Long-Term Review: Thermic C-Pack 1700 B Boot Heaters

[Noodler]

Yeah, that's what I meant. PE, not PU. My mistake.

I did that. Two or three times. I even cleaned the interior of the shell with alcohol first. It does NOT stick well. I suspect that there are varieties of this tape, and that the one I have is not the one you have. Mine is thick and QUITE stiff. It's stiffness seems to be the thing that tends to make it come unstuck; it doesn't like to stay curved along its length the way it needs to on the interior spine of the boot.

I know this reply is far removed from when you posted this, but I found that not all PTFE/UHMW tape is created equal. I also tried some of the thicker varieties and they did not work well at all. The right play here is to get the 3M PTFE/UHMW tape. It's thin, but durable. They do have other widths available if the 1" isn't your preference.

 

[Noodler]

I'll probably bump the heater installation thread, but I'll mention here that I'm working on a different method to install the heater in my new liner/footbed setup I'm using this season. In the past I always installed the heating elements in the footbed, but it was always was a hassle and created limitations in what I could do to the setup long-term (removal of the footbed for further modification, due to how I ran the cable inside of the rear spine of the ZipFit liners).

This time around I'm going to try to install the heating element in the liner, not the footbed. I'm going to mount the element to the "roof" of the liner toe box (above the toes) and cover it with a piece of self-stick Cambrelle fabric. I am going to run the cable inside of the ZipFit tongue. Since the Zip has a tongue bladder for the OMfit material, there is an "area" between the bladder and the hard plastic on the front of the tongue. I need to cut a slot opening into the bottom of the tongue to feed the cable in, but once that's done, it should be relatively simple to feed the cable up the tongue and out of the top where there is already an opening/slot where the bladder "feeding tubes" pop out.

This idea came to me on the ski lift, where I noticed that when I'm on the lift, with my skis hanging off my feet, that the tops of my feet/toes are pressed into the roof of the boot. This is also the time when I want the heat the most, not when I'm actively skiing down the mountain. So I think this will work, but this is definitely going to be a guinea pig moment... I don't recall ever seeing anything about installing heating elements in the roof of the liner toe box.

 

[In2h2o]

I'll probably bump the heater installation thread, but I'll mention here that I'm working on a different method to install the heater in my new liner/footbed setup I'm using this season.

This time around I'm going to try to install the heating element in the liner, not the footbed.

I asked about this same idea but was shot down recently at the fitters.
Hope you update soon as to how this is working!

 

[emma0202]

I'll probably bump the heater installation thread, but I'll mention here that I'm working on a different method to install the heater in my new liner/footbed setup I'm using this season. In the past I always installed the heating elements in the footbed, but it was always was a hassle and created limitations in what I could do to the setup long-term (removal of the footbed for further modification, due to how I ran the cable inside of the rear spine of the ZipFit liners).

This time around I'm going to try to install the heating element in the liner, not the footbed. I'm going to mount the element to the "roof" of the liner toe box (above the toes) and cover it with a piece of self-stick Cambrelle fabric. I am going to run the cable inside of the ZipFit tongue. Since the Zip has a tongue bladder for the OMfit material, there is an "area" between the bladder and the hard plastic on the front of the tongue. I need to cut a slot opening into the bottom of the tongue to feed the cable in, but once that's done, it should be relatively simple to feed the cable up the tongue and out of the top where there is already an opening/slot where the bladder "feeding tubes" pop out.

This idea came to me on the ski lift, where I noticed that when I'm on the lift, with my skis hanging off my feet, that the tops of my feet/toes are pressed into the roof of the boot. This is also the time when I want the heat the most, not when I'm actively skiing down the mountain. So I think this will work, but this is definitely going to be a guinea pig moment... I don't recall ever seeing anything about installing heating elements in the roof of the liner toe box.

I am so glad you wrote this. I am looking to order and do something similar. I have custom Daleboots with Master Fit Instaprint insoles. I have two sets of intuition liners for the boots that I swap every other day to ensure they are fully dry. I also keep my insoles outside of the liner to dry overnight. As a result, I need an install solution that is somewhat portable. Above the toe seems like a way to achieve that.

My current set up is using $2.00 "stick on" toe warmers on top of my ski socks over my toes. They are supposed to go under your foot but I didn't want to mess with my custom fit\feel under foot. They still kept my toes perfectly warm. Want to get away from these due to no controls when inside or the day warms up.

I would think installing the elements above the toes wouldn't amount to any discomfort considering I was able to get toe warmer pouches in that space without any issues. Also, my Daleboots have the wrap liners, so I may be able to feed the cable out without even cutting the liner and run it between the wrap.

Rob from Daleboot\Kitzbuhl told me I should avoid installed heat systems that cut through the insole & liner. He said to go with heated ski socks. However, I don't want to change my socks. I like them and have enough to go 14 days without a need for a washer or cleaning clothes in a sink.

I look forward to any update to see if your proposed method works for you!

 

[emma0202]

I asked about this same idea but was shot down recently at the fitters.
Hope you update soon as to how this is working!

Did the fitters explain why installing the element above the toes would not work?

 

[Noodler]

I asked about this same idea but was shot down recently at the fitters.
Hope you update soon as to how this is working!

Shot down because they don't like inventing a new wheel in a shop. They have a prescribed solution and are going to stick to it.

I did start "investigating" the possibility. I got almost all the way down the tongue, but ran into a challenge just past the instep. I'm not quite sure yet how invasive the surgery will need to be on the ZipFit to get the cable into the tongue. So I'm considering installing the heating element in a position so that I can run the cable without needing to make any incisions. This is just to test the idea and see how well the warmth works when placed above the toes. If I like the result, I will get more aggressive in figuring out the more permanent solution. I really want the cable inside the tongue (protected).

 

[phaitour]

Well, I installed them taking my boot fitters advice and pretty happy with how they turned out. This method is quite a bit different, but seems to work and leaves the footbed untouched. The cable was just long enough. I wanted more slack on the cable so I rerouted them straight up the top of the liner and to the inside of the tongue. This worked best for my particular boot which has a weird power strap setup (Fischer Ranger).

just wanted to comment here that this is 100% the way to go. it's non-intrusive to footbeds, easy to set up (no grinding/thinning required to make things fit nicely), and works beautifully.

 

[Noodler]

just wanted to comment here that this is 100% the way to go. it's non-intrusive to footbeds, easy to set up (no grinding/thinning required to make things fit nicely), and works beautifully.

Except that you now have the element exposed. This isn't going to be what I would want to feel under my toes and there is more potential for damage.

 

[eric100]

I have been considering these heaters. I am having trouble seeing how they attach to the strap. Has anyone used them with the “Booster Strap”? Does it stay attached well. Loosing batteries get expensive and frustrating.

 

[Andy Mink]

I have been considering these heaters. I am having trouble seeing how they attach to the strap. Has anyone used them with the “Booster Strap”? Does it stay attached well. Loosing batteries get expensive and frustrating.

There is a clip that opens just enough to slip it on to the strap. Then there are two or three detents that click the clip. I've been using them for several years now with no issues.