Review of Lorpen Hike and City Light Socks

  This is the other pair of wool socks I got on sale. They are Merino Wool, nylon and Lycra, unless they are nylon, wool and polyester. There are two listings, supposedly in order of percent, of the composition on the package. One is labeled "legal" and one is labeled "technical." Seems weird.

These are a little heavier than the Smartwool socks I reviewed yesterday. I wore these a lot with trail runners when it was between 30 and 40 degrees and damp. My feet were never cold when I was wearing them. As I said yesterday, the flip side of that is that if it was above 35-40 degrees, my feet were too hot. That said, I'm sure I walked at least 450 miles in these.

These do have some additional padding on the inside, but it is a consistent thickness and there is no bulging at the toe seam, so it wasn't really a problem.

The problem comes with how well these held up. The only actual number of miles I found associated with a hiking sock was about 1000 miles for a pair of Darn Tough. So these might have done half of that. Maybe that's reasonable. But I think they should last better. You can see the top right sock in the upper picture is mended in the back where the ankle meets the foot. I'll keep wearing and mending these until it becomse a problem

I give them 7 out of 10 stars.

In other news: I worked on my new play in the morning, then I did other sorting and fixing tasks in the afternoon. I'm still dedicated to sitting and reading as much as I want to. I did catch two mice- one of which ate the middle out of an entire loaf of expensive bread that I bought myself for a treat. They paid for that guilty pleasure and I bought another loaf of bread. The house has been empty too much lately, so I need to be diligent with the mousetraps. Not to mention all the cleaning. They also ate 3 bars of soap! I'm not sure what the attraction was there, but I found a funny little tooth-marked lozenge of something waxy in the living room, and it took me a while, but when I realized it was soap, I checked under the sink. Empty wrappers and another soap lozenge.

See Smartwool Socks

Review of Hike Light Smartwool Socks

  To be honest, I'm not positive these are Hike Light. They are definitely made by Smartwool. I got them at a teriffic sale price, and they fit. They are small. They do not have thick and thin places that are supposed to provide padding.

My sock woes are even more troublesome than the shoe woes. You can see the link below for part of the saga that has been going on for 30 years to find socks I can hike in. That said, I found these and one other pair by Lepon I will also review another day, and I did use them quite a lot in colder weather but not under the boots.

These are fairly lightweight. They are slightly less warm than the Lepon pair I will review tomorrow. In general, I found that I could not wear wool socks when the temperature was much above 35. The forever problem with my feet getting too hot made either wool pair intolerable at anything much higher than freezing. You may recall that we stopped all my former problems with blisters by keeping my feet cooler. I like that a lot.

I can't really say how many days I hiked in these. At least 30, which translates to maybe 450 miles. I don't know what the expected life of a sock is, but these have no holes yet.

When I wore them, I put the Fox River liners underneath. I could not wear wool socks with the boots (too hot), but with the trail runners, even if my feet got damp/wet (which they usually did), my feet were warm enough. Most people don't seem to have the hot feet that I do. But I thought these did a good job.

1. They fit me. 2. They don't have lumpy padding that annoys me or bunches against my orthotics. 3. They held up. 4. They are warm even when wet. 5. I got them at a fantastic clearance price. I can't think of a single negative to say.

I give them 10 out of 10.

In other news: I did some writing. I did some cleaning , sorting and laundry. I made a phone call (eg. I purposely started a conversation with a human.) I went to the store and did errands- that in itself gives me points for the day. Of course, I'm not doing these good things at any kind of speed that is going to work me out of this dumpster hole.

See The Evolution of the Sock

Hiking Gear - Gaiters

 
I've never really wanted gaiters before, but I've decided to try them. The good thing about trail runners is that they keep my feet cool. The bad thing about them is that they practically guarantee wet feet.

I found Outdoor Research Huron low gaiters for only $10 at Sierra Trading Post. I was skeptical that they would even fit, but at that price it was worth a try.



My first pleasant surprise is that they do actually fit. Sure, they are labeled small, but you've heard my woes about what companies think small feet are. Bigger than mine, usually. They have a sturdy zipper, velcro zipper cover, and adjustable elastic tops (although it's light elastic that won't last).

You'd never be able to put them on balancing on one foot. They require a place to sit down so you can use both hands. I suspect if you were trying to get them on some cold morning at camp they would be frustrating. But when they are on, there is a nice smooth fit. Here's the inner side.



And the outer side. Let's talk about the under-shoe strap. It's plastic. Probably terrible. It was annoying to walk on for 3 miles. I think for 10 miles it would approach intolerable. However, I'm sure it won't last long, and I can replace it with more typical flat elastic.



It's was just the kind of day to test them. On about one mile of my three-mile walk there was soggy snow about 1-2" deep. My goal is to see if these would be OK instead of winter boots when the snow isn't really deep enough to posthole, or to need snowshoes.

After 2 miles, the left toe box was working its way up over the shoe. Right after I took this picture, it popped off. But it was easy enough to slip it back on.



Did they keep my feet any drier than without them? I don't think so. If you look carefully, you can see that my feet are wet about halfway from the toes to the arch.



However, they did keep the bottoms of my pant legs from getting all soggy, so that it a plus. I'll need to be out longer to decide if they provide any marginal warmth to my feet. In general, I prefer to have my feet cold, even wet and cold. However, this may not be a wise idea if you are going to be out all day, for multiple days, in the winter.

Socks? I wore my capilene liners with a pair of the No Nonsense socks. They did not slip.

In other news: I have finished the final edit on the book. Have a few more tweaks on the index, and then formatting of that. That's tomorrow's project.

See Socks

Hiking Gear- Socks. Are they Right this Time?

 
You may or may not remember my last attempt at getting the correct set of hiking socks, September 2018. It was half successful. Link below if you care.

This is the half that has been good. These are Fox River capilene sock liners. They are a tiny bit too big, but not enough to make wrinkles inside the shoes.


I've been wearing them under these socks. These were the only ones of what I tried last time that work at all, but they are not great. As you can see, they are sort of a tube with a lump for the heel, and that is the way they have stayed despite wearings, and mud, and washings, and whatever. The toe seam is lumpy. They aren't really right. And after being worn for a couple days in a row, which is bound to happen on a multi-day hike, they begin to slip and creep.


I'm also having an everyday sock crisis. So I ordered three kinds of socks. Can't buy anything locally that might work, or even fit. We'll see if any of them work for hiking, and I'll wear the rest in that other life. (Which is the real life? I don't know.)

I got Buster Browns, all cotton, on the left. Gold Toe, 71% cotton, middle, No Nonsense, 81% cotton on the right. They are all too big.



The Buster Browns are the largest, but I might be able to shrink them. The Gold Toe fit best, and here I am modeling one of them. I've worn a pair of these at home already, and they are OK. Too big, but not horribly so.


If you haven't read my whole monologue on socks, don't start nattering at me about needing heavier/wool/specialty socks for hiking. I've tried SO many, and something like this combo works for me. I just have to get a good top layer. If the Gold Toe ones work out, I'll order some more.

As I get to take these hiking I'll find out which ones slip and which ones work.

Report on the bamboo socks which I bought in the previous round. As it turned out, I do not like them at all. They are unexpectedly hot, even when worn alone. They slide down over the heel when paired with the liners. I can't really say anything good about them, which is too bad because I wanted to like them.

In other news: had to clear the driveway this morning. We got snow! Then bell choir at church. I managed to get 50 more pages indexed. Not all that many, but it was the best I could do. About 120 to go.

See Socks, Not Quite See Sill Not Right

New Gear - Socks, Still Not Right

 
Ordered two kinds of socks to possibly be the outer layer for hiking. Both are wrong, but I'll probably use them anyway. Can't find what I want, and I've now spent a ton of money on socks.

The pair on the left is bamboo and the pair on the right is cotton. The bamboo ones look almost small enough. The cotton ones are too big to start with.



Here is the problem- bamboo:


cotton:


They have added too much stretchy stuff.

They will probably just work their way down inside the shoe. I've test worn one pair of each as a top layer for some short walks. (Just pulled the cotton ones up till they fit- they are enough like tube socks for that to work) They are sliding. Not too bad in just 3-4 miles, but they will have to do 12-14 miles a day and go 2 or 3 days in a row before being changed.

I have also tried hiking in two layers of the capilene- old ones underneath and new ones on top. Those did not slide, but they were hot.

One of those combinations is going to have to work.

In other news: I worked on trail food. My indispensable Excalibur dehydrator died. I have to figure out if it's the motor or the timer switch. When I call it indispensable, it mean that in value of the quality. Practically speaking, I can dry things in the oven, and am doing so. But it's slow because I only have 2 trays I can use there. A friend will loan me a round one if I want (they work differently and aren't my favorite). I also went to the store and got the next round of groceries for hike food.

You can see that the pile is growing, but lots of missing pieces yet.

	See New Gear - Socks Not Quite
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New Gear - Socks, Not Quite

 
I'm going to begin this post by sharing one of my newspaper columns from a few years ago. The sock woes continue.

The Evolution of the Sock


In the beginning there was a foot, verily, a pair of feet.

These feet were not pre-equipped with coverings. For nine summers the feet merrily skipped along the pathways of life, crossing gravel driveways, scampering along weathered wooden barn floors, and roaming stubbled fields barely noticing their lack of protection. Alas, a trip to the foot doctor proclaimed the feet to be in need of coverings of sturdy and specific types!

Soon the feet grew used to their new rigid outer coverings, and even preferred this situation to the former freedom of youth. As the feet aged, more and more was expected of them. They were asked to walk for miles at a time, day after day, often carrying the load of an extra forty pounds. Sometimes the feet were wet, all too often the feet were hot... very hot. Eventually, the layer of cushioning between the feet and the boxes of leather became an obsession of the Keeper of the Feet.

The Keeper read the guidebook to happy feet. She bought Thorlos. They lasted one summer, being extremely hot and too thick. The next summer she bought Thorlo Hikers, and sock liners by Wigwam. The Hikers were still very thick, but a little cooler. The liners were nicely thin with a cottony feel to them. That summer the feet nearly suffocated, blistering at every protuberance and swelling two sizes. Skip the Thorlos. But the Keeper was a believer, and bore witness that the concept of liners was a “step” in the right direction.

The idea grew and was perfected (so the company claimed) by Wright Socks. (See missing link above). Each of these socks was woven seamlessly in two layers- liner and sock in one! The Keeper bought two pairs! The concept was brilliant, the materials disappointing. The socks shredded with only one long walk beneath their soles.

Next the Keeper discovered polypropylene, for the feet anyway. While other parts of the body some distance from the feet rebelled at the high-tech fabric by breaking out in hives, the feet embraced the silky liners. And this time the top layer came from Eastern Mountain Sports. No matter that each and every one of these socks cost more than the minimum wage; the quest for truth was not to be hindered! The Keeper closed her eyes, swallowed hard and slapped $24 on the counter for each set of socks and liners. But the feet were still unhappy. “Too hot,” they wailed, gnashing their toes, once again blistering in an agony of confined spaces.

“OK, fine...” the Keeper retorted, throwing away the guidebook, and she went to Wal-Mart where she purchased thin cotton socks for 94 cents a pair. Relief, oh blessed relief! “Thank you!” the feet sighed. The Keeper bought five more pairs of Wal-Mart Socks.

But again, alas... evolution is defined as change. Wal-Mart, and apparently every other sock company, has now decided that cotton socks don’t wear well enough. The sock labels all proclaim “Longer Wearing!” or “Increased Durability!” The exposition of this doctrine teaches us that the socks now contain about 20% nylon. Gone is the soft purity of the cotton, exchanged for the scratchy taint of nylon.

The Keeper is about to take the feet to the hills once again. Polypropylene liners, new 20% nylon socks. She plans to be listening for what the feet have to say.

###
What the feet had to say that year was that the socks with nylon in them were crap. They slid down inside my shoes within an hour of walking. I did find some cotton socks for the outer layer the next year. That was then.

This is now. The liner socks are wearing out. I did manage to find pretty much the same thing in a size that will fit me. These are by Fox River. I bought 3 pairs. Don't even ask what they cost. They are a little bigger than my old liners on the far right, but not so loose that they bunch up.

The pair on the bottom are my old cotton socks- just to show you. The heels are way too thin... no protection there at all. Not even going to try them again.



The two pairs of polypropylene (Capilene) on the right are dirty because I wore them on my hikes with Connie and Jerry this week. I needed to see how they would do in layers because I may have to do that for my upcoming trek. They worked fine, but I'd rather have an absorbent layer on the outside. Why don't I just go get some socks, or order some?

Because finding socks that fit me is one of the never-ending shopping traumas of my life. My feet are, in size, right between kids and women's sizes. And they are super narrow, so I can't tolerate a lot of (any) slop. I really have to look at a pair to know if it will fit. I either need adult socks that run small or kid sizes that run big. Add to that the idea that I want thin cotton socks and it's really difficult. I've found some on Amazon of the right weight, but I think they are going to be too big. I've also been looking at bamboo socks, but can't find any I like in the right size.

Of course if you order some and they are wrong, they have to be shipped back, blah, blah. Hopefully, there will be a part two to this sock saga within the next couple of weeks.

	See Sleep System
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