Review: Rocket Sport Dryer

[nightfighter]

Just picked this up over the weekend after somebody in the cleaning gear thread mentioned it. I've just set it up in my closet but have not had a chance to put it through its paces yet. Still, I thought I would put up a quick preliminary review with my thoughts.

Pros
- Simple to put together. Took me about 15 minutes to clear a spot and put it all together.
- Sturdy construction. I hung my goalie C/A, gloves and pants on the rack and it showed now signs of strain or rickety-ness. Fitting everything on the racks and hooks is a tight fit but I"ll touch on that later.
-There's a timer on the base of the heater that you can set and then the heater turns off automatically. No supervision needed.
- Cost at 99$ is very reasonable. I was more than willing to give it a try at that price, and if it works as advertised it would be priceless.


Cons
- The rack is a good size and can fit into tight spaces well. It's about 5 feet tall by 2.5 or 3 feet wide (diameter really, since it is a cylinder). However, getting all the pieces of your hockey equipment will be an exercise in puzzle building. I feel like once I find the best way to get all the pieces of equipment hung up, it will get easier and quicker to do. For now, it is a bit cumbersome but not overly difficult.

- The power cord that comes with the sport dryer is a bit short in my opinion. I will have to run an extension cord from my closet which is in a hallway out to the outlet.


Updated:
After my game tonight I filled the dryer up with my gear, ran an extension cord to the closet and let 'er rip. Set it to an hour and walked away. One hour later, my gear is as dry as if I never wore them. I easily fit everything in there, except my helmet.

A pleasant surprise was that there was no odour released through the vents at the top of the dryer. I was a bit worried about the smell being vented through the top and just filling up the whole place but the closet is a very closed space and I didn't detect any hints of sweaty hockey gear. Wife will be pleased!

Bottom Line
This thing is the real deal. Works like a charm, very convenient and easy to use. Leaves your gear dry and odour-less; although I suspect after a couple months of use you'll want to wash the gear a bit just in case. If you're strapped for space this thing is a godsend. It also comes with a little travel bag (no bigger than a small duffel bag) that you can stick everything in for road trips and out of town games. Again, at 99$ it really is a small investment with great returns.

I can post pictures of it, with my gear hanging and stuff, if anyone wants. One thing to note is that my dryer came with a light blue cover, whereas all the pictures I've seen online have it in black.

Click to read more...

 

[TrueBlue86]

aha yea, how well does it dry :p

 

[neksys]

That looks complicated.

I just built a tree out of scrap wood. My only expense was a few hooks and improvised skate holders. I keep it near a heater and put a fan on it, everything is usually bone dry in an afternoon.

I'd be curious to hear how this thing works as well!

 

[Wilch]

It's got a couple of positive reviews on Youtube.

 

[Jarick]

Sounds like a really good idea. Curious to see how it works in practice. It would be ideal for garages and basements too with the heater. Similar to the Shock Doctor but hanging the gear would speed up drying time and you can use your own bag.

Definitely keep us posted, I could see getting one.

 

[TrueBlue86]

That looks complicated.

I just built a tree out of scrap wood. My only expense was a few hooks and improvised skate holders. I keep it near a heater and put a fan on it, everything is usually bone dry in an afternoon.

I'd be curious to hear how this thing works as well!

the wood might absorb a lot of the sweat and the smell

it could work if you apply the proper coating to it

i plan on making a tree out of pvc piping. i don't think it'll be very expensive and looks really easy to do, like putting a puzzle together.

i plan on putting a dehumidifier near it and maybe a fan. should be dry overnight

 

[Duffman]

the wood might absorb a lot of the sweat and the smell

it could work if you apply the proper coating to it

i plan on making a tree out of pvc piping. i don't think it'll be very expensive and looks really easy to do, like putting a puzzle together.

i plan on putting a dehumidifier near it and maybe a fan. should be dry overnight

I hang my gear in the basement over a dehumidifier and near a fan. All my gear (1 goalie set and one skater set) is dry in four hours (fan and dehumidifiers are on timers).

It works great for drying the gear but I have noticed a couple drawbacks. For one during the winter when the basement is the driest the leather on my gloves gets rock hard. During the summer it's not an issue because the relative humidity in the basement allows the glove leather to retain some of its suppleness.

The other problem is that the dehumidifier pulls the sweaty nasty moisture out of the equipment a little too well. "Awesome, thats what I want", you say, well just be warned that when the dehumidifier exhausts the dehumidified air it doesnt filter out the odor and it can make the area reek worse than a few locker rooms I've been in.

There are a few mornings were I walk by the basement door and have to spray some air freshened because the odor is creeping up the stairs. I think it's a fair tradeoff for dry gear, but my wife doesn't seem to agree.

 

[neksys]

the wood might absorb a lot of the sweat and the smell

it could work if you apply the proper coating to it

i plan on making a tree out of pvc piping. i don't think it'll be very expensive and looks really easy to do, like putting a puzzle together.

i plan on putting a dehumidifier near it and maybe a fan. should be dry overnight

I gave it a few coats with a mold and mildew resistant latex paint that I had kicking around.

It ain't the prettiest thing around, but it does the job. The most labour intensive part (even with a palm sander) was actually sanding it all down as I didn't want any sharp edges to catch the gear.

I'm happy to post pics if anyone is interested. It can be assembled in like an hour as long as you've got a drill and a saw.

 

[TrueBlue86]

The other problem is that the dehumidifier pulls the sweaty nasty moisture out of the equipment a little too well. "Awesome, thats what I want", you say, well just be warned that when the dehumidifier exhausts the dehumidified air it doesnt filter out the odor and it can make the area reek worse than a few locker rooms I've been in.

There are a few mornings were I walk by the basement door and have to spray some air freshened because the odor is creeping up the stairs. I think it's a fair tradeoff for dry gear, but my wife doesn't seem to agree.

that's a really good point i wouldn't have thought of. so you're saying the dehumidifier pulls out all the nasty stuff from the equipment but the odors end up getting suspended in the room?

yea that wouldn't fly with my gf for sure

anyway, i'm getting more and more sold on this rocket sports dryer

here is one review i found on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWw7ticdQ1M&feature=player_embedded

the things that would concern me:
1) does it damage equipment? i guess they said the air is at 22C so it shouldn't...
i don't want this stupid unit to ruin my $1500 dollars of equipment
2) how durable is it? if i use it 1-2 times/ week will it last at least a couple of years?

i'm thinking i'll pick one up soon

 

[Duffman]

that's a really good point i wouldn't have thought of. so you're saying the dehumidifier pulls out all the nasty stuff from the equipment but the odors end up getting suspended in the room?

I'm going to experiment with some ways to prevent the odors. One idea i had is to try and find some granulated activated carbon packets (the material in your brita filter) and put over the exhaust of the dehumidifier. I'm not sure if that will work but one of these days I'm going to give it a try, assuming I can find packets big enough and cheap enough.

 

[Jarick]

Just wash your equipment really well with a little detergent and bleach, rinse it very well, and let it dry preferably with a fan and dehumidifier or out in the sun if it's nice out. That will kill of most of the bacteria that causes smell.

From there, if you dry out your equipment, especially with a fan and dehumidifier and a heater if it's cold, you will have very little smell when it's drying.

Believe me...I had an apartment with my ex for two years and always set me stuff out to dry on a rack right in the middle of the apartment (in the living room, next to the kitchen). If there was much smell at all, I wouldn't have gotten away with it. I did have to wash the gear every 2-3 months though. Kind of like a "reset" button on the smell.

 

[bdbowti]

I found some instructions online for a pvc rack and built one. It was fairly cheap and pretty easy to do. Leave it in the garage and let it air out I built it for my son's gear but i have hung mine on it as well and had plenty of room.

 

[v3rs3]

I made a PVC tree as well. It cost me $10 at the Home Depot and it works just great. Much easier than gear lying everywhere drying out.

 

[Jarick]

I'll always still chime in $20 for a wire rack ain't bad either. That's what I've used for three years. That and if you have a fan and can dry your stuff inside will do most of it.

 

[chickennecker]

I made a rack like above for drying and wash my gear every other month or so and it works great.

The only issue i have is with my skates. I hang them upside down and have a fan on them but the inside, especially towards the toe, never really dries. Any suggestions?

 

[dwreckm]

I made a rack like above for drying and wash my gear every other month or so and it works great.

The only issue i have is with my skates. I hang them upside down and have a fan on them but the inside, especially towards the toe, never really dries. Any suggestions?

I use a regular shoe/boot dryer for it, it works just fine. The one I use is pretty low heat, so I don't worry about it breaking down my skates.

http://www.amazon.com/Dryer-M97-FSB...HQ76/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335392609&sr=8-1

 

[TrueBlue86]

I made a PVC tree as well. It cost me $10 at the Home Depot and it works just great. Much easier than gear lying everywhere drying out.

yea that's a great option for people living by themselves or people with spare rooms/ garage space

if the rocket dryer thing can do the job in an hour- hour and a half that would be ideal because some of us who are tight for space/ sharing a room with a gf wouldn't have to have the gear around the entire night

 

[nightfighter]

yea that's a great option for people living by themselves or people with spare rooms/ garage space

if the rocket dryer thing can do the job in an hour- hour and a half that would be ideal because some of us who are tight for space/ sharing a room with a gf wouldn't have to have the gear around the entire night

This is what I'm thinking. Plus, the setup/teardown in 5 minutes makes it really convenient to take to tournaments and such.

I'm still waiting to try this sucker out but I've figured out the optimal way to hang my gear on it now

 

[TrueBlue86]

This is what I'm thinking. Plus, the setup/teardown in 5 minutes makes it really convenient to take to tournaments and such.

I'm still waiting to try this sucker out but I've figured out the optimal way to hang my gear on it now

yeaa

i was thinking if the gear doesn't fit, 2 loads is always an option too, just to get maybe better air flow with less things

2-3 hours of drying still is not too much

i have no doubt it'll work for you man, it has gotten some good reviews. i hope though the longevity is decent, and that it can dry the same way after 50- 100 dryings lol

i'll most likely buy one before the fall

 

[nightfighter]

Updated the first post after my initial use!

 

[TrueBlue86]

Updated the first post after my initial use!

that's great that it has worked well for you

i'm going to order one online for 100 dollars

the only issue that concerns me is the durability. do you think it's built to last?

well hopefully if this ones breaks down over time someone makes even a better/ more efficient one since i suspect this will be the new trend from now on.

who wouldn't want to dry the equip. in an hour or so and have to not look at it, as long as it doesn't damage it...

 

[Wilch]

I just picked one up today.

Boy does that thing burn hot. It feels like it's at least 35'C~45'C. I'm not sure if it's damaging my equipment with all that heat.

 

[nightfighter]

I just picked one up today.

Boy does that thing burn hot. It feels like it's at least 35'C~45'C. I'm not sure if it's damaging my equipment with all that heat.

I wouldnt worry about it. The manual says the dryer heats up to 22 degrees celcius. I haven't experienced any breakdown or damage in my gear.

I have noticed some rust forming on the metal hooks that the gear hangs from though. I think I wasn't setting the dryer long enough so some of the moisture was lingering around. Doesn't really affect anything but I find a 90 minute cycle to be optimal.

 

[Wilch]

I wouldnt worry about it. The manual says the dryer heats up to 22 degrees celcius. I haven't experienced any breakdown or damage in my gear.

I have noticed some rust forming on the metal hooks that the gear hangs from though. I think I wasn't setting the dryer long enough so some of the moisture was lingering around. Doesn't really affect anything but I find a 90 minute cycle to be optimal.

I got a E700 helmet and I don't feel safe putting it in there. The helmet feels like plastic and I'm paranoid about it just melting apart in there.

My skates were hot to the touch when I pulled them out after a 90 minute stint inside the dryer.

 

[CSFA]

Just picked this up over the weekend after somebody in the cleaning gear thread mentioned it. I've just set it up in my closet but have not had a chance to put it through its paces yet. Still, I thought I would put up a quick preliminary review with my thoughts.

Pros
- Simple to put together. Took me about 15 minutes to clear a spot and put it all together.
- Sturdy construction. I hung my goalie C/A, gloves and pants on the rack and it showed now signs of strain or rickety-ness. Fitting everything on the racks and hooks is a tight fit but I"ll touch on that later.
-There's a timer on the base of the heater that you can set and then the heater turns off automatically. No supervision needed.
- Cost at 99$ is very reasonable. I was more than willing to give it a try at that price, and if it works as advertised it would be priceless.


Cons
- The rack is a good size and can fit into tight spaces well. It's about 5 feet tall by 2.5 or 3 feet wide (diameter really, since it is a cylinder). However, getting all the pieces of your hockey equipment will be an exercise in puzzle building. I feel like once I find the best way to get all the pieces of equipment hung up, it will get easier and quicker to do. For now, it is a bit cumbersome but not overly difficult.

- The power cord that comes with the sport dryer is a bit short in my opinion. I will have to run an extension cord from my closet which is in a hallway out to the outlet.


Updated:
After my game tonight I filled the dryer up with my gear, ran an extension cord to the closet and let 'er rip. Set it to an hour and walked away. One hour later, my gear is as dry as if I never wore them. I easily fit everything in there, except my helmet.

A pleasant surprise was that there was no odour released through the vents at the top of the dryer. I was a bit worried about the smell being vented through the top and just filling up the whole place but the closet is a very closed space and I didn't detect any hints of sweaty hockey gear. Wife will be pleased!

Bottom Line
This thing is the real deal. Works like a charm, very convenient and easy to use. Leaves your gear dry and odour-less; although I suspect after a couple months of use you'll want to wash the gear a bit just in case. If you're strapped for space this thing is a godsend. It also comes with a little travel bag (no bigger than a small duffel bag) that you can stick everything in for road trips and out of town games. Again, at 99$ it really is a small investment with great returns.

I can post pictures of it, with my gear hanging and stuff, if anyone wants. One thing to note is that my dryer came with a light blue cover, whereas all the pictures I've seen online have it in black.

I just made one from a squirrel cage and pvc pipe. A few drill holes and it dries it all. Darn cheap too!