SkookumTree
29d ago
Do you have a good lead on SolarCore aerogel foam? It's often used for apparel and things like that.
SkookumTree
29d ago
I am attempting to build a pair of ski boots for the Hock.
My starting point? Some Fischer Travers CS ski boots. I've upsized three mondo sizes, ripped out the stock liner, and put a hefty 15mm Intuition liner inside. This was an improvement from the cheap Scarpa Nero liner I'd had during my January 2024 solo of Mt. Washington, NH; I got NFCI in my right big toe then in 0 degrees F and 40mph wind. Fairly modest conditions, at least compared to those I might encounter out on the Hock.
The goal now is to obtain some aerogel Slentite panels or SolarCore aerogel foam and put that on the base of my boot, between the liner and the plastic shell, in order to provide more insulation. I might be able to replace some of the foam in the toes with SolarCore aerogel, although at 32.6 mW/mK it is maybe half again as insulating as something like neoprene or (probably) the closed cell foam that makes up Intuition liners.
Then, I want to make an overboot, which I am calling the Great Unholy Boot or GUB, out of:
- Aerogel foam panels (if I can get them...y'all got any SolarCore aerogel layin' around?)
- Neoprene
- Cordura fabric
- Apex ClimaShield
- Coyote fur
This overboot, at least according to ChatGPT, may be able to keep me warm down to very cold temperatures, like 40 degrees below zero.
The first thing to do at this point is:
- Attempt to source SolarCore aerogel foam
- Build mockup of Slentite panel for professional boot fitting using EVA foam, rubber mats, or other items
- Have boots fitted with Slentite panel mockup in.
What is the best way to test these boots, living in the northeast US and therefore not having access to Alaskan or Interior Canadian-level cold? Buckets of dry ice?
Is my plan generally sound? Essentially, I'm using aerogel Slentite panels to provide more insulation than otherwise possible (half again to twice as insulating as a regular foam insole) plus aerogel foam around the boot to provide less bulky warmth.
SkookumTree
29d ago
Midnight playground maintenance is at least in theory positive-sum; however, there are ways to fuck this up that are non-obvious. For example: you use regular hardware-store bolts in a coastal playground, they rust out after ten years and catastrophically fail. There are probably other things, that would be fine for Joe and his son Joe Jr. but not good for a neighborhood playground...
SkookumTree
29d ago
The Interior of what? Russia?
SkookumTree
29d ago
I'm honestly not sure about the laws around medical debt; I am reasonably sure that they do not do this, but consult a lawyer first. I am not a lawyer.
Southkraut thinks that the Alaskan wilderness is the more honorable path. It is certainly the cleaner one.
More options
Context Copy link