Ice fishing comes with a certain added degree of safety over other types of fishing. Typically the two words ice and safety go hand in hand, and ice fishing with MobilDri portable dryer for gloves, boots, and hat is no exception.
Let me tell you how I found mine…
I started ice fishing by sitting on a bucket out on the lake. I’d be all bundled up against the cold, big buggy insulated boots and heavy wool socks to brave sitting on the ice for as long as possible.
When I finally got a bite, I was so excited that I reeled in my catch and grabbed on with both hands. What a beautiful catch…and what a nasty wet and slimy mess all over my gloves. Of course, I had brought an extra pair of gloves, but now I was down that pair unless I started taking my gloves off to retrieve my hook from my next catch.
That always seemed to be the time-limiting factor with my ice fishing expeditions until one Christmas when my brother-in-law gave me a portable dryer made by VersaDri. This was such a game-changer for me!
This amazing portable dryer only asked that I feed its power source with a 12-volt plug-in and take it with me everywhere I go in the easy-to-carry durable bag it came in.
Of course, my entire ice fishing gear list went up from there, but it was bound to happen anyway. I invested in a decent shanty, improved my fishing rods, and added my MobilDri 12-volt portable glove dryer to my prep list.
Man o Man, this baby is a game-changer!
What does the MobilDri Portable dryer bring to the ice shanty?
This portable boot and glove dryer is the most versatile piece of equipment I take with me everywhere, and I can do that easily with the durable carry bag that comes with the dryer. Several package options are available, but the one I received was the Premier Package.
12-volt Portable Base
The portable dryer base has many options for placement, making it portable, versatile, and mobile in every way. It fits in most standard cup holders in vehicles and has a Santoprene molded cover, so you don’t have to worry about it tipping over or scuffing any surface.
If you want to use the dryer base anywhere else, you can utilize the magnetic bottom to stick it to a box or use the handy tab on top to hang it from an open area.
It also has 2 options for drying boots, hats, gloves, and scarves. You can turn up the heat for a quick and bacteria-killing dry session, or you can turn it to the fan only if the fabric is delicate to heat or you want to conserve power.
Finally, the power source. Anywhere you have a cigarette lighter plug-in (12-volt power), you can simply plug in the portable dryer with heat. Then all you need to do is attach accessories and go!
Accessories
Shoes and Boots– The Premier Package comes with 1 pair of airflow dryer tubes for shoes AND 1 pair of extension tubes to dry tall boots as well. Each tube is designed to push air through the entire shoe or boot to get you back in dry boots in less than 45 minutes…30 if your boots aren’t sopping wet. It even works great on socks, both short and long.
Gloves and Mittens– One pair of glove dry air tubes comes in the package to quickly dry damp gloves and mittens in as little as 15 minutes. They include finger-like mini tubes at the top to move air in every part of your gloves. I think this is my favorite feature of all, knowing my gloves will be dry down to my fingertips.
Hats and Scarves– Slip on the “Y” attachment and the helmet dryer, and get ready to feel the warmth of your hat or scarf quickly. The fan-only option is great for thin and delicate fabrics like scarves or neck gaiters to avoid ruining your gear.
Carrying Bag– I easily pack the portable dryer base and all the accessories in the included drawstring bag AND store everything when I’m not out in the ice shanty fishing or setting my lines in fresh holes. The strings allow for over-the-shoulder carrying, or you can wear it like a backpack.
Why is this portable dryer with heat my new go-to for wet gear?
I mentioned the versatility of one compact dryer, right? I mean, it’s portable, it’s a dryer, it can be hung up, set anywhere, used upside down, with heat, without heat, dries boots, gloves, hats, socks…really any accessory to your gear.
My favorite thing about this gift is that I can take it anywhere. MobilDri is just that – it’s mobile. I can use it anywhere I can find a 12-volt plug-in, and it dries what I need without having to through wet gear in my truck and wait until I get home to dry it.
And the dry time! WOW! Have you ever done what I did in my story above? Grab that big ole fish, and now your gloves are not only wet and stiff from freezing, but they stink like fish if you go as far to clean your fish while you still have gloves on.
The portable dryer can dry damp gloves as quickly as 15 minutes, so while I’m warming up in my shanty or stringing new line; my gloves are drying right beside me.
If my gear gets really wet, it still only takes 30-45 minutes for dry, warm gear to go another round.
It’s all fun and games until someone catches a cold.
My fishing buddies and I all try to catch the biggest fish, but some of us catch nothing but cold instead. Granted, sometimes our day out on the ice is full of more banter and memories than focusing on our lines, BUT nonetheless, someone ends up with the sniffles by the end of the week.
I bring this up because having a portable dryer with us, like the MobilDri by VersaDri, is this: getting sick is caused partly by sitting in wet gear all day in below-zero weather. Having a glove dryer on site has done wonders for my group.
Did you know that bacteria can start growing in damp, dark places in just an hour? Now think about your gloves and boots. Dark? Yup. Damp? Yeah, probably at some point. And that fishy smell isn’t doing us any favors, either.
Drying gloves, boots, hats, and socks right away are the best way to kill that bacteria and potentially growing fungus and mold. I don’t have a pile of wet gear to forget in the back of the truck and load into the dryer a week later.
This portable dryer really does it all and makes my ice-fishing expeditions that much more fun to enjoy.
Conclusion:
So now, when I pack my fishing rods, my ice cutters, and my lunch, I also make sure I pack my MobilDri glove and boot dryer with heat. This baby is an essential tool to have in the ice shanty, on a bucket next to my bucket, and in my truck on the way home. Drying time is cut down to virtually nothing, AND it’s the most versatile thing I have with me.
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