If you are hiking w/ a pair of wool and cotton socks on, which pair should you put on first or does it even matter? I had always assumed you put the cotton socks on and the wool socks wick the moisture away.
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If you are hiking w/ a pair of wool and cotton socks on, which pair should you put on first or does it even matter? I had always assumed you put the cotton socks on and the wool socks wick the moisture away.
Cotton shouldn't even be on you're feet ... period.
I usually use silk or poly-pro sock liners and either a wool or wool/synthetic sock. I had great results with Darn Tough and Smart Wool socks this past year. However, if I had to wear cotton/wool, I would wear them in the order that you stated.
I never, ever, hike in cotton socks. They keep way too much moisture, are rough on the skin, and wear out quickly. I either hike in synthetics (mainly Thor-Lo brand) in the summer, or wool or wool/synthetic blends in the colder months.
As for wicking, a thin liner sock (synthetic) helps a lot with that.
"Can o' worms"
You should consider something other than cotton..for everything when
you leave Florida.
Cotton mats down, holds moisture, and will contribute to blisters.
Try synthetic, wool, or silk.
They do go inside the wool..;)
Beware the ACK:eek: cotton crowd. Cotton has its place in Florida heat!
Yeah, cotton has its uses when hiking -- the blanket statement that you should never wear cotton isn't really true. But I wouldn't recommend any cotton on the AT (at least at the beginning), and definitely not on your feet. I'm not sure why you'd want to wear two pairs of socks, but regardless I'd recommend Darn Tough merino wool.
Sorry, should have noticed that you're in Florida...
Cotton does have its place in really hot areas, for sure. Still, given how much water it holds, and how rough it is on the skin, I'd still avoid putting it on my feet, even in Florida in the summer. Go with a really light synthetic liner sock.
If you're planning on being out in cold weather though (and I assume you may be given you were also talking about wool), avoid cotton completely.
Keep in mind, as well, that while wool has a reputation of being for cold weather, it's an excellent wicking fabric and doesn't absorb odors as much as synthetics. Lighter weight wool clothing items are good for the summer as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ender
Thanks everyone. Normally I just use cotton socks when hiking because I'm in S. Florida but it's been cold lately and I wasn't sure if I should use 2 pairs of socks. I'll just use wool socks next week.