Socks

100% wool is rare. Anything over 70% will probably be OK. Most makes have synthetic additions for reinforcement and stretch. The thing to avoid is cotton because it compresses and loses its insulation and cushioning value.

The old Norwegian "ragg" socks were pretty good and gave many miles of service, but you had to size them just right (no stretch) and most folks wore them with liners because they were really really scratchy and tended to be abrasive.

IMO the best socks made are by "defeet". High quality, long lasting and multiple options.

I'm a big fan of drymax socks. A lot of ultra-runners and adventure racers use them. In addition to being better than other socks for friction (IMHO), they seem to fit much better. One reason for the fit is that they have more sizes available than you usually get with other brands. So now my size 9 foot is smack in the middle of the large size range, instead of on the outer edge of medium or large.

I think I've seen Smartwool on sale at my local outdoor store– Academy. They are a blend, so I may just get those for a hike these weekend. It's my first overnight hike since I was a teenager (almost 20 years ago).

Darn Tough socks are incredibly durable and have a great fit.

I now wear Darn Tough socks exclusively. The ones I use are a blend of predominantly wool. I even wear them to the office on a daily basis, year-round. They keep their shape incredibly well, so for trail use, I am very comfortable with only two pair – one active and one in reserve.

Sue and I were so impressed by ours that we went and paid real money for some more! That does not happen very often!

Cheers

I also wear Darn Tough socks. They fit great! The seams in the socks are for the most part not noticeable at all. I say for the most part because I have one or two pairs where I can feel a slight bump at the front corner of one sock. This is rare though and these socks are truly great.

Like Jason I take two with me and I've never had any problems.

I like socks by dahlgren, and darn tough.

+1 Darn Tough socks, exclusively. As a bonus, they're far more durable than Smartwool or Injinji.

Injinji socks are all I wear now. Yes, they tend to be more fragile. I can live with that. I now own 6 pairs so I have a good turnover when doing stuff. No blisters since going to them last year :-)

I like Injinji and Smartwool.

FWIW, I had some Patagonia socks that wore out way too fast on the balls of my feet in my opinion.

The Injinji socks look interesting. But it looks like they're not that thick. Do you wear two of them or can you wear them with a liner?

What brand of darn tough socks are best for hiking the AT in North Carolina?

> What brand of darn tough socks are best for hiking
I have only used the In-Country series full-cushion boot socks 1405.
The 1/4 crew might be worth looking at too.
The trouble is, they last so long it is hard to do a decent 'wear trial'.

Cheers

Roger,

Any idea how they compare to the Wilderness Wear Kosciusko socks, for fit and longevity?

Rod

Hi Rod

> how they compare to the Wilderness Wear Kosciusko socks, for fit and longevity?

I do have both, from various field trials, and have compared them with interest. Fit: equally as good. Longevity? Ah, well, yes.

The Kosciusko socks are good, no question. But they are very conventional in design and construction, and were made I think on a conventional (sock) knitting machine.

Thorlo claims their socks are more sophisticated – they have an 'engineered' construction. This is a step beyond the way Wilderness Wear make their Kosciusko socks. Whether it makes them any better is a good question. I would rank them about similar.

Both sorts of socks seem to be made on double layer knitting machine – as distinct from a single layer of knitting as done by any home-knitter. Having two interlocking layers makes the sock thicker and more wear-resistant. OK.

Darn Tough Vermont (DTV) seem to have taken the knitting of socks forward another step. If you compare the loop pile on the inside of Thorlos and DTVs, you will find that the loops on the DTVs are much finer. Normally this would imply thinner wool, and hence a thinner sock, but that is not the case here. I suspect that the DTVs may be done on a 3-layer knitting machine, where there are three interlocking layers. Such a machine may require a finer wool thread, and probably runs a bit slower, than the more conventional machines. (I may also be wrong of course.) But the construction is more robust.

Anyhow, the result is that the DTV socks remain thick without holes for an awful long time. I started a BackpackGearTest field trial of DTV socks in November 2005. I wore that single pair of socks for years of walking, and finally threw them out around November 2008: three years later. They were used, incidentally, on my last 3-month trip through France. You know how much walking Sue and I do, so you can work out how much hammering they would have received over that time. They were still good except for a small hole at the heel.

On this subject, I once (long ago) got some socks made by the sock experts at CSIRO Wool Technology in Geelong. These socks were far better than anything you could buy in the shops, and it was explained to me that while they were much better, they were uneconomic to make commercially. I think the machines used more wool and ran slower. So staff at the Division had wonderful socks – in whatever colour was available at the time! This may be the same thing as the DTVs.

Anyhow, after one year of use Sue and I were so impressed by the ones I had (and she had a pair as well, one size smaller), that we contacted the factory and imported a couple more pairs for ourselves (2 pairs each). This time we actually paid for the socks! I have to report that at least one pair of the new socks (each) are still unused in the drawer, in their covers.

Cheers

I am a big fan of the smartwool socks. They are very comfortable and tough, although they are a little pricey. Worth the money!!!

I wear SmartWools exclusively – every day, day in, day out. I have three styles: Adrenaline Mini crews, for running, hiking and everyday use; Expedition Trekking, for colder climes; and Mountaineering, for winter camping.

My initial two pairs of Adrenalines are finally starting to die. They are wearing holes in the Achilles area where they run on the shoe, although I have never had a blister there.

I would avoid SmartWool's Lighter Hikers (medium cushion). I have gone through three pairs extremely fast and the wool died and fossilized too quick.

If my current selection of SmartWools ever dies, I am going to replace them with Darn Tough Vermonts, me thinks.

I use Fox River X-Static socks for liners. My first two pairs that I bought in 2005 are still going strong. I since have purchased two more pairs and love them.

I believe Smartwools' light hikers are too fragile. they will last about 3 months. for dang near the same price, Darn Tough sounds like a reasonable option. I am still using a pair of Defeet Wooliators after 1.5 years. Hard to find locally, but the bike shop here ordered them.
Ive used Brigdale, smartwool, thorlo, fox river (yuck) and other "brand" name like adidas (who also own arcteryx and saloman) but the DeFeet are much nicer. worth the $14 IMO

John,

I wear them alone. I don't wear a liner with Injinji socks. You get used to it pretty fast though. The only issue I have had is due to not being as "puffy" as many cushioned wool socks are my ankle high boots tend to let more dirt in. In trail runners it isn't an issue. Rather I find my trail runners fit a lot better now.

I like Injinji. I wear them without liners. They are thin, so if I want extra insulation, I wear non-toe socks over them.

My non-toe socks are from Smartwool. The hiking socks hold up decently, but their "ultra comfy" ones haven't held up as well. I got them to be my casual socks, but I find the hiking ones better for casual wear.

I've got one pair of Teko socks. They're new, so I don't know how well they'll hold up to use.

The positive comments about Darn Tough has convinced me to try them.

I use Injinji liners (the Bamboo ones) which I am very happy with and pair them with a pair of X socks trekking light which work for me. I use Smartwool on a day to day basis but for hiking its Injinji and X socks.

>I've got one pair of Teko socks. They're new,
> so I don't know how well they'll hold up to use.
> The positive comments about Darn Tough has
> convinced me to try them.

Robert, my experiences with Teko were that they were great socks out of the gate but don't have the same durability of Darn Tough.

The Injinji socks are a great concept for on trail walking/running but I find that if you're going off trail, walking sidehills or steep downhills the socks tend to put uncomfortable pressure on the toes and the area between the toes.

"The Injinji socks are a great concept for on trail walking/running but I find that if you're going off trail, walking sidehills or steep downhills the socks tend to put uncomfortable pressure on the toes and the area between the toes."

Sam, what is funny is for me it is the opposite effect. Rather my feet feel better! I wear them both for snowshoeing and hiking now. (I wear my "normal hiking" socks to the gym now!)
For me, my worst issue was never ending blisters that I would get due to feet moving/sweat. The toe socks keep me dry, the socks don't move and my feet stay in place in the shoes.
I would question the fit on your feet if they bother you. They should be like a second skin when on/fitting properly. Within 15 minutes of them on I might as well have naked feet :-D