Personal Biographical Information:

Name: Ken Bigelow
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Height: 5’ 8” (1.7 m)
Weight: 205 lbs (93 kg)
Email: krb84108 (at) yahoo (dot) com
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Date: October 26, 2004

Backpacking Background:

I was first dragged on a backpacking trip seven years ago and have been addicted to it ever since. My adventures vary in length from a weekend to over two weeks. I consider myself a lightweight backpacker, but still like to pack along a few luxuries, such as a tent. From fall through spring my adventures are in canyon country and in the summer I retreat to the mountains. I typically see a wide variety of climates ranging from 10 F (-12 C) with snow to 90 F (32 C) and sunny with just about everything in between

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Dahlgren Footwear
Website: www.dahlgrenfootwear.com
Model: Dristride Alpaca Heavy Backpacking Sock
Size: Large
Listed weight: 4.2 oz (119 g)
Measured weight: 4.2 oz (119 g)
Color: Olive
MSRP: $17.00 (US)
Fabric content: Toe/Heel – 45% Alpaca, 45% Merino Wool, 10% Nylon
Arch/Instep – 75% Wickspun Acrylic, 25% Nylon
Leg – 90% Wickspun Acrylic, 10% Nylon

Delivery and Packaging:

The socks arrived via FedEx on Friday October 22, 2004 suitably packaged and in excellent condition and are precisely what I expected to receive. The packaging contains abundant information. The company’s name, logo, sock style (I received the heavy backpacking style), sock size (I wear size 10 US, so I received a Large) make up the majority of the front text. The back shows an outline diagram of the sock which illustrates the location of the cushioned absorption zone and moisture transfer zone. Also on the back are the fabric contents and a paragraph briefly describing the socks. An interior flap lists the washing instruction, Dahlgren’s money back guarantee information, and Alpaca sock tips that mention the socks will become fuzzy (treat by washing) and after washing will shrink, but should return to normal when put back on.

Initial Impressions:

I was very impressed with the comfort of the socks when I initially put them on. I definitely classify them (at least initially) as high quality. I wore them for two consecutive days after receiving them and am impressed by their comfort. I was unable to take a hike, but walked around town where the temperature hovered around 35 F (2 C) at night and made it up to around 50 F (10 C) during the day. I must say that the Alpaca backpacking socks performed well when it came to warmth. I was wearing extremely breathable trail shoes which normally allow cold air in to freeze my feet and at no time were my feet even chilly. I am really looking forward to testing these in colder climates and rougher terrain.

Testing Locations:

The socks will be worn on numerous hiking and backpacking trips throughout the fall, winter and spring both in Northern and Southern Utah. Additionally, the socks will be worn in and around Salt Lake City at least once a week. Conditions are expected to range anywhere from sunny and 70 F (21 C) to snow and 0 F (-18 C), with just about anything in between. The elevation should range from around 4,000 feet (1220 m) to 8,000 feet (2439 m).

Testing Plan:

Some of the features I intend to examine over the course of the test period include:

Moisture – The manufacturer claims the Alpaca socks will absorb and transfer moisture away from the toe and heel area of the foot. This declaration will be tested while boulder hopping over slickrock, hiking up mountains and every time it substantially rains or snows around town. Will the socks transfer sweat or stray precipitation away from my skin? How long will it take them to dry when wet?

Performance – Will the socks help prevent my feet from sweating and rubbing inside my hiking boots. Will they help prevent blisters or will they allow my feet to slip inside my footwear? Will the cushioning zones located on the toe and heel help ease the pain of ascending/descending steep terrain

Comfort – The manufacturer proclaims the socks are quite comfortable. Initial impressions confirm this claim, but the question remains, over time will they remain comfortable? Will my feet rejoice when I put them on after multiple uses? Will they keep my feet warm on cold nights?

Durability - The packaging indicates that the socks become fuzzy while wearing them. It says they will return to normal after washing. Do they really return to normal? Does this hold true for repeated washings? The manufacturer also indicates that the socks will initially seem slightly smaller after washing them, but when put on again will return to the original size. Do they expand to normal size after repeated washings? Do they stretch over time? Will odor build up swiftly and allow the socks to walk around on their own?

Thanks to Dahlgren Footwear and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test the Dristride Alpaca backpacking socks.

Read more reviews of Dahlgren gear
Read more gear reviews by Ken Bigelow

Initial Report

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