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Reviews > Clothing > Socks > Darn Tough Vermont Hike-Trek Poppy Gall > Test Report by Chari Daignault

DARN TOUGH VERMONT POPPY GALL SOCK
TEST SERIES BY CHARI DAIGNAULT
IMAGE 1

LONG-TERM REPORT

INITIAL REPORT - September 30, 2010
FIELD REPORT - January 04, 2011
LONG TERM REPORT - March 02, 2011

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Chari Daignault
EMAIL: chari.daignault@gmail.com
AGE: 48
LOCATION: Orlando, Florida U.S.A.
GENDER: F
HEIGHT: 5' 6" (1.70 m)
WEIGHT: 135 lb (61.20 kg)

I've been a light hiker for 36 years. I take the minimum I can with me and prefer a pack close to 15 pounds [6.80 kg]. I've hiked all the Florida State Forest trails in Central Florida, backpacked the Na Pali coast on the island of Kauai and climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan. I have hiked dry & sandy, rough & rocky and wet & boggy trails and as a result, have found what does and doesn't work for me in terms of equipment and clothing.


INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: Darn Tough Vermont
Year of Manufacture: 2010
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.darntough.com/
MSRP: US $17.00
Listed Weight: N/A
Measured Weight: 2.2 oz (62 g)
Color Tested: Annie Lt. Denim (Blue)
Colors Available: Annie Daybreak, Annie Seaweed, Annie Willow
My Shoe Size: Women's US 9
Size Sock Tested: Medium

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The Darn Tough Vermont (DTV) Poppy Gall socks are made of Merino wool, feel very soft, are a bit thicker than socks I normally wear and are highly cushioned. The extra cushioning runs along the entire bottom of the foot, to include the toes and the heel. Did I mention they are soft?

The toes and the heels are a light blue. The body of the sock is a denim color (gray/blue) and around the ankle are stripes of light and dark blue, off-white and gray. There is extra ribbing just beneath the ankle, which appears to prevent slippage and keep debris out better.

DTV Poppy Gall
DTV Hike/Trek 1/4 Cushion


The tops of the socks are much thinner than the rest of the sock, and appear to be so to allow for breathability and a more comfortable fit in shoes. The socks come up just above my ankle bone and have either flower or sun designs all across the top of the foot and around the ankle. The arch is tighter than the rest of the bottom of the sock, which appears to be a type of support band seen in many athletic socks. The only seam I can positively say exists is where the toe piece meets the body of the sock on top, or right about in the middle across the tops of my toes. The words "Darn Tough" are written (stitched) just at the base of my toes, facing away from me.

TRYING IT OUT

The socks fit nicely, very comfy. These are definitely socks I'd wear with my jammies in front of the TV late at night! So far, they feel comfortable in my work shoes, my hiking shoes and my trail running shoes (yay!). I can feel the arch support; since have high arches and don't require arch support, anything that has arch support is keenly noticed on my foot. However, it's not uncomfortable; just noticeable. The seam across the top of my toes does not bother me so far. There are also thicker points sticking out on either side of this seam that could pose a problem during longer hikes or trail runs if they start to rub on either side of my outside toes.

SUMMARY

Pros:
Soft
Cushioned
Warm
Merino Wool -- doesn't stink!

Cons:
Seam across toes
Outside edges of seam across toes



FIELD REPORT

FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

During the Field Testing period, the socks have been worn in the Central Florida area, mainly southeast of Orlando. The terrain covered has been sidewalks, asphalt, high grass, brush, gravel, sand and hard-packed sand/dirt. Temperatures during the testing period in this area have ranged from highs around 81F [27C] and lows around 70F [21C] to highs around 42F [5.5C] with lows near 25F [-3.8C]. The Orlando area just finished having the coldest December on record.

The socks were also worn on a six-day camping trip to Jekyll Island in south Georgia during the month of November. The terrain there consisted mainly of loose sand, gravel, brush, grass and the ocean. Temperatures during this trip ranged from highs in the 60sF [15.5C] to lows in the 30sF [-1C] with a nice, stiff breeze off the water. They were cooler than normal temperatures, but we really enjoyed not sweating during a camping trip for once and it made our campfires that much more inviting.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

The DTV Poppy Gall socks were worn during approximately twenty-eight 3 to 4 mi [4.8 km - 6.4 k] runs on both asphalt and trail. My road shoes are the Adidas Supernova Glide 2. Even with the added cushioning from the Poppy Gall socks, it was still comfortable and my feet didn't feel as though they were being smothered. My trail running shoes are the Adidas AdiZero XT 2 trail running shoes. These trail shoes are very light and could do with a bit more cushioning, so the Poppy Gall socks were a welcome addition to my gear. The AdiZero XTs also have a mesh top, which ends up letting in a lot of fine debris and loose sand, but the Poppy Gall socks managed to keep it all away from my skin.

With some mornings hitting 25F [-3.8C], the warmth of the Poppy Gall socks really helped out a lot during my runs. There were some mornings where I couldn't feel my fingers or my nose, but my feet were nice and warm and all toes were accounted for. The socks also kept my feet at an even temperature during warmer runs and did well at keeping my feet dry. I've noticed no smell from the socks, even after wearing them two times in a row without washing -- which is most likely due to the Merino wool content of the socks.

While camping on the beach, I wore my second pair of the Poppy Gall socks at night to keep my feet toasty while sleeping. Nothing will keep me up easier than having cold feet. I wore them for five nights and still haven't washed them! They just don't stink. I wore the first pair on several day hikes around the island in light hiking boots. They did very well with keeping sand and debris away from my feet. My feet stayed clean, dry and warm the entire trip -- and for that, I was a very happy camper.

My first pair have been worn for just over 100 mi [161 km] and have been machine washed and dried at least 15 times (I wore them twice before washing each time). The picture below illustrates how well the socks have held up:

DTV Poppy Gall Socks
First pair on left, second pair on right


Here are more detailed photos of the very slight pilling that has occurred on the ankle, heel and toe of the first pair:

DTV Poppy Gall Socks
Detail of used sock ankle and heel


DTV Poppy Gall Socks
Detail of used sock toe

SUMMARY

The DTV Hike/Trek 1/4 Cushion Poppy Gall socks have been excellent cushioned running and hiking socks for me. They've performed well as a camp sock (closest thing to a Snuggie!), and have held up well to repeated washings and the heat of drying. They hold no odor and help to keep my shoes from stinking as well. I really love these socks -- they really are soft.

PROS
soft
no odor
keep out debris
regulate temperature
durable

CONS
I only got two pair!


LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

Locations, conditions and weather during the Long Term testing period were similar to the Field Report. However, we had little to no rain, as this is our dry season in Central Florida. My first pair of socks were worn just over 70 miles (113 km) during this time on approximately 21 separate day hikes of 3 to 4 miles (4.8 km - 6.4 km) each, and one 4 mile (6.4 km) trail run in 76 F (24 C) weather. They were also worn to the office several times and on walks with the dogs through our community.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

These socks are very durable! During the testing period, they've shown no more wear or tear than they did during the Field Testing phase. I tried to wash them more often this time, wearing them no more than twice between washings. I threw them in the drier after each washing and they always came out soft and did not shrink. They are so comfortable when on; they have excellent cushioning and they seem to hug my feet.

I still have not been able to discern any scent or smell on them, even after hot, sweaty hikes. There are no mud stains on them and they have not pilled at all. The colors are still vibrant and the designs are still sharp and clear. Even after extended use, they fit well and don't stretch out.

Another good thing -- I still have one more pair to break in!

SUMMARY

Basically, I love these socks. I'd love to have several pair; maybe in a more "quiet" style -- less design, with a softer color palette so I could wear them with a wider variety of clothing.

PROS
Soft
Durable
Cushioned
Breathable
Warm

CONS
None

This concludes my Long Term Report. Many thanks to Darn Tough Vermont and BackpackGearTest.org for allowing me to test these socks!

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1.5 Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.


Read more reviews of Darn Tough Vermont gear
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Reviews > Clothing > Socks > Darn Tough Vermont Hike-Trek Poppy Gall > Test Report by Chari Daignault



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