[pct-l] socks

[GARY HEBERT]

I like quick drying just thick enough for weather.
In spring/summer/fall I've tried many thin smartwools & merino wools which I
like. Also have used plenty of poly socks.  Both work fine. Hiked the first
half of the AT with dress polyester socks. Very quick drying and warm enough
except when pretty cold. Not as good for sleeping or not moving for keeping
warm (need thicker insulation then). For all these, I prefer the shorter
lengths to keep me cool.  If I keep hiking I don't need insulation or bug
protection or abrasion protection of higher socks. If I really need any of
that I wear long pants.

Thinner socks sweat less and dry much quicker. No need for liners. Today's
high tech socks wick sweat away pretty effectively. I've also found that the
"padding" of thicker socks is not necessary. Once my feet toughen up and I
get past the blisters I'm pretty good with almos any sock, so why not wear
one that dries quicker and weighs a lot less. 2 pair Dress socks wear less
than a single pair of thicker socks. Many ultralight hikers have used them
for years. Wicked cheap too! Gear store?? Any Walmart or similar store can
resupply you.

I winter/pretty chilly weather I like slightly longer VT Darn Tough socks.
Wear well - pretty durable, pretty warm insulation, feel warm when sweaty,
dry relatively quickly when wet if you keep hiking or air dry. In winter I
wear very thin poly (quicker drying vs. wool) liner socks. Sweaty socks =
colder feet even if they're swart wools and I don't notice as much til I
remove my shoes. Poly liner socks make more sense than wool liner socks. The
purpose is to wick perspiration away from my feet toward outer layers (wool)
where it still insulated but I don't feel it. Smartwool insulates pretty
well when damp but still feels sweaty/damp because it doesn't wick it away
from the inside to the outside quite as well.

Bottom line with socks: Buy a few pair and try them. See what you like.

I use two strategies: I wear one pair for days. I wear it every day, wet or
not. (except in winter) the other pair I keep CLEAN & DRY to sleep in every
nite. This is also my backup socks. This is as much psychological as to keep
my sleeping bag & liner as clean as possible. Not as good as a shower, but
better than donning another dirty pair I've been rotating each day.

The other strategy is that I sometimes carry a third pair of different
thickness or style for options.  This pair I try hard never to wear. In
winter or very wet rainy weather I carry it separately in it's own ziplock
so it remains guaranteed dry.

I also carry vapor barrier socks in winter and/or Rocky Gore-Tex waterproof
breathable (but not very breathable) socks for very wet conditions, though
I've never yet used them other than testing.  This is another whole
discussion.

On thru hikes on the AT (Mar-June) & Long Trail (Sept 1-14) I covered many
miles daily through a mix of wet & cold & wet, lite snow, but always hiked
on with wet feet to dry them out. Changed socks only when I stopped for the
day. Dried socks as much as possible overnite. Putting on wet socks in the
morning sucks. But only for a few seconds. They warm up quickly. As long as
my feet were dry & warm overnite in my sleeping bag I felt ok.

But good to know I always had those other options.

FedEx