Anyone use hot gear bags for boots? Can you power them with a portable battery?

**Mr_Orange** · 10-05-2016, 04:56 PM

Do those things take up a lot of power? I'm wondering if a portable battery with an AC outlet like this can power those things: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...N%2Bq%2BRL.jpg

I know people usually charge them through the Car DC cigarette charger port, but mines is broken so I'm wondering if it's worth fixing. I don't use that port for anything else. I'd rather just buy a portable battery because I have other uses for them.

Is there a consensus on what the best ones are? Or are there ones with an internal battery?

I have Zip fit liners and the idea of preheating them does sound pretty great for not having do a few runs to get them to mold to your ankles.

This is a hot gear bag in case you don't know what I'm talking about: http://images.evo.com/imgp/enlarge/4...-bag-black.jpg

It's suppose to preheat your liners so they fit better right off the bat.

**MESH** · 10-06-2016, 10:45 AM

It's a heating pad maybe 50W or more a small battery won't cut it. Fix the cigarette lighter a universal one will cost a few dollars and it's only two wires to hook up.

**Mr_Orange** · 10-06-2016, 03:36 PM

i see.

i heard some people say if you turn those bags on over night, they can retain enough heat to get the job done on your drive up to the mountain.

**robertrs** · 10-06-2016, 03:57 PM

The deal is you plug it in the evening before you ski, the car heating function is just to keep it warm until you get to the hill. It takes six hours or more to heat the boots, I plug mine in before I go to bed, nice and toasty in the AM. You can not plug them into the car and expect them to be warm by the time you get to the hill. It is a heating pad that surrounds the boots on three sides plus the bag is insulated. Three heat settings, I use medium.

The boots are completely dry and toasty inside and out. I have used mine for five years, got a number of friends hooked all who poo pooed it early on. It does not degrade the plastic.

**galibier_numero_un** · 10-06-2016, 06:00 PM

I wouldn't take a 2 hour drive with the boot bag in a car trunk. Of course, I'm probably stating the obvious - heated bag or not.

I love mine.

... Thom

**Vt-Freeheel** · 10-06-2016, 06:25 PM

Is Hot Gear Bags still in business ?

**bean** · 10-06-2016, 09:36 PM

They were at least as of early 2016. Add me to the list of people who thought a heated boot bag was a ridiculous waste of money until I tried one.

**DeepHelmet** · 10-07-2016, 12:24 AM

Great bags. My guess is they'd smoke a portable battery pretty fast, and like was said above, they really need to be plugged in overnight to warm all the way through.

**XXX-er** · 10-07-2016, 09:38 AM

Apparently these boot bags are a must if you use zipfit liners?

**galibier_numero_un** · 10-07-2016, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by XXX-er

Apparently these boot bags are a must if you use zipfit liners?

That's my understanding, since they're so rigid and you need to accommodate minor day to day foot shape changes (http://www.zipfit.com/fittrick.html).

Sven and company are not very internet aware and the website is hell to navigate. I just noticed that the URL for the bags I bookmarked last year (separate from the Zipfit site) is dead. I don't know what's up with the company. Sven is marching forward (in age) and maybe the company is in transition. I'll ask my boot guy, 'coz he's pretty tight with Sven.

I had to go outside their site to find any references to bag sales (the first retailer link to come up was: http://www.usoutdoor.com/zip-fit-usa...r-bag-classic/). Last year wasn't much better, but they used to have a direct sales site.

Cheers,
Thom

**Mr_Orange** · 10-07-2016, 11:40 AM

After looking it up, those dc car ports aren't too expensive to fix.

How good are the hot gear bags at keeping your feet warm and for how long? This is for a thin shelled AT boot, and I do get cold feet easily. I was considering those hotronic internal heaters too, but i heard for some people that using the hot gear bags was good enough because the reason you get cold feet in the first place was from inserting your already cold feet/liners into a cold boot shell.

**DGamms** · 10-07-2016, 12:25 PM

I own both Zipfits and a heated bag.

1) The heated bag won't keep your feet warm in your boots all day. If you run cold, it's still an issue after the first hour of skiing.
2) With Zips, it is totally possible to get your foot in the boot without a heated bag. I do it all the time. That said, the increased malleability of warm plastic and warm OMFit is sure nice when you are getting your boots on early in the AM.
3) Having tried Intuition and Zipfit, I'm a Zipfit guy all the way. With the proper fitting shell and appropriate Zipfit liner, I haven't found anything that matches Zipfit heel retention.

**Shredhead** · 10-07-2016, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by Vt-Freeheel

Is Hot Gear Bags still in business ?

Ivan died a few years ago. Someone else was running it on the side, as recently as last year.
Website appears to be gone.

**galibier_numero_un** · 10-07-2016, 01:21 PM

Agreed on #1. I haven't tried the liners so I can't comment on #2 & 3, although this thread rekindles my interest in the liners (for area skiing).

The warmth thing is worth commenting on. Strictly speaking (thermally) you'll only be warm for about an hour. I find however that softening the shell at the beginning of the day means that I'm not twiddling buckle adjustments for the first 2-3 hours - frequently a bit too tight and cutting off circulation. So from this perspective, I'd call it 3 hours' warmth because I can dial in my buckles/shell tightness from the get-go. I'm a bit of a princess and the pea in this regard, so this might not have relevance to many.

Cheers,
Thom

**DeepHelmet** · 10-07-2016, 02:45 PM

Cole Sport in Park City, Ut carried them last year. Don't know about this season.

**robertrs** · 10-07-2016, 02:57 PM

The advantage of a Hot Gear or any other heated boot bag is that your foot does not have to warm your boot. The Hot Gear bag gets the boot to 120 degrees or so but this is not hot enough to burn you or your foot. Even a boot in a heated car will not be 98.6 degrees when you put it on so your foot is heating the boot or trying to.

I also use the Hotronics S4 in my boot which allow me to ski as long as I want with out cold feet.

**Quadzilla** · 10-07-2016, 04:55 PM

There's a pretty good chance that the problem with the cigarette lighter port is a blown fuse so check, that's what happened to me with my Honda. If that's not the case then go to a RV store and buy a remote port and wire it to a empty fuse in the fuse panel. I have heated bag and it works great if used right. The way I use them is to heat the boots in the bag overnite at home on med heat and in the AM plug in to your car on the way to ski. Heating with car only won't heat up a cold boot but will keep the boots warm. IMO

**galibier_numero_un** · 10-07-2016, 10:53 PM

Originally Posted by robertrs

The advantage of a Hot Gear or any other heated boot bag is that your foot does not have to warm your boot. The Hot Gear bag gets the boot to 120 degrees or so but this is not hot enough to burn you or your foot. Even a boot in a heated car will not be 98.6 degrees when you put it on so your foot is heating the boot or trying to.

I also use the Hotronics S4 in my boot which allow me to ski as long as I want with out cold feet.

Excellent point (foot heating boot).

... Thom

**E350** · 10-19-2016, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by Shredhead

Ivan died a few years ago. Someone else was running it on the side, as recently as last year.
Website appears to be gone.

I bought a Hot Gear bag for my wife two seasons ago. Now would like to buy one for myself. Anybody have any luck in finding the manufacturer's website?

**galibier_numero_un** · 12-03-2019, 02:40 PM

So my Hot Gear Bag (now "Snow Eagle") heating element gave up the ghost. It blows the fuses in my car (works fine on AC). I called up to get a replacement:

me: do I have to order using the printable form or can I do this by phone?
him: you can do it by phone
me: are they in stock?
him: yeah ... probably through the end of the week.
me: let me give you my credit card number.
him: I can't do that now, I'm driving.
me: ok ... should I call later in the afternoon?
him: I won't be back until Wednesday.

I get the whole "retro", 1990's Internet thing, but this is just a bit ridiculous. Do these guys actually want to make any money?

... Thom

**SumJongGuy** · 12-03-2019, 03:56 PM

I have a DC powered heating pad I put under the boot bag for the 3 hour drive up to ski.

**pfluffenmeister** · 12-03-2019, 07:56 PM

Originally Posted by galibier_numero_un

So my Hot Gear Bag (now "Snow Eagle") heating element gave up the ghost. It blows the fuses in my car (works fine on AC). I called up to get a replacement:

me: do I have to order using the printable form or can I do this by phone?
him: you can do it by phone
me: are they in stock?
him: yeah ... probably through the end of the week.
me: let me give you my credit card number.
him: I can't do that now, I'm driving.
me: ok ... should I call later in the afternoon?
him: I won't be back until Wednesday.

I get the whole "retro", 1990's Internet thing, but this is just a bit ridiculous. Do these guys actually want to make any money?

... Thom

I too need to replace the heating pad in a Hot Gear bag (Ajax) that gave me many mornings of cozy toezys.
Please keep me appraised or shoot me a PM if you find satisfaction.

As heated ski bags are a must have I've already bought a replacement; the ol' Snow Eagle Pro, which is a monster.
Fix the Ajax which is more of a day trip bag and … BOOM!
Quiver of heated ski boot bags.

**galibier_numero_un** · 12-03-2019, 08:46 PM

Originally Posted by pfluffenmeister

I too need to replace the heating pad in a Hot Gear bag (Ajax) that gave me many mornings of cozy toezys.
Please keep me appraised or shoot me a PM if you find satisfaction.

As heated ski bags are a must have I've already bought a replacement; the ol' Snow Eagle Pro, which is a monster.
Fix the Ajax which is more of a day trip bag and … BOOM!
Quiver of heated ski boot bags.

Hopefully, he'll be in a conversational mood tomorrow and will be willing to take my money. I'll post back here. This line of bags hits the sweet spot for me as well.

That monster they love over at Pugski caught my attention, but then I thought about storing goggles and especially a helmet in the storage area between the two boots. The foam in helmets has a limited life and I can't believe that ambient heat from the surrounding boot heaters does it any good.

Originally Posted by SumJongGuy

I have a DC powered heating pad I put under the boot bag for the 3 hour drive up to ski.

I'd be all over that, but I'm a bit concerned about controlling the heat and "un" molding my Intuition liners.

... Thom

SB · 12-03-2019, 08:50 PM

Dayum, now I need heated boot bags.

Do they contribute to climate warming?

We always put our boots with the opening on a heat duct blowing hot air and by the time we got there that shit was toasty.

**DGamms** · 12-03-2019, 10:35 PM

My HotGear bag heating element also died after 250 days of heavy use. If you get a replacement, I’d love to hear about it.

In the interim I bought one of these.

https://www.kulkea.com/product/heate...ermal-trekker/

Happy with it so far, only have a 10 or so days on it. Pricey but zippers and outer material seem higher quality than my old HotGear bag.