Never had a blister, hope I never do. I wouldn't hike at all in a cotton sock. I've seen other people's feet look like raw hamburger, and I never want that.
I use full synthetic socks I just get at target, never had a problem. Anything fast drying and airy foot wear when in warm weather, change socks in the middle of the day.
Not only should you wear good smart-wool type socks, you should buy dark colors - dark colors dry better in the sunshine when they have been wet as they absorb more heat
I wear and carry cotton socks...I can get six to eight pairs for the price of one pair of smartwools. I carry these extra socks and when I need to use them for any reason, I just take a fresh pair out of my pack...Durability is about the same or better in my opinion. You can get blisters with any type of material, just a matter of addressing hot spots before they form into blisters.
See ya when I get there.
With all due respect Soulrebel, I can easily get 300 miles out of one pair of smart-wools when rotated with another pair - and maybe more. Carrying 6-8 pairs of cotton socks is wasteful, cumbersome, heavy, could cause frostbite in the winter, and completely un-practicle, for long distance backpacking applications - since I have never heard of any other serious backpacker (ever) employing this method. I've got about 3500 backpacking miles on this pair of feet. I'm wondering how often you have been at this system. H.Y.O.H. but this recommendation for others to follow is really not very good. Just sayin'
Gear should be prioritized as follows:
#1 Shoes, socks, and underwear.
#2 The rest of your clothing, Insulation, outter shell, etc.
# 3 Packs, tents, stoves, bags, and all the other stuff.
Every winter Walmart blows the Hunter wool out, at a nice disount. - Wicking Socks from Rei are pricey and I could not tell the difference.Originally Posted by Feral Bill
However, if you hike a lot remember once they are compressed throw them out!
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
You must be lucky, and athough I keep cotton for work I would never hike in them, the retain too much moisture next to the skin. With wool I can ford a stream get to the other side squeegee them and move on..... try that in cotton.
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
Underwear is optional
wool socks=comfort and safety
cotton socks=blisters
just sayin'
skinny d
I too prefer to wear wol sock for the above reasons and also wear a liner and I have NEVER had a blister with this combonation. If I stop for a long lunch I pull my socks of and let them dry a bit, the liners dry in about 15 minutes on a sunny day.
"You have brains in your head/You have feet in your shoes/You can steer yourself in any direction you choose." - Dr. Seuss
Cotton is garbage. I have a couple Tshirts to wear around home, but that is about it. My current hiking socks are wool ones I got in Port Clinton on my thru. They still have plenty of wear left in them. They replaced a pair I had 1000 miles on, and those were still wearable besides a hole in the heel. I gotta call BS on cotton socks lasting as long.
As for underwear, it is not optional for me, I don't like chafing, so I wear them.
I decided to forgo my woolen socks on a small hike in exchange for some old cotton socks, for some reason. It rained. A lot. Drenched me. I had a blister the size of a peach pit. Wear woolen.
Made it down the coast in seventeen hours/ Pickin' me a bouquet of dogwood flowers
just to add to what's already been said: Don't even THINK about hiking in cotton socks. That's an invitation to misery.
Trailbender - if the socks are compressed and have no "fluff" and have holes - you are hanging on to them too long.
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
Not really, they seem to be fine. I haven't noticed any difference in how they fit or feel than when they were new. I tend to repair and use things to total failure though. As long as the socks keep me from getting blisters, absorb sweat, keep my feet comfortable, and in general, do the job of socks, they are fine. As for shoes, I am still hiking in a pair of Merrell's I got in Harper's Ferry. They have paracord laces and the front is held on with paracord punched through the soles and uppers. With that part of my AT thru and all my current hiking and walks, I think I have around 1900 miles on them, and the sole still has a decent amount of tread.
I couldn't imagine throwing away a pair of wool socks with only 300 miles on them, I would consider those practically new.
In my case i would hope so!
being that my trail name is "Different Socks", it wouldn't make sense not to wear socks.
Smartwool. I prefer the light hiking version, but the medium hiking ones are good as well. My feet sweat too much with the heavy version and I like my boots to fit tightly enough that heavy socks would take up too much room, but to each their own. Check out a few pairs of Smartwool - your feet will thank you.
Here's a perfect side-by-side example:
Went day-hiking with my brother yesterday in the Colorado Rockies.
Him = cotton socks, 10 lb pack
Me = wool socks, 20 lb pack
About three hours into the hike, we're halfway up a mountain and he says "man, I think I'm going to have blisters on my feet after this."
I immediately call a stop, and bust out the moleskin.
He sits down and pulls off his socks and shoes, and his feet/toes are all wrinkled, like you get when you soak in the bathtub for a long time.
Pull off my socks, and my feet are smooth and dry.
We're both medium build, comparable in size.
We patched his hotspots with moleskin, and he was fine for the rest of the day, but he's buying wool socks for the next trip.
Also, he's ditching the sweat-sponge he had covering his chest (i.e. also known as a 'cotton t-shirt'), in exchange for some synthetic water-wicking shirt.
Cotton is terrible for hiking.
I use Thorlo Lt Trekkers w/ coolmax liners. As with all my hiking clothing, no cotton allowed.
I hate seeing abandoned cotton socks thrown to the side of the trail when I hike.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
