Stinky neoprene footwear can make feedlot aromas and camel's breath seem like Paris perfumes. As a breeding ground for stink-causing bacteria and other microbes, neoprene, and especially neoprene boots, is unsurpassed.

This easily made"spring" keeps your
neoprene paddling footwear open for
faster drying and less fungal growth

Sure the fungus farm is in full production when your warm, sticky feet are in the booties, but much of the obnoxious growth occurs when the footwear is supposedly drying out after use. Until the interior is totally dry, the little microbes are going gung-ho.

Drying can take a long time because it's difficult to keep the footwear open to allow a good airflow and the damp air to escape. Here's a trick that uses malleable wire to outperform newspaper (the usual and not entirely effective drying method) in maximizing airflow to the dank recesses of booties.

		Find two wire coat hangers with undamaged lacquer (or better, colored paint) finishes.
		Cut the twisted hook section off each hanger using your Leatherman multi-tool, to give you two lengths of wire.
		Cover the Leatherman jaws with tape to protect the lacquer, and bend the wire ends back on themselves to make small, smooth loops to prevent snagging.
		Coil the wire into a spiral like a big spring, using a form to wrap it around that will not scratch the lacquer. Try a kitchen pastry roller or a mayonnaise bottle or narrow beer bottle.
		Place the spiral inside your bootie to hold its top open to the air.
		Invert the boots until drained, then if the booties are being warmed by sun, turn the right way up to allow warm damp air to convect out.

Compress the spiral for storage between uses, and pull it out again to a suitable length when needed.

If rusting is a problem, particularly in marine environments, use galvanized wire, heavy insulated single-strand copper wire, or thread the coat hanger wire through some plastic tubing before winding into a spiral.

Return to Top

RELATED GORP LINKS
GORP Paddling
Paddling Knowhow
GORP Gear