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Kulkea Thermal Trekker, how do you use yours?

Tex

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Just got mine, have not used it yet. My only knock I wish they had a version without all the pockets, I will not use any of those pockets, I want it just to keep my boots warm, I got back pack I keep my gear I ski with...too bad the middle pocket is not big enough for a second pair of boots.

Anyways, would be interested how you guys use yours. Do you leave it on all night before a ski day? Maybe also use it to dry out your boots? I used to take my liners out every night, I hate messing with that and don't do it very much.

I noticed the temperature setting (low, med, high..) is on the 120v AC cord, I guess the setting also work if you use the 12v DC plug (car plug)? My boots are very stiff , I boot up in the parking lot, really look forward in seeing how this makes booting up easier.
 

bbinder

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My understanding is that the different settings on the 120vac cord do not refer to different temperatures, but rather they refer to how fast the bag gets up to 'operating" temperature. I use mine to warm and to dry my boots (it is not advertised as being good for drying, but the bag does dry my boots well). What I do is plug them in and put them on the low setting before I go to sleep the day before skiing. I have heard that some people plug the bag into a timer so that the bag starts heating in the middle of the night. My experience is that the 12vdc car plug does not warm the bag really well, but it does maintain the temperature in a bag that is already warm.

I agree that the bag is somewhat bulky, but I can fit everything that I need for a day of skiing, including a change of clothes if I want change at the end of a ski day. I've gotten used to the bulkiness, and cannot see myself giving up this bag. The fatal flaw of the bulkiness is that the bag is difficult to carry onto a plane. My solution here is that I use a much smaller boot bag as my carry-on and pack the Kulkea bag full of clothes and such and send it through baggage with my skis - the advantage of this is that the airline people always count my ski bag plus the Kulkea as one bag.
 

David Chaus

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From home, I use the 12v plug in my car to warm up the boots. I remove the liners from my boots when I get home to properly dry them out. It's not that much of a PITA, just became part of the routine.

When traveling by air, I'll put my ski boots in my carry-on suitcase, and like @bbinder stuff my Kulkea bag with other clothes and luggage check with ski bag. At whatever accommodations, I'll plug in my bag with boots on high as soon as I wake up and start getting ready. Sometimes I plug them in at night and leave them on low all night.
 

BS Slarver

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View attachment 186030

@KULKEA is now part of the mobile boot up room !
Get to take advantage of the high heat setting via the goal zero battery, only using 4.9 A for a quick bake on the way to the hill
This thing gets super toasty really quick even with the cigarette lighter port and tons of interior space for other gear and that space gets warm as well, thanks again.
original post from the ski talk give away
 

mikes781

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When I’m driving to my local hill to ski (1.5 hours) I put it on medium and then hi for the last 30 minutes. Feet are nice and toasty when I get in them. Also makes it easier to get into my boots now that I’m using zipfits. When staying in a hotel I just crank it up as soon as I get up in the morning. I typically bring a boot drier with me when I travel and haven’t used it to dry my boots yet.
 
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François Pugh

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I have the large Snow Eagle heated boot bag. I have heard that the higher two (of the three) settings don't work on the 12 V DC, but instead warm is all you get. I set it to warm before going to bed the next day. Warming my boots certainly makes it easier to put them on my feet.

On my last trip out west, I put my boots in my carry on, and stuffed the boot bag with other stuff, then shoved it in a giant suitcase for air travel as a checked bag, so I could use it out west. I worried all the straps and things would get hung up somehow in the luggage handling procedures;

I like having all the pockets; that way I keep all my ski stuff together, and almost organized properly.
 
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Andy Mink

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I usually switch it on around 6am and head for the hill at 8 with it plugged into either 12 or 120 in the car. I stuff the heck out of the bag. Boots, helmet, more than one pair of gloves, extra socks, vest, extra mid layer, goggles, extra lens, light jacket, extra pole baskets, gum, passes, Advil, buffs, etc. On warm days I can usually get my shell and pants in there for the ride back down the mountain. It gets heavy but everything stays together and I don't have to worry about losing/forgetting stuff, at least not very often. I usually boot in the lodge so when I come in for warm up or snacks if I need anything it's in the bag, not the car.

You can put it on a timer too so it comes on early if you don't want to get up. I don't use it to dry my boots; they go on a Peet drier with liner in. Sometimes they're on there for several days if I forget about them. @Tex, you duck hunt. You MUST have a boot drier!
 
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Tex

Tex

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@Tex, you duck hunt. You MUST have a boot drier!
No, my hunting waders do not get wet inside. My ski boots don't get that wet either inside. I used to always take my liners out at night, just last year started getting lazy with it. If I skied everyday I would take them out mainly because your liners will last longer, but I'm thinking the boot bag will dry them.
 

TheWombat

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....

Anyways, would be interested how you guys use yours. Do you leave it on all night before a ski day? Maybe also use it to dry out your boots? I used to take my liners out every night, I hate messing with that and don't do it very much.

...

I have mine on a Smart Switch Outlet, so I have it turn on 2 hours before I plan to leave to go skiing. Usually that means it turns on at either 5:30am or 3pm. I also have Zipfit liners which I keep separate from the shells unless I am actually wearing my boots.
 
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SBrown

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I used it to learn that my 400W outlet in the car is only 400 when the car is moving; putting your boot bag in the car when it's warming up and in P, that's only 100W. So then your boots sit back there and get cold, when you think they are getting warm.... (I believe the lowest setting on the Kulkea is 90W, so that would work, but I had mine higher, because they were cold. And they remained cold!)
 

Lorenzzo

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The Kulkea is less bulky than the multiple branded Hotgear bag. It also works so well as a back pack I like being able to load it with stuff for the day including an IPad, Theragun and street clothes.
 
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Tex

Tex

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This boot bag is the bomb! It used to take me forever to get my boots on. You know like when a snake eats a big fat rat, it is a real slow process, it opens it mouth, starts to swallow it, it detaches it jaws and slowly swallows, a little bit a time…. This was me putting on my boots.

Now, they go on like soft butter on a hot biscuit. :ogbiggrin:
 

Pat AKA mustski

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No, it doesn't turn the boots into noodles. By the time your ride to the top of the lift, they have stiffened back up. I pack pretty much as everyone above. I like having everything in the bag so I can just grab it and go. I do keep extra goggles, extra gloves, buff, balaclava, mid layer ... thinks I like to have just in case.
 

motogreg

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Got one for my bride at christmas, I've been unusually popular since....she puts it on low for the 2 hour ride to the hill, and all her stuff is fresh outta the dryer warm. Happy wife, well, you know.
 

Fuller

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The wife and I both acquired Kulkea Thermal Trekkers for xmas. We usually put everything in the bag the night before and when I get up in the morning I turn them both on. So they have have about 90 minutes plugged into the 120v outlet on the high setting. We're close enough to the mountain so the boots are plenty warm when put on 20 minutes later. Today I plugged mine in to the 12v plug in the car and it was even better. I don't see that the 12v input has any different settings, it's probably limited by design to whatever the auto makers provide. The warm gloves and helmet are a bonus as we boot up out of the car at our fave parking spot which is 10 feet from the trail down to base lodge.

We have a pair of ancient boot dryers that we use separately.
 

Andy Mink

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We have a pair of ancient boot dryers that we use separately.
Try leaving the boots on the dryer overnight, then put them in the bag and turn it on. It's even better since the boots are a little warm from the inside out!
 

In2h2o

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Ok I broke down an bought one two days ago after being convinced by others on the boot bench and shop employees who had received them as gifts :) soooo much nicer to have warm boots and well, there was no way I was going to be getting my new boots on if I had to drive somewhere. At first I was worried that the bag was too big and it would be cumbersome but then I realized that I could actually keep 2 pairs of 22.5 boots warm by having another pre-warmed pair in the middle. So when I ski w/ DD she will score warm boots too! I also like heating my mittens and socks. It has some nice adjustable back pack features that make it easy to fit my frame.

My only concern? I actually heated my AT boots this afternoon before I did a quick pre dusk skin tonight .... I'm just worried I will loose street cred if someone sees me at the skin track pulling my boots out of a heated boot bag :cool:
 

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