Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Socks?

After the boot thread, now socks….

Synthetic? Merino? Alpaca?

Any brand stand out? Darn Tough and Farm to Feet both have lifetime warranty.

I ordered a pair of FtoF Damascus socks with my boot order.

Does the higher % of merino make a noticeable difference?


How does the USA kirkland (costco ) merino trail socks compare to the others?

Grip6, the belt company, has made in USA merino socks now, but sold out of most sizes..


Thanks..

The Kirkland socks are good, but they don't hold up very well.

Generally hike/hunt in 50/30/20 cushioned sole boot socks, and then add the Kirkland's as a Winter layer on top, as my boots are warm-weather.




GR

BigDave;
Morning sir, I hope all is still as well as can be in your part of Mississippi and you're well.

Again I'll start with the theory that there's a bunch of roads to Mecca and some of us will wear boots and some sandals I suppose?

Maybe 6 years ago I first tried the Costco Kirkland Merino wool trail socks and I now live in them. Have some on now in fact.

The newer ones have a bit lower percentage of Merino I think? I'd have to check to be sure but I do know they've gone up over that time.

I have tried some other brands too, but in heavier knitted socks, not the same weight so I don't think it's a fair comparison.

They last "okay", so maybe a bit less than a year? Again that's all I wear anymore so I'm rotating through about 20 pair constantly and have another couple dozen replacement new ones waiting.

It occurs to me that if I'm hunting with my Meindl boots, I'm not wearing them, if they're on it means a thin liner sock and a heavy knitted one.

Sample of one from a not large fellow so that's a factor perhaps in socks as well as boots? Not sure.

All the best.

Dwayne

Dwayne,

Always appreciate your posts.

All is well, summer is setting in here in MS. Hot and humid. Garden and fishing weather.

I believe you are right. The current kirklands are ~50% where as the older were ~70% merino.

All mine are 72% Merino wool.

Good for the price, but they just don't hold up to hard use like a boot sock.




GR

I've been using various Darn Tough for the past ~18 months. Their everyday sock, light cushion, hiking, etc. versions. I like them OK, but handwashing socks is not my thing and they shrink a lot. Had to order one size up.

I've used Costco merino of various vintages but they are too thick/hot for most of my uses. I have some old Wigwam socks that I like better than my Costco socks. And some that I got from my MIL. They were probably bought at Kmart!

I'm super interested in trying alpaca socks.

Truth be told, unless I am backpacking I do just fine with cheap old athletic socks from a bulk pack. I am still trying to kill some Adidas socks that I got from Costco last year. I use those for daily wear, the gym, day hikes, etc. I've used similar for archery hunting too. They don't dry as fast as the merino socks though.

I like the medium weight Dalhgren alpaca wool socks. I don’t have any real current ones so not sure if quality is the same. I wish they would quit renaming them so would know exactly what to order.

My general day to day and hiking socks are mostly Darn Tough in different weights and styles. I also have some other brands of Smart Wool and heavy Alpaca socks for cold weather stuff.

Same here, very good socks!

For pretty much anything hunting, hiking, everyday wear...

Hot weather: Lorpen T3 light hiker coolmax

Cooler weather: Lorpen light hiker merino wool

Darn tough here as well, various weights and heights- just their merino ones.

I've used their lifetime warranty a couple of times when I felt they should have lasted longer, but the vast majority of them just eventually became thread bare and was too embarrassed to send in a thread bare pair of socks for a warranty

Darn Tough for me with a smattering of Smartwool PhD. The DT over the calf heavyweight is my favorite for hunting. I really like the support on my calves for all day moving.

Point 6 is a newish brand with a lifetime guarantee as well. I bought 3 pair of their lightweight merino and wear them as dress socks.

I wear DT quarter socks UL for running. I'm trying to wear a pair out but haven't had any luck yet. For general hiking I like Smartwool PhD/Hike full cushion socks. I can wear holes in the Smartwool but it does take a few miles.

I’ve been using the Cabelas Merino wool socks. At $19.99 for 4 pair it’s a good deal for good everyday socks. I wear merino wool socks exclusively year round and don’t even own anything else. Wool keeps my feet warm in winter and cool in summer and dry all year long. Until I switched exclusively to wool I had problems with my feet getting cold when it wasn’t even really cold outside. Once I switched the difference was stark and I never looked back. I’ll buy 3 sets of 4 pair and that’ll last me all year easily. I buy a new set every few months and rotate the older ones out. I have different specific socks for wading or very cold weather but my everyday socks work for 95% of my activities.

Don't know if you've checked the label but most of Cabela's "wool socks" are 65% acrylic, 15% nylon, and 20% wool. Having said that, I like them and use them all the time.

There's nothing like a good sock.

Picked up several pair of the Smartwools that were on sale.

Seems that reviews are consistent.. good socks but aren’t as durable darn tough, farm to feet, Fox river, others..

Darn Tough pretty much all the time in work boots, hiking, and hunting. They last the longest, have real cushion, and DT stands behind their socks. I've worn the Costco merino socks and they're okay, but don't last very long at all. Lorpen and Fox River are decent.

If you watch for, "Buy one, get one free" sales at places like Sportsman's Warehouse, that is the time to get some Darn Tough socks. I don't think I've ever paid the $25 or so, per pair, full price.

Some.

I've tried the Kirklands, smart wool and darn toughs and darn toughs have easily been the best.

The Kirkland ones are good for the money but not near the sock. Smart wools are nice but I don't think they hold their shape as well as darn toughs and they don't have the warranty.

They are telling the truth about that warranty too. I think I've sent in 3 or 4 pairs that were just worn out. They give you a credit to buy more with no hassle.

Kirkland and SW thin out fast for me and really aren’t even as warm as Darn Toughs. Liners help and so does knowing what to wear for shoes/boots and when to change the socks.

The ones from Scheels are the only ones that come close to the original ones Cabelas use to carry years ago. As mentioned the Kirklands don't hold up well. Boht Bass Pro and Cabelas are the Walmart of the outdoor world now.

Poly liners help with about any sock.

Smartwool, I buy on sale at Midway.

I’ve been using ankle high REI socks with my low Solomons.

Wright socks are double-layer and can save you a whole lotta pain if you are embarking on a big adventure. However, they are not durable. Think of them as a consumable that you’re gonna use up that first week or so, but will minimize or prevent blisters.

My perspective on hiking socks has changed since my wife dragged me into these very long trips… they are ALL a consumable. Get something decent, use it up, don’t get too attached ‘cause the poor bastids are doomed <grin>. To that end, the REI socks are a lot bang for the buck and when it’s time to toss them after a couple hundred miles… meh. On to the next victims.

If I’m wearing “boots” like in elk season I have UltiMax socks I love. Haven’t seen them around in years. They also make (made?) a liner sock that’s the best I’ve used. HIGHLY recommended.

I played around with Wright Socks for a few seasons, and still have a couple pairs. They're gimmicky junk IME.

Darn Tough 1/4 midweight hikers for the win. Stellar durability and comfort - they'll go far in excess of a "couple hundred miles."

Another Darn Tough user here. Best I've found.

Me too! I own ten pair as daily wear. My feet appreciate them.

I was really glad for the Wrights that first week down by the border. It was HOT (90°+), so our feet were sweaty, and gritty, and obviously they weren’t hardened off yet. They do work as advertised, IME. But they are fragile and don’t last long.

Cyn uses Darn Tough, sometimes. They do have that road-hazard warranty <g>. I haven’t tried them.

Everyone got blisters that first week or two. Everyone. I should’ve taken pics of my heels. Looked like something out of a zombie movie. You just gotta drain them and keep truckin’. Every heard of the dental floss trick with blisters? I stopped using a needle to drain mine and used the very sharp tip of my Benchmade Bugout (best backpacking knife ever!)…. making a wee little slit rather than a hole kept them draining.

The weird thing was I didn’t even get my first blister until 5-6 days in! I thought I was home free. Then my other heel, which had been just fine for at that point almost two weeks, went. Fun.

(you use a needle to run floss through the blister, then leave it in there. The floss I mean. Then you just tug the floss several times a day to re-open the drain hole.)