Packing your boots away for the summer
With the changing of the seasons clients often ask me how best to store their ski and snowboard boots. Whilst a snow tragic may wish to place them as the centrepiece of their table – what better conversation starter can you offer to a dinner party? – I’m inclined to suggest you save the time you’d spend dusting these puppies for booking flights for your next adventure. So, let’s look at what will distress your boots, and what will give them a comfortable bed for their hibernation.
Taking liners in and out of your boots all season will wear them out faster than a cheap set of tyres on your BMW X6. The seams and foams don’t like the constant stress and the glue holding them all together will perish faster. But come the end of the season, it’s a good idea to pull out your liners for 24 hours and make sure everything’s all dry before putting them away. If you see a bit of mould give them a rub with a cloth and a little bit of spray and wipe (a mild dish detergent is fine to use too, just don’t do it in a way that leaves your boot sopping wet). A garden in your boot will not enhance your pulling power in the singles line next season.
Do you remember that time you couldn’t be bothered buckling up your boots one afternoon and the next morning the buckles didn’t reach? That’s because the plastics in the shell will always go back to their original form. Do yourself a favour and buckle them up baby! Keep their shape and your fit intact.
A boot bag will keep boots free from dust, moths and if you live on the east coast, cockroaches. If you live in a really humid environment, consider a vacuum sealed bag. Mould and mildew will eat away at your liners and make them perish. And stink.
Like a fine wine, the plastics in boots don’t like it too hot, or too cold, they like it juuuuust right. Australia has a great climate for bbq’s but storing ski boots in the attic or the garage will not do you any favours. The extremes of heat and temperature changes can cause the plastics in the shell to change and warp. Any shell expansions you had done for extra space will retract and you’ll need to do it all again. Under your bed is a pretty good spot, or in the cupboard under the stairs (do we have basements in Australia?).
Enjoy the spring skiing – who doesn’t love skiing in sunshine, drinking on the deck and getting ice burn because you thought it would be a good idea to ski in a t-shirt and shorts? Look after your gear so it will love you back when you need it the most. We’ll see you all next year for more snow fun, or if you’re a trail runner, mountain biker or cyclist, we might catch you up here for the summer sports.