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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,342
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,342 |
Over the last several decades I have tried, trialed, just about every sock and sock combination that's come down the pike. While I use synthetics for everything else, I believe that wool is far and away the best material for socks. Nothing else matches the performance of 2 pairs of wool socks, that fit properly, in whatever boots you're wearing. This holds true in waders as well. Carrying a second set and changing at mid-day can be an amazing trat to yourself. Inspect he label of any wool sock you are considereing. The closer the socks are to 100% wool, the better they will perform. It seems that, particularly since merino wool came along, a lot of socks are labeled as wool, but closer inspection of the label will show that wool to be a minor ingredient. Avoid these!
Imagine your grave on a windy winter night. You've been dead for 70 years. It's been 50 since a visitor last paused at your tombstone..... Now explain why you're in a pissy mood today.
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 193
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 193 |
Who sells the Darn Tough socks? iv not heard of them been useing Smart Wool for a long time now! Amazon.com sells them.
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,841
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,841 |
Do a search - a bunch of places sell them on the interweb. I see them in most stores catering to hikers.
I'm in WY hunting elk at the moment. Season ended for me yesterday AM but wanted to share sock experience. Been wearing a Smartwool liner with a Smartwool heavy crew hiking sock in Meindl leather boots. Weather has been 35/40 in AM, 50 in PM but high winds making it feel colder. I've logged 25+ off-trail miles at 9-10k feet elevation in the past 3 days. This doesn't include misc trails or other mileage. I've sat 2 evenings after hiking those miles. No foot issues. Even after packing my elk out yesterday AM - the last trip was with a full hind quarter with the elk hide. Really like the Smartwool liners paired with heavy crew Smartwool socks.
I like Darn Tough socks but find they have a thinner crew than Smartwool heavy crew. I need the extra cushioning. I do like the made in USA and lifetime guarantee features.
Adversity doesn't build character, it reveals it.
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Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 423
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 423 |
Darn Tough are the best that Ive found.
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 9,129
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 9,129 |
I like and use Smart wool but Dahlgren alpaca wool socks are the best I've used!
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 7,263
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 7,263 |
Agree with all of the above but Alpaca socks are great. Not sure what brand I have they were a gift. They are so nice I like to keep them in my pack and wait till my feet are cold or beat up and then dig out the Alpaca. It's like a vacation for the feet.
Not sure how well they will hold up long term but since I mostly use them on stand or back in camp should last a quite awhile.
"When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred." Niccolo Machiavelli
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,325
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,325 |
Costco merino wool socks and spray anti perspirant on your feet.
I've never used liners so can't comment there. this is what I do, thin nylon liners also if in extreme conditions like mountain climbing. Wool & antiperspirant has served me well from places as varied as the Makenzie mountains of the Yukon to the plains and boreal forest of Saskatchewan and the Pyrenees of Spain. In bitter cold and extreme heat. Rain or shine. I have not found a better combination.
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 23,082
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 23,082 |
I wear thin silk liners, and heavy wool socks. An extra pair of dry socks ride in the backpack (if I carry one). Brand: none, really. I found them at the Christmas Market Fair in Freiburg, Germany a few years ago. They're hand knitted by a French woman who processed the wool on her farm outside Colmar, France. When I saw them I fell in love (with the socks, not her) and figured I better buy a few pairs. Glad I did. They're thick and tightly knitted, and wear like iron (but I reserve them for deer hunting only). Best dammed socks I ever owned. (She had a big pot of Gluwein simmering on her counter that day. Swigging a couple cups of that may have swayed me a bit, but luckily the sock quality far outlasted the buzz I got from the mulled wine!)
I have kicked myself unmercifully over the years for not getting her contact info. I'll shed a tear when they finally wear out!
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,076
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,076 |
Switched from Smartwool to Darn Tough here as well
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,523
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,523 |
I switched from Smartwool to Bass Pro's Redhead brand, with the lifetime warranty. There's a Bass Pro Shop within 50 miles, the two pairs I have fit better than Smartwools, and if I wear them out, I can take them in and get them replaced, free. They were on sale for about $10/pr., too, when I bought mine.
(I did live within 10 miles of the BPS, but moved recently.)
Frankly, I like the Redheads better, but both brands keep my feet warm. I wear nylon dress socks under them, but they aren't really needed.
I take blood pressure medicine, and my feet get cold pretty easily at times. Not an issue with the Redheads, though.
You can roll a turd in peanuts, dip it in chocolate, and it still ain't no damn Baby Ruth.
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,558
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,558 |
There are no socks compared to Darn Tough..
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,739
Campfire Tracker
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OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,739 |
The roll of the liner is what? Assuming "good" socks, necessary?
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 7,263
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 7,263 |
I started using liners to prevent blisters with heavy mountaineering boots. Now I use them for extra warmth mostly. Like any good base layer it transports moisture away from your feet, dryer feet are warmer. Silk, wool, synthetic all work to different degrees. They also prevent hot spots that can turn into a blister. If I am using liners I can usually wear the outer sock longer so need less pairs of heavy socks.
The liners especially synthetic can easily be hand washed and dry in 30 minutes where heavy wool socks can take a day or more to dry.
"When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred." Niccolo Machiavelli
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 868
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 868 |
A splash of Gold Bond powder in each boot also helps keep your socks dry, i use it on every trip.
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 4,910
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 4,910 |
The roll of the liner is what? Assuming "good" socks, necessary? They seem to wick quicker. Also, the form fit allows a tiny bit of slide inside the outer sock, preventing blisters IME. I also use some Arid XX spray on my feet. Prevent the swamp foot by preventing the sweat.
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,114
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,114 |
Falke. Made in Germany, available through Westley Richards.
Cut individually for the left and right foot and so marked.Extremely comfortable.
I wear their TK 2 model in Courtney boots for Africa, though they go up to the TK 4 which is the warmest and thickest.
Have tried many kinds, IMO, Falke are simply the best.
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 12,530
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 12,530 |
SmartWool. I'll eventually try Darn Tough.
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 151,118
Campfire Savant
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Campfire Savant
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 151,118 |
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Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 8,069
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 8,069 |
SmartWool, or Darn Tough, whichever is clean . No liner. I prefer the Smartwool ones as the Darn Toughs seem to bunch up at my toes. Maybe my feet are shaped funny.
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 8,625
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 8,625 |
looks like i'll order darn tough and give them a try
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