Heated Insoles

We're going to Ruka in Finland over Christmas and am expecting it to be REALLY cold, i though i'd buy some heated insoles for the family, can anyone offer advice or comment?

Andy, my wife has the coldest feet in the world!

And when it came to her starting to ski - I had to agree to get her feet warm. We started with the standard manual "shake" feet toppers - the ones you buy -from Tresspass I think- and put them in the sock which then conforms to the foot - blah blah....

So now we have upgraded to heated in-soles - and she LOVES the ones she has now http://www.conform-able.com.

We bought them from Snow and Rock - about two seasons back - I think around 150-00 to 190-00 pounds (from memory sorry if this is wrong - but they are not cheap). Ouch I hear you say - not cheap. But they ARE worth it. And they last for a whole day of ski'ing - with an easy overnight charge for the next day.

Also, at this price the guys at Snow and Rock actually include INSTALLING them into your boots. They cut a small hole into the insoles and actually properly attach (stick) them into the sole itself - a really professional job.

So all in all well worth the investment.

The battery types are expensive. Maybe not worth it for one trip if you don't normally need the added heat. Also if you have your own footbeds, you would have to have the heaters installed by a boot fitter. You can do it yourself if you are handy with a dremel.

Best bet might be charcoal toe warmers. I use these often, and they work very well for up to two three hours. If it's that cold, you might not be out for long periods. Socks sometimes get sweaty with these, so a change of socks is good if you go out a second time in a day. Even with tight fitting boots, there is normally enough space above the base of the toes to accommodate the pads comfortably. I would imagine they are a common item in Finland, so might be sold in supermarkets, and discount stores quite cheaply.

If money is no object, I have used Thermic battery heaters, and they do work well. Three settings allows you to use them when it is not totally frigid, or crank them up when you see the brass monkeys heading indoors. At the high setting, they only last a couple of hours.

Also Boot gloves (a neoprene cover for the top of the boot) are very effective. On one -30 evening last season, I end up with a boot glove on only one boot (senior moment). I only noticed because after about 20mins one of my feet was much colder than the other.

thanks for help chaps, much appreciated.

I'd suggest buying or renting when you get there. They know what they are dealing with and have the kit to match. -35c means nothing on a drizzly autumn day in the UK.

Just a quick question im going skiing soon and was wondering if i should these heated insoles or just egt some regular insoles and put on a lot of socks? (Lol do heated insoles work with electric would be funny if they caught on fire)

It's not advisable to wear more than one pair of socks. In order to have effective control of your skis the boots should fit quite closely. If you can get them on wearing two pairs of socks they're too big. I would follow Trencher's advice, he skis in Minnesota so he knows all about skiing when it's very very cold. I have a pair of the boot gloves he mentions but I seldom need them. The electric heaters do work but are easily damaged.