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Reviews > Clothing > Socks > ODLO Primaloft Crew Hike socks > Test Report by Brian HartmanODLO PRIMALOFT CREW HIKE SOCKS TESTER INFORMATION
I have been backpacking for over 20 years throughout Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and most recently in Western USA. In addition to backpacking I enjoy family camping with my wife and kids and being outdoors in general. I would describe myself as a mid weight backpacker. I use fairly light weight equipment and gear but still like to bring more than the bare essentials with me while on the trail. INITIAL REPORT PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS Manufacturer: ODLO International AG Features: HISTORY AND INITIAL IMPRESSIONS The
ODLO Primaloft crew hiking socks (hereafter called Odlo socks or
crew socks) are synthetic cold weather hiking socks made by ODLO in
Italy. ODLO rates these socks as 'warm', using their own
temperature control system chart that looks at activity level and
outside temperature to classify all of their clothing into one of
four categories, including X-light, Light, Warm, and X-warm.
The socks are mid calf length and have
cushioning on the heel and toe area. The crew socks came packaged in a typical cardboard display holder. I immediately liked their styling and color, and was impressed with their feel, which is to say they felt soft and cushiony, stretchy, and well made. Speaking of being well made, these socks are made of polyester, polyamide (or nylon), polypropylene, and elasthane in varying percentages. These are synthetic plastics with different qualities that manufacturers blend into their products in varying percentages to give them the performance features they're looking for. In the case of these socks the performance features are durability, strength, smoothness, moisture resistance, insulation, and elasticity. Because bacteria grows better on polyesters than cotton or merino wool, manufacturers add antibacterial treatments to synthetic clothing to reduce odor, and that's exactly what ODLO did, using ZeroScent, their branded anti odor technology. Given their many features I'm excited to test these socks in the field.
READING THE INSTRUCTIONS ODLO
recommends doing the following to care for these socks: Wash every
2 or 3 uses to prevent from becoming too dirty. Always turn socks
inside out before washing to prevent pilling due to
abrasion against other clothing and the washing machine.
Machine wash sparingly in cold water using a mild detergent.
Don't use bleach or fabric
softeners. Do not tumble dry. Don't iron.
TRYING THEM ON The
socks were easy to slip on and comfortable to wear.
They were soft and warm, and I experienced no itchiness
whatsoever. They were also quite stretchy and came up 11 inches
(27.9 cm) on my legs. It'll be interesting to see how well they
stay up given they come up to just below my calves. They
appear to be well made with no loose threads or frayed ends. As I
continue wearing them I'll watch for thinning fabric and dreaded heal
holes. I'll also watch for pilling which can be an unsightly
problem for some materials. The
ODLO's have some cushion but aren't bulky so I doubt I'll have problems
wearing them with all of my hiking shoes and boots. I
ordered size 'Large' (EU 42-44) based on the manufacturer's online
sizing chart and they fit perfectly, good job ODLO! I wore them
sround the house for a few hours and they felt really good. After
taking them off, my feet weren't sweaty at all, so they also did a
good job of releasing moisture. SUMMARY The Primaloft crew socks are well designed and have top quality
construction and detailed workmanship throughout.
I like
their micro weight design and the fact that they have full cushioning
and are full length. During the next few months, I will
evaluate their comfort and durability and see how well they perform in
the field. LONG-TERM REPORT LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS During Long Term Testing I wore the ODLO socks for 22 days, in a variety of weather conditions. This
included backpacking trips to the Charles Deam Wilderness, Hoosier
National Forest, Franklin County Indiana (IN), and Hawaii (HI), as well
as three day hikes in Central IN. I hiked approximately 97
mi (156 km) in total on these trips. Temperatures during testing ranged from 12 to 80 F (-11 to 26.7 C). Trip 1: 2 days and 2 nights in the Charles Deam Wilderness, IN Trip 5: Maui, HI: 6 days / 5 nights Trip 6: Kauai, HI: 3 days / 3 nights Trip 7: Oahu, HI: 6 days / 5 nights PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD The ODLO socks performed well during Long Term Testing. They fit well and were comfortable to wear, durable, and kept my feet warm and dry. FIT AND COMFORT: I wear size 10 shoes, and the socks fit well in size Large. I had no problems wearing them inside any of my shoes, including my insulated winter hiking boots, uninsulated boots, and two pair of hiking shoes. They were easy to put on and take off, and stayed in place, never sliding down my legs while hiking. The socks were soft, smooth, and comfortable, with enough cushion in the toes, heel, and soles to soften the impact of my steps, without being so bulky they made my feet sweat. They also never itched, scratched, or bunched up under my feet. DURABILITY: The ODLO socks proved to be durable too, standing up to 97 mi (156 km) of hiking and backpacking. After 4 months of testing, they still look good, with normal wear on the toes, heels, and bottoms. They don't have any holes or thin spots, and they don't have any loose threads or pilling. They're slightly stretched out and compacted on the bottoms but that's expected given the amount of wear they received. Overall, they're quite durable. WARMTH AND BREATHABILITY: The ODLO kept me warm on my coldest backpacking trip of the year, the Charles Deam Wilderness. The daytime high during this trip was 27 F (-2.8 C) while the low was 12 F (-11 C). Even when hiking in wet snow, the socks kept my feet warm. In fairness to the ODO socks, I removed them each evening after arriving at camp and let them air out for a few hours before tucking them inside my sleeping bag for the night. When hiking at Waimea Canyon and Mount Haleakala in Hawaii they once again kept my feet warm in cool, wet weather, even with water soaking through my hiking shoes. The socks couldn't dry out while I was hiking because my shoes were soaked, but after getting down to sea level and tying them to the outside of my pack they dried quickly. In general, the socks did a good job absorbing moisture and releasing it when I was sweaty, so my feet didn't stay wet, and as a result I didn't get any blisters as often happens when wearing wet socks. The warmest temperature I wore the socks in was 72 F (22.2 C). Above this temperature I would opt for thinner and lower cut socks. Overall, I was happy with their performance in tough conditions, which says a lot about their design and quality. During Long Term Testing I washed the ODLO socks 6 or 7 times and let them air dry afterward, and they always returned to near-normal condition with no stains or smells. In Hawaii I washed them in a sink, but all of the other times I used my washing machine, with cold water, and a mild soap.
SUMMARY The
ODLO Primaloft Crew socks were a joy to wear during the past 4 months
and I look forward to wearing them again this fall once temperatures
cool down. They're excellent socks for winter backpacking or
other cold weather activities. Read more reviews of ODLO International AG gear Read more gear reviews by Brian Hartman Reviews > Clothing > Socks > ODLO Primaloft Crew Hike socks > Test Report by Brian Hartman |