[pct-l] Sealskinz socks

[revgizmo at yahoo.com (Rev Gizmo)]

Hello from Budapest...what a beautiflul city.
 
Anyway, I picked up a pair of regular Sealskinz socks in portland, and tried them for a couple weeks into washington.
 
At first, I loved them.  They let out enough foot sweat that my feet stayed dry, even in the creeks that the Washingtonians call trails (at least while it is pouring).  They were great until they started to wet through.
 
Once they wet through (I can't remember how long at first, but by then end, an hour of walking or less would do it), they were horrible.  Instead of keeping the water out, they kept it in.  So my feet were warm (wetsuit concept), but soaked.  Once waterlogged, my feet started to shred.  all my hard won calluses just peeled off, with a good bit of skin that wasn't callus.  I was pretty lucky about my feet in the desert, but the sealskinz shreded them in the north.
 
I'll never wear them again.
 
Just my $0.02.
 
-Reverend Gizmo, the Agnostic
PCT '04
 


David Toms <ukstoveman@hotmail.com> wrote:
We used these on the PCT, having had mixed experiences before with them. Our 
were the UK Ultralight models, and frankly, were rubbish (=garbage to our 
transatlantic cousins :-).

They have a life expectancy of about 7 days thru-hiking before they start 
leaking seriously (as demonstrated by 4 pairs now!). The repeated freezing 
and thawing may not have helped this, but we've also experienced it 
previously in less severe conditions in Tasmania. I don't know if I can be 
bothered to send yet another pair back for replacement.

Even once they're leaking, they still have a use in that they're quite warm, 
and stop the freezing rivers immediately numbing your feet when you wade in. 
However, next time I'd definitely go with neoprene socks instead.

Maybe the non-ultralight ones are better, but from what I saw, neoprene 
socks were the way forward. Freebird complained of his feet (in neoprenes) 
being too warm in the Sierra. We have frostnip. Take your pick :-)

Dave

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