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Reviewer Information
Gender:	Male
Height:	5' 6" (1.6 meters)
Weight:	159 lb (72.1 kg)
Email:	mike-at-pahiker-dot-com
Home:	Southwest Pennsylvania, USA
Background:	I’ve been hiking since ’65 with occasional backpacking trips (backpacking became a love affair in the early 80’s). My first sleeping bag weighed in at 8 lb (3.6 kg) by itself! These days my loaded pack only weighs about 15 lb (6.8 kg) sans food. While most of my adventures are in the Northeast I’ve also been spending a good deal of time in the desert Southwest and most places in-between. My trips tend be in the cooler months - September through May - as I’m not much of a hot-weather person.

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Initial Report - May 30, 2020

Lasting’s WLS Hiking Merino Light Crew Sock is a thin, light sock made from a combination of 70% Merino wool, 10% polypropylene, 13% polyamide, and 7% Lycra, I would like to point out that this is from the cardboard wrapper on the socks and differs from the description on Lasting’s website which states 75% Merino, 10% polypropylene, 10% nylon, 5% Elastane. Lasting describes this sock, which it calls a Trekking Merinowool, as:

The trekking sock containing Merino wool, which is a unique natural material that generates heat when wet, and thus provides excellent thermal insulation and moisture removing properties. A simple instep bond improves foot ventilation and overall heat balance. Elastic around the instep ensures a perfect fit at the bottom of the foot and improves performance during sport activities. Mesh sections around the sock ensure air circulation and transport of moisture.

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Product Information
Manufacturer:	Lasting, Inc. https://www.lastingMerino.com
Sizes:	S-XL. Tested size is medium.
Weight:	No weight is given, measured weight for the pair is 1.3 oz (37 g)
Material:	Merino wool, polypropylene, polyamide, and Lycra, non-itching.
Colors:	Black.
Care:	Wash in 85F (30C), don’t bleach, don’t iron, don’t tumble dry, don’t dry clean.
MSRP:	$13 US
Features:	Breathable, wicking, low odor retention, non-itch

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Initial Impressions

I have to admit, the socks don’t feel as smooth as I expected. I wear Merino wool socks all the time, frankly my feet sweat and smell, especially wearing cotton socks, so I switched to wool years ago. Most wool socks have a smooth, almost slick feel to them, these do not. They’re not rough like non-Merino wool, but I did have a slight concern that they would be itchy, something I remember from the days before Merino hit the scene. The top of the sock has a 2-1/2 inch (57 mm) cuff at the top that feels nearly twice the thickness of the rest of the sock. I don’t fully understand the difference in stitching, but I can say that the cuffs aren’t the only things that are different. There is a flat seam between the upper and lower parts of the sock that go over the foot itself. It is obvious that the lower part is thicker than the upper, and there is a different stitching around the heel as well. The heel seems to be the thinnest part of the entire sock, held up to normal lighting you can see through the stitching on the heel. I find this concerning as the heel usually takes the most rubbing against the shoe, will this cause the heel to wear out before the rest of the sock?

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Fit

Well, what I can I say, it fits like a glove, or more appropriately like a sock. Heel to toe is a perfect fit, no extra material. The cuff comes to just below the calf, just where I expect a crew sock to come to. It feels right, neither too snug nor loose at any point.

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First Use

Well, it’s supposed to be good for any sport, so my first use was to take it out on a run in the neighborhood. Temp at the time was 77F (25C), relative humidity at 68%, so very warm an muggy. Ran for about 4 miles (6.4 km), when I finished and removed my shoes I could feel the moisture, within a few minutes it had dissipated, at 68% that’s pretty good. The only problem I noticed was the feeling of a hotspot on the ball of the foot behind the big toe, time will tell if this develops further as I wear them.

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Summary

The WLS Hiking Merino Light Crew Sock by Lasting is truly a light weight sock, both in weight and in feel on the foot. At first shot it seems to do a good job of wicking away moisture, even in moderately high humidity, but the thinness, especially at the heel, may shorten the life of the socks and trigger hot spots.

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Long Term Report - Sept 23, 2020

Long Term Locations and Conditions

Date	Location	Trail	Distance Hiked	Altitude	Weather
June 11, 2020	Chapman State Park, Pennsylvania	Warming Hut / Hunter Ridge Trails	5.5 mi (8.8 km)	679 ft (207 m)	Overcast; 65-75F (18-24C); 66%-45% Relative Humidity
	Observations:	Not a strenuous hike over fairly level terrain, not a hot day, so not much sweating involved, even with the feet. By the end of the hike my feet felt good, on this hike padding wasn’t a concern. I was wearing regular low-rise hiking shoes.
Jun 17, 2020	Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania	Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, miles 0-6.	12.5 mi (20 km)	2,867 ft (874 m)	Overcast; 67-74F (19-23C); 64%-61% Relative Humidity
	Observations:	"Very strenuous hike with steep elevation changes. Stream crossings were over bridges, so the only dampness in my feet was from sweating. After the hike I relaxed at the local pub where I could kick off my shoes. Socks were damp on the soles, though the rest of the socks were dry. By the time I finished a late lunch (about 90 minutes) the socks were dry, felt nice when I put my shoes back on. The only real problem I had was with my feet slipping in the shoes, especially on the downhill sections. The pads of me feet were hot, but no blisters formed. This is still a concern for me."
July 30, 2020	Roaring Run Natural Area	Painter, North, and Roaring Run trails	8.7 mi (14 km)	1,650 ft (503 m)	Sunny; 76-87F (24.0-30.5C); 83%-51% Relative Humidity
	Observations:	The hike started off well, but quickly deteriorated as the trail blazes disappeared, the trail became overgrown, and I ended up doing more bush-whacking than hiking. By the end of the day I was hot, sweaty, and worn out. Much of the lower section was muddy, and the last 3 miles were spent crossing Roaring Run 28 times (mostly less than ankle deep). By the time the hike was over my socks were wet from the stream, and the balls of my feet just had the beginnings of blisters, but not quite.
Aug 6, 2020	Black Moshannon State Park, Pennsylvania	Bog, Indian and Moss-Hanne trails	16.6 mi (26.7 km)	663 ft (202 m)	Sunny; 78-73F (25.6-22.8C); 69%-65% Relative Humidity
	Observations:	The hike started off uncomfortable (temperature and humidity) but got better as the day passed. About a quarter of the hike was through a bog. I was trying out new waterproof hiking shoes that are more like athletic shoes than standard hiking shoes - soft soles and airy uppers. The shoes did an excellent job of keeping water out, so the wetness of the socks was due to sweating. At the end of the hike I took shoes and socks off and put on my sandals. After a 2-1/5 hr drive home the socks had dried nicely, which seems to be common, these socks dry out quickly.
August 20, 2020	Kinzua State Park, Pa	Kinzua Bridge Trail	4.4 miles (7 km)	787 ft (240 m)	Sunny, temps ranged from 68-78F (20-26C)
	Observations:	This was a short hike, while the elevation change doesn’t seem much it was all in one section, and over less than a quarter mile (0.4 km), so pretty steep (30-deg), then there was the trip back - did I mention the slope was full of scree? Because of the lack of padding, and the ill-fitment of the socks in my regular hiking shoes, my feet slid a lot, and small blisters did form.

Summary

I find the Lasting Merino Light Crew Socks a mixed blessing at this point. They do dry quickly no matter how wet they get, due to the material (merino wool) and the thinness. But, the thinness does create a problem if they aren’t tight in the shoes - hot spots and blisters will form.

Things I Like

• Fits the foot well, especially as a liner underneath regular socks.
• Dries quickly.
• The thinness keeps the feet cooler than other socks I have.

Things I Don't Like

• Because of the thinness they don’t fit nicely inside my current hiking shoes, causing my feet to slide.
• Hot spots and blisters can be a problem because of the aforementioned fit.

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Acknowledgment

This ends my Long Term Report, I’d like to thank Lasting and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test the Merino light crew socks.