View Full Version : How much wears out?
It hit me that one thing I don’t often see discussed is how many paid of socks or how many shirts people went through.
Lots of discussion about how shoes wear out on the trail, but it hit me, after I got my insectsheild treatment of gear, I should probably get some replacement gear treated too — and then I wondered how much.
Any thoughts?
Slo-go'en
03-04-2018, 22:19
On a thru hike or in general?
It used to be you'd have to get new socks fairly frequently, like once every 3-400 miles. But these new darn tough socks seem to go forever. Get three pair and cycle through them and they should go the distance.
Long term, I've been using the same shirt for years and it's got untold miles on it. I doubt you'd wear out a shirt unless it's ripped in a fall or something. You might want different shirts for the different seasons.
Mostly what you will wear out is shoes. Every 4 to 500 miles. Some people have to get new pants and pack waist belt if they loose too much weight.
garlic08
03-04-2018, 22:39
Yeah, shoes and socks in general. I made my NB trail runners go a little longer than they should, and used three pairs for the AT. Maybe four pairs of Smartwool socks. I used permethrin spray and retreated my clothes sometime in June. The rest of my stuff was tried and true on other long hikes, so no problems.
On a thru hike or in general?
It used to be you'd have to get new socks fairly frequently, like once every 3-400 miles. But these new darn tough socks seem to go forever. Get three pair and cycle through them and they should go the distance.
Long term, I've been using the same shirt for years and it's got untold miles on it. I doubt you'd wear out a shirt unless it's ripped in a fall or something. You might want different shirts for the different seasons.
Mostly what you will wear out is shoes. Every 4 to 500 miles. Some people have to get new pants and pack waist belt if they loose too much weight.
Thanks. Wife and I want to start a through th hike next year.
Mostly I was looking at getting some more socks treated.
towerclimber727
03-05-2018, 00:39
Darn tuff socks are darn tough.
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Wore a hole in one pair of darn toughs and was on my fourth pair of running shoes by the end. Shoes were the only thing that I needed help with from home. Bought five pairs of the same shoe before my thru and just called home when I needed them.
towerclimber727
03-05-2018, 00:49
Wore a hole in one pair of darn toughs and was on my fourth pair of running shoes by the end. Shoes were the only thing that I needed help with from home. Bought five pairs of the same shoe before my thru and just called home when I needed them.Any hassle returning them? I've heard they're pretty good about it but haven't tried it myself.
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It was no problem returning them. I sent them home and waited until I was done. There is a form you download, fill out and send them in. If I remember correctly, brand new replacements came back in about two weeks.
Any hassle returning them? I've heard they're pretty good about it but haven't tried it myself.
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If you go on their website, there’s a form you fill out on line. They will send a replacement pair.
I wore a hole in a new pair of the Boot Socks on my LT thru, and they sent me a new pair no questions asked.
Great customer service from a company that takes pride in their product.
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You are over thinking this. I always wish I had a set of spare feet.
I went through several pairs of darn toughs. I still love them though - they replaced them all.
The only things I can think of that I needed to replace along the way are shoes and socks.
Small stuff like water bottles and zip locks
My clothes were torn a bit by the end and some of them were retired, but they made it the whole way.
Rain jacket was used up but Outdoor Research replaced it for free (OR Helium)
Hammock, quilts, tarp still going strong.
Bent a few stakes - replaced along the way.
Food bag pretty worn out, I could toss it out but along the way I just stuck some duct tape on it.
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Don’t treat your socks, it’s useless.
Don’t worry about bugs in general.
Anytime you plow trough some brush just give yourself a once over; I didn’t even stop walking, just glanced down and checked my legs and arms.
I treated my first pair of socks and wore trough them before I even saw bugs.
You’ll be fine
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Don’t treat your socks, it’s useless.
Don’t worry about bugs in general.
Anytime you plow trough some brush just give yourself a once over; I didn’t even stop walking, just glanced down and checked my legs and arms.
I treated my first pair of socks and wore trough them before I even saw bugs.
You’ll be fine
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I will go with three pairs of treated socks then.
I don’t wear shorts in tick or chigger country, even hiking in the Texas summers.
So my treated pants tuck into treated socks.
So far. No ticks.
TheMidlifeHiker
03-05-2018, 22:22
Another vote for Darn Toughs - they’re fabulous.
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Elaikases
03-05-2018, 23:10
Another vote for Darn Toughs - they’re fabulous.
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Are Smartwool socks comparable?
Seems like if you have smartwool you need to pick up a couple pairs of darn tough socks and use those to complete your three pairs of hiking socks collection.
Perhaps.
Darn tough socks are generally less cushion but slightly more durable than Smartwool comparing like models.
I guarantee Darn Tough socks can wear out and wear through. I'm not into returning very well used worn out hiking socks no matter any guarantee. This is reminescent of REI's past very liberal shoe return policy that was abused by hikers wearing shoes for extended periods, more than a yr in some cases, then returned eventually leading REI to tighten shoe return policy. If you prioritize durability and don't mind returning socks after significant use Darn Tough socks will satisfy those priorities.
Darn tough socks are generally less cushion but slightly more durable than Smartwool comparing like models.
I guarantee Darn Tough socks can wear out and wear through. I'm not into returning very well used worn out hiking socks no matter any guarantee. This is reminescent of REI's past very liberal shoe return policy that was abused by hikers wearing shoes for extended periods, more than a yr in some cases, then returned eventually leading REI to tighten shoe return policy. If you prioritize durability and don't mind returning socks after significant use Darn Tough socks will satisfy those priorities.
I felt kinda weird returning any socknised on a thru buttttt also went through a good number and figured hey, tha garuntee is part of the reason we buy them. They advertise a lifetime and that’s one of the reasons they’re so popular.
So, take advantage. I ended up returning 4 pair and use the replacements every day and love them.
Smartwool has no such warrantee.
Farm to feet does, I believe, with some caveats
That's just what I feel good with Shrewd. I wasnt trying to cast aspersions on you or anyone else. You dont have to defend your actions to me. The company clearly offers such a guarantee. :)
Christoph
03-06-2018, 18:43
I took 3 pairs on my thru. 2 were Darn tough (I still wear em and just can't seem to wear them out) and 1 pair of Smartwooks for something comfy and warm at night and in town.
MuddyWaters
03-06-2018, 22:19
Don’t treat your socks, it’s useless.
Don’t worry about bugs in general.
Spoken like someone that never had feet devoured by chiggers.
I always treat shoes and socks. Few things as miserable. Just in case.
Due diligence is all that’s required.
Walk through some brush, check yourself.
Give yourself a check when you’re done for the day.
There’s no practical way to treat your socks. I treated my first two pairs before I started and they wore out before it got warm enough for ticks to be an issue.
Subsequent pairs didn’t matter b cause any bug trying to crawl up my leg was quickly discovered.
Spraying them with permethrin only lasts a few washes so why bother?
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saltysack
03-07-2018, 08:58
Due diligence is all that’s required.
Walk through some brush, check yourself.
Give yourself a check when you’re done for the day.
There’s no practical way to treat your socks. I treated my first two pairs before I started and they wore out before it got warm enough for ticks to be an issue.
Subsequent pairs didn’t matter b cause any bug trying to crawl up my leg was quickly discovered.
Spraying them with permethrin only lasts a few washes so why bother?
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Can’t see chiggers.....
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devoidapop
03-07-2018, 13:06
Due diligence is all that’s required.
Walk through some brush, check yourself.
Give yourself a check when you’re done for the day.
There’s no practical way to treat your socks. I treated my first two pairs before I started and they wore out before it got warm enough for ticks to be an issue.
Subsequent pairs didn’t matter b cause any bug trying to crawl up my leg was quickly discovered.
Spraying them with permethrin only lasts a few washes so why bother?
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Can’t see chiggers.....
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Nope. But everytime I've gotten them as an adult I looked at that high grass and knew I shouldn't be walking through it.
BuckeyeBill
03-08-2018, 01:07
Nope. But everytime I've gotten them as an adult I looked at that high grass and knew I shouldn't be walking through it.
I walked barefoot across grass that had been cut the day before and in lees than 10 minutes the chigger had attacked like it was WWIII.
Elaikases
03-08-2018, 09:06
I walked barefoot across grass that had been cut the day before and in lees than 10 minutes the chigger had attacked like it was WWIII.
Yep.
Heck, in February "Sweet Cheeks" got her trail name from Chigger attacks. She still had the marks on her in April.
Bubblehead
03-08-2018, 09:32
Ditto with the NB trail runners; 3 pair for the entire AT...awesome shoes...
Got Darn Tough to mail me 2 new pair of socks in NY...
Went with a non-inflatable sleeping pad (thermorest) for final third of trail, Pawling to Katahdin. Inflatable was really worn, and didn't want a breakdown up north in the middle of nowhere...
Applied permethrin three times....Springer, Pearisburg, and Pawling.
New pair of Columbia hiking pants in Pawling because of holes in crotch and butt...(sliding down various rock faces...).
Gambit McCrae
03-08-2018, 10:05
I get tired of wearing a shirt before it wears out.
I got holes in my nike shorts before they wore out although the between the legs area was getting a little ratty looking
1 pair of shoes for every 500 miles
2 pair of socks last me give or take 500 miles but I replace them prior to them being flat worn out
I get a new hat once a year, that is a little way I track year to year hiking pictures at a glance
Trekking poles could last 10,000 miles or 5 miles.
I put about 2500 miles on my Henry Shires Stratospire 2 Tarptent before I bought a duplex. The tent is still 100% waterproof, but the mesh inner is deteriorating so I replaced it.
I have gone thru packs like ham sandwiches but put about 1200 miles on my ULA circuit before I got an arc blast as a quick weight savings opportunity. The ULA looks brand new and could easily go for many years to come from a integrity standpoint
Sleeping pads - on average 1 per 500 miles but due to some manufacturing defects, I now am hoping to put 1000+ on my current pad.
Sleeping bag - Better be a lifetime (Montbell, Western Mountaineering, Enlightened Quilt)
Have never used bug spray or permethrin on the trail (I can not recall pulling a tick off of me while on the AT)
Water filter - Every 500 miles a new sawyer mini
Water bottles - I have about 1000 miles on 2 smart water bottles and I have about 1500 miles on a Canada dry plastic bottle used for whiskey. That little green bottle has had a many of a fifth of Tennessee Whiskey in it over the miles.
I'm probably the best dressed in ratty sometimes expensive old hiking clothes and trail runners in my area when mowing the lawn, tending the garden, and washing the car.
Got really bad case of chiggers walking on a sandy beach with no vegetation...as the doctor told me.
Can't avoid high grass all the time anyway if you're a hiker willing to go off trail.
The only clothing I replaced was shoes. I carried four pairs of Darn Toughs though. I hate hiking in wet socks to start the day, hence the overkill.
Highland Goat
03-14-2018, 09:04
It depends on your idea of worn out. A wool sock that is compressed underfoot, especially if it is moist, will compact into felt. This means that a sock could loose its cushioning long before it develops holes.