duct taping it on to my superfoot one. :lol:  I guess I should add this to my x-mas list, since people never seem to know what to get me.

My other crazy thought, was to get an over-the-counter dress shoe orthotic  and hot gluing it together with half the el-crappo footbed.


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## wa-loaf (Dec 7, 2009)

RootDKJ said:


> I was thinking about carefully cutting the element piece out of the el-crappo footbed and duct taping it on to my superfoot one. :lol:  I guess I should add this to my x-mas list, since people never seem to know what to get me.
> 
> My other crazy thought, was to get an over-the-counter dress shoe orthotic  and hot gluing it together with half the el-crappo footbed.



I'd try carving it out first. If that doesn't work then buy a new element.


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## Moe Ghoul (Dec 7, 2009)

Not knowing which year/model you got, but my first pair of hotronics clipped on the back of the boot and would get crushed when getting on a lift. So I MacGiver'd new clips out of coathangers and that worked well. The new pair I bought don't have that problem anymore. Good luck with the installation. It's fairly EZ.


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## RootDKJ (Dec 7, 2009)

wa-loaf said:


> I'd try carving it out first. If that doesn't work then buy a new element.


Normally, I would be also, but I don't really think I'm gonna "need" them for skiing 1 trail of wrod this weekend.  That and I really have no "suggestions" for my family on gifts this year.  I'll put these into my winter boots for shoveling and days when I'm outdoors but not skiing.


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## Glenn (Dec 8, 2009)

Root, I used mine yesterday. I was worried about the footbed...but it worked just fine. I agree, it's pretty crappy and basic. Plan B would be that link you posted. It looks like the stock once are sandwiched into the foot bed. As someone mentioned, that probably helps with heat transfer. 

Oh, another note..... I read the directions for charging at about 10PM Sunday before we were to go skiing. It said to do 2 or 3 (I think?) discharge/charge cycles. Make sure you do that. I did one charge cycle (didn't discharge since the setup is brand new). One battery was dead by lunchtime. LOL!

But they do work nicely overall. I'm looking forward to having them when it's really chilly out.


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