Bridgedale Ventum Light Hiker Socks
TEST SERIES BY KEVIN
HOLLINGSWORTH
September 18, 2007
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE FIELD REPORT (June 22, 2007)
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE LONG TERM REPORT (September 18, 2007)
Tester
Information
Name:
Kevin Hollingsworth
Age: 42
Gender: Male
Height: 6’ 1” (1.9 m)
Weight: 195 lb (88 kg)
Email address: kholling55@yahoo.com
City, State, Country: Williamsburg,
Virginia. USA
I started backpacking and camping when I was in the Scouts. I spent 20 years in
the military, which curtailed my personal outdoors adventures. While
day-hiking, I normally carry a light load, a waist pack with mostly food and
water, with a few other things. On three to four day trips, I will carry a pack
weighing about 45 to 50 lb (21 to 23 kg). I prefer to hike in the mountains. I
have been hiking in Colorado, Korea, Egypt,
and most recently the Eastern part of the United States.
INITIAL
REPORT
May 14, 2007
PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer:
Bridgedale
Year of Manufacture: 2007
URL: http://www.bridgedale.com
Note: All measurements are mine (unless otherwise
specified)
Weight: 2.6 oz (73.5 g)
Size: Large
Colour: Oatmeal/choc (also comes in Silver/navy and
Storm/blue slate)
MSRP: Not available
Product Description (paraphrased
from manufacture’s website)
The Bridgedale Ventum Light Hiker socks are designed
to be worn with lighter more breathable footwear. They are designed for light hiking and for fast moving activities in warmer climates. They are lightweight, have fine-knit impact
cushioning and over-foot ventilation to improve breathability. They incorporate asymmetric left and
right foot design to reduce weight. They feature Aircell and WoolFusion® technology.
Aircell is impregnated polyester blended with silver and 11 other minerals. It
is designed to give anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal protection that last
for more than 3 years. The WoolFusion® technology combines the highest quality natural
yarns; Merino wool or Tough wool, and fuses them with high performance microfibres;
Coolmax® or Endurofil™. This is designed to provide supreme, lasting comfort. They
are warm when they need to be and wick when there is excess moisture.
The socks are double
cuffed, have extra-dense heels/ankle protection, and asymmetric impact
protection with ventilation. The socks have the following fibre content:
41% Merino Wool
33% Be-Fresh/polyester
23% Nylon/polyamide
3% Lycra®/elastane
The
socks come with the following washing instructions: Wash inside out and with
dark colours separately. Do not use fabric softeners or bleach. Wash on wool cycle at 104 F (40 C). Do not
dry clean or iron and dry only on low heat.
The
socks come with a the following warranty:
“ If you are not completely satisfied with the quality and performance
of your Bridgedale socks at any time within 3 years of purchase, return them to
the place of purchase together with your proof of purchase for exchange.”
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
I
received two pairs of Bridgedale Ventum Light
Hiker socks. The socks were in the retail packaging, which is made from
light cardboard and has a large quantity of information printed on it. Printed
on the package were the key features of the sock, washing instructions, and a
list of material used in the manufacturing of the socks. The key features were
listed in English, German, Japanese, French, Spanish, and Swiss. On the sides
of the package, there were three sizing charts (United
States, United Kingdom,
and European Union).
My initial impressions
of the socks were that they are soft to the touch. The socks have a slight
“wooly” smell to them. The ankle area is thin and stretchy. There are three
elastic areas on the socks, at the top and bottom of the cuff, and one in the
middle of the foot. The bottom and in the heel area of the socks is soft and
cushy. The only visible seam is at the toe area. On the top of the socks, the
Bridgedale name and a foot is embroidered into the socks. On the right sock,
there is a right foot, and a left foot on the left sock. Also on the inside of each
sock’s cuff, there are the words right/left. On the side and top of foot
portion of each sock, there is a ventilated area were my feet are prone to
sweating.
According to the sizing chart, with a boot size of size of
10 to 12.5 US (44 to 47 EU); I would use a size Large. When I tried on the socks, they felt snug on
my feet but not constricting. My heel
fitted comfortably into the heel of the sock, and my toes were loose to wiggle.
The top of the socks fitted comfortably around my calf, but the elastic band
did not squeeze my calf. I could feel the air in the ventilated areas. The
socks were very comfortable to wear.
SUMMARY
The Bridgedale Ventum Light
Hiker socks are well made and fit me well, snug but not constricting.
The Ventum socks are very comfortable to wear. I am looking forward to testing
these socks out.
I
would like to thank both, BackpackGearTest and Bridgedale, for the opportunity
to test the Ventum Light Hiker Socks. This concludes my Initial Report.
The Field Report will be amended to this report in approximately two months
from the date of this report. Please check back then for further information.
FIELD REPORT
June 22, 2007
FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
I
took a multi-day trip to Shenandoah
National Park. The
terrain was mountainous with the elevation around 3000 to 4000 ft (900 to 1200
m). The weather was initially cloudy with some scattered showers. The weather
cleared at midday on the second day and the rest of the trip was sunny. The
average daytime temperature was 60 to 75 F (15 to 24 C), dropping to
approximately 55 F (13 C) after sunset.
I
also took a multi-day trip to the Smokey
Mountains National
Park. The terrain was mountainous with the
elevation around 2000 to 3000 ft (609 to 900 m). The weather was cloudy with
scattered showers, mostly in the late afternoon or evening. The normal daytime
temperature was 75 to 85 F (24 to 29 C), with a drop to approximately 65 F (18
C) after sunset.
I completed four day hikes. The weather was normally clear
or with a slight cloud cover. The temperatures were around 70 to 85 F (21 to 29
C). The elevation was at sea level and the terrain was wooded.
I also wore the socks at home, around town and to work. My
main footwear when wearing the sock was waterproof, leather hiking boots. But I
also wore them with light weight casual shoes.
PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
The first thing that I notice while wearing the Ventum Light
Hiker was how comfortable they were. They were soft and fitted smoothly around
my foot, with just a little bit of wiggle room around my toes. My heels fit nicely
into the sock’s heel area and never slide around. The socks never bunched up while
I was wearing them. It was almost like not having any socks on, except for the
cushioning. The sock's cushioning did very well, keeping my feet from tiring out
during the day. It gave my feet that extra layer of bounce.
At first I thought it a bit strange to have socks
specifically designed for the left or right foot, but after wearing them I
understood why they were designed like that.
My feet normally sweat a lot during the day, especially around the toes
and the sides of my feet. This leaves my socks wet in these specific areas at
the end of the day. The Ventum sock incorporates mesh ventilation in these areas,
which seemed to take care of the problem. After a day of hiking, I would take
off my boots and these areas would be dry or maybe only slightly damp. I also noticed
that the smell that is normally associated with sweating feet never seemed to
form. I never notice any bad or unpleasant odors coming from the socks.
I basically followed the washing instructions that came with
the sock. I did not bother turning the socks inside out, and I dried them on
the regular cycle of the dryer. The socks did not experience any shrink that I
can see. They fit and look just like they did brand new. During my overnight, I
would rinse out the socks and hang dry in the tent. The next morning the socks
would be soft and dry. They never seemed to get the hardness that is associated
with line drying.
SUMMARY
Overall I am quite pleased with the performance of the
Bridgedale Ventum Light Hiker socks. The socks fit well and are very
comfortable to wear. They
wick away
moisture from my feet, especially in my sweat prone areas. The
socks do not seem to retain odors, dry quickly, and haven’t
shown any sign of wear.
This concludes my Field Report. The Long-Term Report
should be completed by September 25, 2007. Please check back then for
further information.
LONG TERM REPORT
September 18, 2007
FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
I
took a multi-day trip to Shenandoah National Park. The terrain was mountainous
with the elevation around 3000 to 4000 ft (900 to 1200 m). The weather on the
first day was cloudy with rain. The rain switched between a light drizzle and
heavy showers. The weather cleared at midday on the second day and the rest of
the trip was sunny. The average daytime temperature was 75 to 85 F (24 to 29
C), dropping to approximately 75 F (24 C) after sunset.
I
took a multi-day trip to Jefferson National Park. The terrain was mountainous
with the elevation around 4500 to 5000 ft (1372 to 1524 m). The weather was
clear, with some occasional patches of clouds. The average daytime temperature
was 75 F (24 C), dropping to approximately 60 F (16 C) after sunset.
I completed three day hikes. The weather was normally clear
or with a slight cloud cover. The temperatures were around 70 to 85 F (21 to 29
C). The elevation was at sea level and the terrain was wooded.
I continued to wear the socks at home, around town and to
work. My main footwear was waterproof, leather hiking boots or light hiking
shoes. But I also wore them with a variety of other shoes.
PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
The Bridgedale Ventum Light Hiker socks have impressed me
over the course of the test. Over the
course of the test, the socks have been washed at least 30 times. They were
machine dried approximately 25 times. The colors have remained intact and have not
faded. The socks are still soft to the touch. There has been no fraying around the
cuff, no pilling or visible holes. All the stitching have remained tight. There has
been no visible wear either in the heel area or the toe area.
There was no visible shrinkage from the washing and drying
process. The socks continued to fit extremely well. They are snug around my
feet, without being to constricting. The
cuff was high enough to go above my boots. They fitted better than most of my
other wool/blended socks.
As the days got hotter, the socks seemed to retain more
moisture than before, but the moisture did not seem to stay near my skin. The Ventum
continued to do a great job at wicking away moisture from my foot.
SUMMARY
Overall, I am very satisfied with the performance of the Bridgedale
Ventum Light Hiker socks. They wick away moisture from my feet, especially in
my sweat prone areas. The socks do not seem to retain odors, and haven’t shown
any sign of wear or fading. I plan to continue to use the Bridgedale Ventum
Light Hikers.
I would like to thank both, BackpackGearTest and Bridgedale,
for the opportunity to test the Ventum Light Hikers.
Read more reviews of Bridgedale gear
Read more gear reviews by Kevin Hollingsworth
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