Hiking Socks
One of the biggest mistakes people make when prepping for hiking or other outdoor activities is overlooking the small things. In this case, we’re talking about a good pair of thermal socks.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re planning to hike in the summer heat or in the cold of winter, either way good thermal socks have a job to do; keeping your feet dry and cool in the summer and dry and warm in the winter.
Does it seem strange to you that socks can both keep you warm in one season and cool in another, especially when we’re talking about the SAME pair of socks? Well, the truth is that with today’s modern materials, this is absolutely the case. While cotton is a good starting point when thinking about socks because it is all natural, soft and comfortable, cotton alone isn’t the best choice for hiking. Fortunately, through the miracle of modern science and technology and some really clever engineers, we have been able to improve upon the performance of ‘just cotton’ by adding in some other ingredients into the mix. Mixing in some Lycra, different kinds of wool and something called micro-geometry manufacturing, socks now offer the comfort of cotton but with great support as well as wonderful wicking abilities. Wicking simply means that the material is able to pull moisture from your skin and ‘wick’ it to the outside of the sock. This keeps your skin dry and comfortable and allows the moisture to more easily evaporate into the air.
Some other ‘features’ you need to consider with your hiking sock purchase is a pair with reinforced toes and heels, since these area will take more of a pounding and you don’t want them to wear out too quickly. At the same time, check to make sure there aren’t any ridges that could cause friction and painful blisters on your feet. Believe it or not, what looks like a harmless ridge in your sock in the store can end up being much more painful than a rock in your boot. Because with a rock, at least you can get rid of it!
As for sock length, you want to be sure the sock extends well outside the top of the boot (not those little ankle types tennis socks). You want to be able to fold the socks down over the top of the boot if necessary. The reason you want to be able to do this is that socks have a tendency to loose elasticity over time, and by folding the sock over your boot you can prevent it from actually slipping INTO your boot. Talk about some uncomfortable ridges from your socks!
Even though this can happen to socks, you shouldn’t expect it to happen. Shop for socks that seem to have some good elasticity and support and which have a reputation of being durable. Some of the better brands you may want to keep in mind include Thorlo, Wigwam and SmartWool hiking socks.
One word of warning for you when you go to find yourself some good hiking socks… they’re not going to be cheap! But then again, what good equipment is, right? The thing is, don’t think of them as ‘expensive’ either. Even though you may spend $10 or even $20 on a single pair of socks, think of it as a value investment. They will not only last you a long time, but they will allow your feet to last a long time on your hikes as well.