[pct-l] socks

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

On Aug 30, 2010, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
> 1. I read recently about preferred socks.? I think there was one  
> that was alpaca
>
> and wool.? Could anyone out there give me an idea of good quality  
> socks and
> where to get them?

I liked having three different kinds of socks. I had a thin nylon  
sock, a medium wool sock and a thin wool sock. I could wear two at a  
time or just one. Sometimes I felt like my feet were swollen so the  
thin sock provided relief. Other times I felt like my shoes were too  
hard so the thicker socks seemed to feel a little more cushy at least  
for a little while. I also had sleeping socks that I didn't wear  
hiking. I also chose fun socks. It could feel a little depressing  
sometimes to always be wearing beige pants and a beige shirt and a  
beige hat. My socks made me smile.

I also carried several different kinds. I mostly needed cushioning  
not arch support or other stuff, so I had different thicknesses and  
materials for cushioning. I could layer them when my feet really hurt  
or remove layers when my feet felt swollen. This seemed to work well  
for me.

As for dehydrating spaghetti, I never tried it. But what I did find I  
liked was to purchase regular macaroni noodles and a packet of Knorr  
Alfredo Sauce or equivalent. They sometimes had 4 Cheese sauce and  
pasta roma which are both very good. Bring water to boiling, drop the  
noodles in, drop the sauce powder in, cut up some real swiss gruyere  
or cheddar cheese and put that in, then cover the pot and wrap it up  
in my sleeping socks and hat and wait while I did my daily journal  
writing for about 15 minutes or up to 2 hours if I decided to pack my  
dinner and hike a little further. The best mac and cheese ever!  
Alternatively, add some dried tomatoes (Just Tomatoes), freeze-dried  
corn (Just Corn) or a small amount of dried onions (Just Onions) and  
maybe some garlic powder.