Field Report

Bridgedale X-Hale Women's Socks
Field Report
May 31, 2006

Biographical Information

Product Information

Field Conditions

Field Use

Summary

Long-term Test Plan

X-Hale socks

Biographical Information
Name	Jennifer Pope
Age	25
Gender	Female
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.7 m)
Shoe size	Women's 8 US
Weight	140 lb (64 kg)
Email address	Jennifer dot Pope at gmail dot com
Location	Los Angeles, CA
Backpacking Background Intermediate. I've been a car-camper as long as I can remember and started backpacking in Northern California when I was 16. I've been backpacking for a little over a year after a hiatus during college. I backpack in the Sierras as well as other National Forests and Parks in the Los Angeles vicinity. I also spend time in the California deserts and the mountains and coast of Northern California. I'm a tent camper leaning towards lightweight; but I'm also a fan of gadgets and I like being comfortable. I also frequently day hike close to home and while car camping.

Product Information (back to top)
Manufacturer	Bridgedale Outdoor Limited
Manufacturer URL	http://www.bridgedale.com/
Year of Manufacture	2006
Color	Mist Grey/Raspberry
Actual Weight	1.9 oz (54 g)
MSRP	$14.95 US
Fabric Materials	42% nylon, 28% merino wool, 28% Isolfil (polypropylene), & 2% Lycra
Product Description (from packaging)	Light, breathable, cushioned, close-fitting. Ideal for a multitude of sports - outdoors or indoors. Light mesh surrounds the foot permitting air to circulate. During intense activity, impact pads under the heel, ball and toes provide next-to-skin comfort, whilst WoolFusion construction helps drive moisture from the foot.

For a more detailed product description please see my Initial Report.

Field Conditions (back to top)

I wore the socks day hiking in Death Valley National Park in California. Elevations ranged from 282 ft below sea level to about 5,475 ft (86 m below sea level to 1,669 m). Temperatures ranged from approximately 50 to 85 F (10 to 30 C). There was no precipitation but it was windy with frequent strong gusts.

I also wore these socks on short day hikes, bike rides and to the gym all at elevations near sea level. I never experienced any precipitation and temperatures were between 60 and 75 F (15 to 25 C).

Field Use (back to top)

Car Camping and Day Hiking in Death Valley

I wore both the men’s and women’s version of these socks on this trip. Both pairs accompanied me on short day hikes. Even though it was only March it was already quite warm on some of these hikes. When I hiked up one particular canyon I didn’t have any shade cover for most of the way and temperatures rose to the mid 80s F (30 C). I was wearing trail runners at the time and I did notice that my feet were hot- though not overly sweaty. The next day we were walking out on open sand (the air temperature was around 85 F/30 C) and this time I was wearing Crocs (clogs with plenty of holes for ventilation) and my feet were really hot (I was wearing the men’s socks here). I was only walking around for about 45 minutes before we were ready to move on and when I got back to the car I took my socks off to cool my feet. If I had on shoes that were harder to remove (and that I couldn’t wear without socks) I might not have bothered to take them off though.

When I wore these socks up to a higher elevation during this trip it became painfully noticeable that these socks didn’t cover my ankles. This was great when it was hot but once it got cold I was wishing they were taller. I definitely need a taller pair for cold weather (it was in the 30s F/0 C though).

Gym use
I have worn the women’s and men’s socks to the gym on several occasions. I always wear my Nike trail runners when I work out at the gym (my usual gym routine includes high-intensity cardio on either the elliptical trainer or the stationary bike). The socks worked fine in this capacity. My feet generally sweat when I work out and they did here too.

Bike riding
On a few occasions I wore these socks on bike rides of up to 20 miles (32 km) near sea level under mild conditions (60 to 75 F/15 to 25 C). Again I wore my Nike trail runners for these rides. The socks performed well here. My feet didn’t particularly sweat a lot under these conditions since it wasn’t that hot.

***These socks are not appropriate for me to wear while backpacking. The socks are too low-cut to wear with my mid-height boots. I do bring them along for an in-camp sock when I want to wear something lighter. In camp I wore these with my Crocs.

Durability

The socks are easy enough to take care of. I tried to make sure I always washed them inside out but I’m sure they were washed right side out several times. Almost immediately after their first washing the socks began to start pilling. At this point the pilling is pretty significant. I don’t think this has affected performance at all; it’s purely a cosmetic annoyance. Other brands of socks I’ve worn with a similar material makeup have had similar pilling issues so I don’t think this issue is particular to these socks.

Other than the pilling issue the socks have held up well. I haven’t had any loose threads, thinning material or snags yet (other than the ones mentioned in my Initial Report).

Nitpick

Living about 5 miles (8 km) from the beach, I often come in contact with sand. My bike rides usually take me to the bike path along the beach, I often take walks along the beach, etc. Whenever I’m on the beach I always manage to get sand in my shoes and in turn on my socks. When I wear the Bridgedales and get sand on them (and then wash them inside out) they still have sand on them when I take them out of the wash. Invariably I turn them right side out while I’m folding laundry on my bed and get sand everywhere. I’ve noticed this problem with another pair of wool-blend socks also- so I’ll call it a nitpick.

So which is better for women?

It’s really hard for me to make a distinction between the women’s and men’s versions of these socks. Both have performed admirably for me as I’ve worn them. So at this point I’d say that both work perfectly fine and it seems like the men’s version has wider availability at this point.

Summary (back to top)

So far these socks are working out pretty much as expected. They’re a good sock to wear while day hiking and performing other athletic activities.

Long Term Testing Plan (back to top)

I will continue to monitor how well these socks perform in a variety of activities. I hope that they will be able to accompany me on some longer day hikes. I will also wear them in a couple of different pairs of shoes to see how they perform. I will continue to monitor their durability as well. As it begins to warm up here in Southern California I will also be paying attention to how well the socks perform in hot weather and under wet conditions (since stream crossings are likely for me when it's warm out).

I want to thank BackpackGearTest.org and Bridgedale for giving me the opportunity to test this item.

Read more reviews of Bridgedale gear
Read more gear reviews by Jennifer Pope

Reviews > Clothing > Socks > Bridgedale X-Hale > Jennifer Pope > Field Report

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