Men's
PhD Outdoor Light Crew
Smartwool's vented outdoor crew with Indestructawool.
Andrew Buskov
Initial Report: September 9, 2016
Long Term Report: February 9, 2017
Tester
Biographical
Information:
Name: |
Andrew Buskov |
Age: |
41 |
Gender: |
Male |
Height: |
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
Weight: |
217 lbs (98 kg) |
Email: |
Rescue(at)Corridor9(dot)net |
City, State Zip |
Madisonville, Kentucky USA |
Backpacking
Background:
I’ve been backpacking for nearly 30 years, and have slowly
developed my ideal style. I’ve gotten my pack weight down to roughly
20 - 25 lbs (9.1 - 11.3 kg) before water, and am whittling it down
every hike. Day hiking is nice, but getting out over multiple nights is
really what I enjoy. I like to take my time and view the scenery as
opposed to hiking hard. I also like being comfortable and insist on an
air mattress. I usually tent or hammock, but stay in shelters when
needed.
Product
Information:
Item: |
Men's PhD Outdoor Light Crew |
Manufacturer: |
Smartwool |
Website: |
http://www.smartwool.com/
|
Year of Manufacture: |
2016 |
MSRP: |
$21.95 US |
Listed Weight: |
N/A |
Actual Weight: |
2.12 oz (60 g)
|
Color: |
Oatmeal |
Additional Colors: |
Black, Taupe, Medium Gray
|
Product Description: Per information from website
& enclosed
materials
The Smartwool Men's PhD Outdoor Light Crew sock is designed with
comfort and durability in mind. Built with Indestructawool, a
patent-pending way of constructing the wool fibers that provides better
comfort as well as durability, these socks should last longer and feel
better even after months and years of use. With a mesh venting top and
a dual-elastic four-degree elite fit system, the PhD line of Smartwool
Socks should stand up to any activity the wearer engages in.
Product
Impressions:
I simply love a good sock test, and I hope that testing the
Smartwool PhD Outdoor Light Crew (PhD) is going to give me quite a bit
of joy, comfort and fun. As soon as I opened the package to make sure
they were the right size I could feel how soft and cushy these socks
were. As someone who has developed Plantar Fasciitis over the last
year, I've learned how miserable just walking can be. Having
something that gives me even just a bit of relief is definitely welcome
these days.
The
socks were packaged in a multi-fold cardboard hanger. Quite
ingenious actually as it secures the socks without using any plastic
ties or tape. Once I opened the cardboard box, the socks slid off
of their cardboard hanger rather easily. The box provides a lot of
information on various sides including sizing information, wash
instructions, fabric content, as well as a QR code that can be scanned
for additional information. The box is printed using recycled paper
with soy inks. However, the print that always strikes me as the most
important is the Made in U.S.A. stamp. It is very important to me to
buy products made in America if at all possible.
Upon removing the socks from their cardboard container, I could feel
the thickness around the heel and toes. They are very full and have a
lot of cushion to them. The toe area is designed in such a way so that
there is no seam near the end to chaff the tips of the toes. Instead,
the seam is sewn to the elastic area near the distal metatarsal joint.
This means that my toes are free to move about the toebox without
restrictions. The heel area is also designed in such a way that the
seam areas where the elastic fabric and cushioning meet don't fall near
any of the usual friction points.
On the top of the Smartwool PhD Outdoor Light Crew is a breathable mesh
area sewn into the elastic area. This section is designed to allow the
socks to breathe and wick away moisture so that the feet aren't
dripping wet, thus limiting additional chafing. Moving upward along the
ankle, the elastic area looks to provide a snug fit all the way to the
cuff. I can only assume this is so the socks don't slip down and bunch
up.
In all, I'm very pleased with the way the construction looks. While I
have slipped these on to try out, I have not worn them for any extended
period of time. As such, I will reserve any comments about fit,
function, and comfort for the Long Term Report phase of this test. Don't
forget to revisit this page in about four months to view my report then.
Long Term Report: February 9, 2017
Testing Locations:
During the testing period I was able to get three overnight trips in. Two of
these trips were in the area of the Pennyrile National Forrest. This
forest is in western Kentucky and is an open, backcountry area for
camping, backpacking, and hiking. Elevation for this area is roughly
450 - 650 ft (135 - 200 m) with rolling terrain that has a lot of
valleys, cliffs, and ridges. Temperatures in the area for both trips
were around 60 F (16 C) during the day and down to 35 F (2 C) at night. The
third trip was an overnight in the White City Wildlife Reserve, also
located in western Kentucky. This area is mainly comprised of natural
gas pipeline connections. The area is open to hunting, camping,
fishing, and backpacking. Elevation that we stayed at was roughly 530
ft (160 m). There was lots of precipitation as it was raining steadily
on two of my trips. I also wore these socks as often as I could when
they were clean.
Summary:
As
I mentioned above, I love a good sock test. I can remember growing up
when I used to take trips with my Boy Scout troop where my feet were
cold, achy, sore, and had various blisters on them. Usually they were
cramped due to the thick socks I was wearing. More often than not I
was ready to go home long before I was ready to stop exploring
simply because my feet were sore. Socks have changed so much in the
past 30+ years that I have a new found comfort and desire to explore
again.
Over
the testing period, I've worn the Smartwool Men's PhD Outdoor Light
Crew socks quite a bit; I'd estimate a total of 85 times. I often found
myself grabbing for these whenever they were clean no matter what my
activity of the day was. This included times when I was working at the
fire department, instructing hands-on fire techniques in full gear,
teaching classes where I was on my feet for eight or more hours, going
to the store, taking day hikes, etc. This even included multiple days
between washings; more on that below.
The
comfort that these socks provided was wonderful. The thick cushioning
in the heel and toe area coupled with the relatively thin layer around
the arch of my foot gave the perfect amount of material in various
places. Older wool socks that I've been accustomed to were designed in
more of a tube style. This meant that the sock's thickness was the same
from toe to calf. However, the technique that Smartwool used to sew
different areas in specific ways mean that my feet aren't cramped in
any of the shoes I wear.
To
date, these socks have been very durable. With all the use that the
Smartwool Men's PhD Outdoor Light Crew socks have seen, I'm very
surprised that they have held up so well. There is very little pilling,
though this to me isn't usually an issue unless I get one that lands in
the middle of a scar on my foot. There is also only a single pulled
thread as seen in the picture to the left. I attribute this to being
washed with jeans, jackets, and other items with zippers. It has not
caused any issues, and I have chosen to leave it in place as opposed to
removing it. Normal wear and use has given the socks
a bit more "fuzz", but it's something I expected and it's nominal for
the amount of use they've seen.
These
socks don't smell! The only thing that I can attribute this to is the
wicking ability that these socks have and how well they keep my feet
dry. The longer sweat is left lingering on the skin, the more that it
tends to develop an odor. However, these socks wick the sweat away from
my feet and allow it to dry more easily. Even after a sweaty hike, I
could take my boots off and my feet would feel dry. It was very
relaxing. I have even wore these socks for up to five days in a row
with little smell lingering after the last day.
Washing
was a breeze. I simply threw the socks in with like colors and used
regular detergent. I tumble most of my clothes on a lower heat /
permanent press setting so as not to shrink anything, There were a few
times that these socks were washed with towels though in a high heat
wash as well as dry. These socks fit the same after each of these
washes with no noticeable shrinking.
I'd like to thank Smartwool and
BackpackGearTest.org for allowing me the opportunity to test the PhD
Outdoor Light Crew socks.
Read more reviews of Smartwool gear
Read more gear reviews by Andrew Buskov
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