Am I bringing too many socks?

[Tipi Walter]

I carry 1 pair that always stay dry, and 1 pair that stay dry until they get wet. If the socks are wet so are the shoes and the socks will dry before the shoes which means any pair of dry socks that go into the shoes will get wet fast. One could say that once the shoes dry you will want a dry pair of socks to put on with said dry shoes. But if socks dry faster then shoes then my wet socks are dry before the shoes? Lol 2 pair of socks for me

My policy precisely. My preferred brand (after years with Bridgedale and Thorlo socks) are Smartwool Mountaineering, the thickest most cushioned socks they make--and I appreciate the cushion after a long day with a 75 lb pack.

I have stayed in my hiking socks for up to 24 days at a time---and they do get a little crusty and stiff. But here's the thing---if you're worried about soiled foul socks after 10 days on the trail you can wash them in a creek and wear them dry.

The reason I just bring two pairs of socks is because one pair is for camping and sleeping and therefore always kept dry and never worn for hiking. The other pair are allowed to get wet in wet boots and can be hiked dry eventually or worn in the tent damp and slowly get dry. TTwo pairs of socks is like two pairs of gloves---allow one pair to get wet and always keep one pair dry.

Taking more than two pairs means you'll end up with more than one pair wet--and carrying this wet weight.

My thick Smartwools are also excellent in the winter and in cold temps can be doubled up in the sleeping bag if the hiking socks are dry.

[wordstew]

Shoot in warm weather I usually wear no socks at all however I always carry two pair of darn toughs and two lambs wool insoles. I use the insoles in cold weather and switch them out along with various combinations of either no socks, socks only, insoles only, socks with insoles.

[Don H]

Have you hiked wearing the sealskinz? I had a pair when I started my thru, wore them in the Smokys and found that they made my feet sweat so much, even hiking in snow, that I quit wearing them.

[DuneElliot]

I'm with a lot of others on this one...two pairs of DTs for hiking in and one longer pair to sleep in that are always dry.

[QiWiz]

What season? For a typical AT March hike I would carry the three pairs of Darn Toughs. Keep one dry to wear in bed, and rotate the other two while hiking.

+1, but would also have two pairs of liner socks as i like liners for blister prevention - your feet may not act like mine do.

[Emerson Bigills]

Something else I will share about socks. I was in ME for 19 days. I think my hiking socks were dry for 2 of those days. Between the rain, the river fords and the boggy terrain, it was impossible to keep my feet dry. I will also tell you that VT will keep your feet wet. Not much use in wasting a dry pair of socks when you know they are going to be soaked in the first hour, so I often slapped on the wet ones from the day before. Between having my feet wet for so long and the grit in the river fords, my feet were approaching hamburger by the time I finished. Open sores on every toe and bottom of my feet were cracking open.

When the trail started getting wetter, I was advised by some other hikers to try to let my feet air out at night as much as possible. I think that really helped for a good while, but it was tempting to put those warm dry socks on as soon as I got into camp. My feet actually did quite well until I got into the wet trail of VT, NH and ME. If NOBO, you will think you know a lot after 1500 miles, but those last three states are a different beast.

[TimOnWhiteBlaze]

Did you use gaiters in Maine and Vermont?

[bigcranky]

Did you use gaiters in Maine and Vermont?

Gaiters wouldn't do much to keep my feet dry, as I wear mesh trail runners. +1 on having wet feet, and on putting wet clothes and socks on in the morning. We were wet much of the time in Vermont. And cold.

[RockDoc]

The old rule is that you can't have more than one of anything that isn't called socks. So feel free.

[fastfoxengineering]

Something else I will share about socks. I was in ME for 19 days. I think my hiking socks were dry for 2 of those days. Between the rain, the river fords and the boggy terrain, it was impossible to keep my feet dry. I will also tell you that VT will keep your feet wet. Not much use in wasting a dry pair of socks when you know they are going to be soaked in the first hour, so I often slapped on the wet ones from the day before. Between having my feet wet for so long and the grit in the river fords, my feet were approaching hamburger by the time I finished. Open sores on every toe and bottom of my feet were cracking open.

When the trail started getting wetter, I was advised by some other hikers to try to let my feet air out at night as much as possible. I think that really helped for a good while, but it was tempting to put those warm dry socks on as soon as I got into camp. My feet actually did quite well until I got into the wet trail of VT, NH and ME. If NOBO, you will think you know a lot after 1500 miles, but those last three states are a different beast.

In really wet conditions like you mentioned a little powder on the feet before you slip them into camp socks does wonders.



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