water proof socks

[Anonymous]

I am looking for some water proof socks. From past forum posts the Rocky gore tex socks got good reviews. I am wondering about cheaper alternatives. Anybody have any experience with the Showers Pass socks at REI or the Sealskinz socks or other brands?

[Stormin]

I used Showers Pass on the Great Outdoors Challenge this  year across Scotland. They are still waterproof but the fit is snug.I must admit the outers hold water for a long time. So if the going is wet do not let your hiking pants contact the socks or your legs will soon get wet. Once your camp is set up, drying them out can be a problem if raining.Nice to have dry feet at the end of the day.

[Arne L.]

I use Sealskinz, but exclusively in camp. During the day my feet get wet, but that doesn’t really bother me.

It’s nice to be able to slip into dry socks which you can use in your wet shoes while setting up camp.

They are not made to walk in. If you’d do that, I think they would lose their waterproofness within one day.

[Woubeir (from Europe)]

I concur what Arne says; when used for walking, my pair of Sealskinz-socks leaked within 2 days. Wet feet during walking doesn’t have to be a problem; as long as they don’t get cold it’s not a problem.

Further, the knit exterior of the Sealskinz-socks soaks up water. And the Rocky-socks have a tight fit and stretch very little so if possible, try the first. I had to buy them before I could try them: to get one sock on took me 20 minutes (and only possible then with a thin silk stocking under it); to get it off took even longer.

[James holden]

Get the rocky socks if you want something that you can hike it and lasts decently

You MUST try em on prior or buy em from somewhere with free return shipping …. The sizing is fairly unique

make sure you try em with mo more than a light/mid weight sock … Youll generally be wearing liner socks only in em to minimize dampness from foot sweat

there is a fairly specific process for puttig them on/offf  … Only pull on the NON stretchy parts … Pulling on the stretchy parts can tear the membrane … once you figure out how to do it properly it takes like 1 minute to get them on/off

WPB socks are a pretty specific item for constant wet and cold conditions between 30-50F when the trail is basically a giant puddle, mud pit or stream …

if you dont face those conditions you dont need WPB socks

above you can see my rocky socks crossing a bit of water ….. In those conditions the water cleans the socks n shoes

as always try to buy from somewhere like MEC (or REI for the first year) that has its own warranty in addition to the manufacturer

;)

 

[Pierre Descoteaux]

My 2 cents: I used the Rocky GTX Socks many days while tree planting about two decades ago. They where great. I never had issues putting them on nor taking them off. They even lasted longer then anticipated. My feet do not sweat much which may be a different story for others…

Cheers

Pierre

[Woubeir (from Europe)]

WPB socks are a pretty specific item for constant wet and cold conditions between 30-50F when the trail is basically a giant puddle, mud pit or stream …

I would lower those 30 °F. If you hike in wet snow, they can be very handy.

[James holden]

the issue isnt the WPB socks themselves when it gets down to the 20s .. the problem is that most folks use em in combination with mesh highly breathable trail runners

once you start using em when it gets decently cold … the snow/ice tends to accumulate and freeze in the mesh, and even in the shoe …

this often results in quite a bit of cooling directly on the sock … and since yr likely wering a light sock (to get the socks on, and to minimize moisture accumulation) under the WPB, cold feet

the same issue happens to a certain degree with WPB mesh trail runner/boots … but in those cases at least you can wear a decently thicker sock

which is why in actual winter/mountain boots, if theres any “mesh” type fabric is pretty tightly woven or its leather to prevent snow/ice sticking

in fact the great skurka does have an article that talks about it

;)

[Justin Baker]

Eric, have you tried neoprene socks for those super wet/cold flooded trail conditions?

The rocky goretex socks are super useful for when you encounter snow, but yes Eric is right about your non waterproof shoe absorbing lots of water and cooling your foot. Especially when walking from snow melt streams directly into snow.

[Edward Barton]

I’ve found possum socks with a polypropylene liner sock and a waterproof shoe (neoshell lone peaks – which I find quite warm) to be as warm as 0.5mm neoprene with the same liner in cold/wet or hiking in wet or dry snow, though this may be in part because it’s been hard to find a good fit with neoprene. On paper, neoprene and other thinner vapor barriers are warmer, but fit and maceration are also big considerations. I find moving the vapor barrier out to the level of the shoe is a better solution.

It would be interesting to try fleece socks, or something like high loft thermal pro, but I haven’t found well designed socks in fleece.

[Woubeir (from Europe)]

Does the snow/ice also should stick to the mesh of non-wp trailrunners when wearing the normal socks ?

EDIT: and can someone give the url of that Skurka-article, please ?

[Link .]

. In what conditions will I hike in “waterproof” footwear? .

[Woubeir (from Europe)]

Thanks but where in that article do they talk about snow sticking to mesh when using wp-socks ?

[James holden]

My only complaint about the X Ultras is that the exterior materials will retain liquid water from snowpack that has melted due to ambient temperatures or to my body heat. This accelerates conductive heat loss, and makes it more difficult to keep my feet warm. I wonder if a waterproof boot with a water-resistant full-grain leather upper like the Vasque Sundowner GTX would absorb less water, and therefore keep my foot warmer.

this applies to most mesh shoes WPB socks or not … in fact its worse with “breathable” open mesh trail runners as the INSIDE gets soaked as well, not just the outside

its an easy test … soak yr mesh trail runner in water throughly, pacj it with snow or shaved ice (if u have no snow right now) … and throw it in the freezer overnight …

of course one can wear a WPB sock with a non-mesh shoe … but it would say most folks dont do this …

;)

[Woubeir (from Europe)]

I guess it depends on the used mesh because I walked enough through streams and/or snow landscapes with mesh trailrunners and I can’t remember I’ve ever experienced it.

[James holden]

Snow, slush and ice streams right around or below freezing are fine (30F+)… As you can see i use my rocky socks all the time for such

its when it gets into the lower 20s, especially once you add in windchill (which can easily mean 10s) that any moisure in the system start cooling rapidly

along with the fact that one cant wear too thick a sock (which might take you 20 min to get on an off under the WPB sock and constrict blood flow) unless one sizes up both shoes and socks

one is basically using an open mesh trail runner thats constantly soaked right against a thin sock with no insulation in what could easily be 10s F once you add in windchill

and when (not if) one needs to stop and rest …. Yr feet will start freezing, unlike the upper body theres no belay jacket for yr feet

;)

[Woubeir (from Europe)]

Again, that has never happened to me and my shoes :)

[James holden]

well ive never taken 20 min to put and take WPB socks on either

like i said its a simple test… all you need is to soak and pack with snow yr shoes and throw em in the freezer to see how much moisture they retain … then let it “dry” in the shade around freezing

theres a reason why folks start wearing insulated boots at some point in the winter .. and wear thicker socks

=P

[Woubeir (from Europe)]

Perhaps. But all I can say that I never experienced that. What you say makes sense, but there are just too few experiences/reports to make it for me a general conclusion  (even with your simple test). :)

[James holden]

well aint it snowing in eurobum land right now?

just go out overnight somewhere where its constantly -5C daytime or lower without windchill and you have a few feet of fairly fresh snow …

arent ryan air flights like 10 euros or something these days

the other thing no one has mentioned about soaked mesh trail runners is that they can easily weight 100-150g more per shoe … especially if frozen with snow and ice

add in the extra weight of a WPB sock and you may not be any lighter than a WPB shoe which doesnt soak up as much moisture

does it matter? … probably not if yr wearing snow shoes or crampons anyways … but for gram weenies, every gram must count !!!

;)

[Woubeir (from Europe)]

well, I guess you have it heard about that thing called ‘climate change’ ? To find a spot where it can be  that cold that long, I would have to travel a long time. And even then, I can’t be sure it will be that cold all the time. :)

[James holden]

global warming? … PFFFT …

one of the local vancouver hills …. folks camp up there all the time in winter

its also a ski resort … theres a frikin paved and constantly plowed road …

every one and their dog (literally, doggay shiet is a real problem on the trail) snow shoes up to the top …. hundreds every week, no matter what the conditions …

 

 

;)

[Woubeir (from Europe)]

Well, perhaps one of the ‘advantages’ of living in the densier populated part of ‘the old continent’ is you can actually see global warming while it happens. I’ve seen numerous series of photos that compare the state of glaciers 100 years back with the state they are now in and it’s staggering to see how much they’ve shrunk in just the last century.

:(

[James holden]

sweeet !!!

i can finally use poncho tarps year round up here in raincouvah … well become like california

=P

[Woubeir (from Europe)]

since you are a climber, what does the Bonatti pillar on the Drus tell you ?

[Author]

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