Darn Tough Vermont
CoolMax Micro Crew Cushion Sock - Style 1467
Test Series by Jason Boyle
Initial Report – September 19, 2009
Tester Information:
Name: Jason Boyle
Age: 31
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 6"/ 1.68 m
Weight: 180 lb/ 82 kg
Email address: c4jc "at" hotmail "dot" com
City, State, Country: Kodiak, Alaska, U. S.
Backpacking Background:
I have been camping and backpacking for about 20 years. My introduction to the outdoors started with the Boy Scouts of America and has continued as an adult. I have hiked all over the Southeastern, Northeastern, and Northwestern United States. I am generally a lightweight hiker, but will carry extras to keep me comfortable. I currently reside on Kodiak Island in Alaska home of some of the worst weather and most beautiful scenery around. I look forward to putting gear through the paces here on the Emerald Isle.
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Darn Tough Vermont
Model: Micro Crew Cushion – under the Hike Trek section
Style: 1467 – Coolmax
Color: Charcoal (received) also available in Light Blue with a slightly different fabric content.
Size Received: Men’s Large foot size 9-11.5 US
Year of Manufacture: 2009
URL: www.darntough.com
Listed weight: None listed
Measured weight: 2.8 oz/79 g
Fabric Content: 33% Coolmax Polyester, 31% Nylon, 27% Acrylic, 5% Polyester, 4% LYCRA spandex
MSRP: No price listed on the Darn Tough Website
Country of Manufacture: Vermont, USA
Product Description:
The socks at first glance seem like any other socks but upon closer inspection these are not just normal socks. They feel substantial and I can feel the difference between the top and the bottom of the sock. The bottom is much thicker, the “cushioning on the foot bottom” that Darn Tough mentions on their website. All the seams appear to be well made and looking at the socks inside out I didn’t see any loose stitching. The upper part of the sock and the cuff seem to have plenty of elasticity and bounce back after being stretched out.
Care instructions for the socks are fairly simple – Machine wash warm on the gentle cycle with the socks inside out. Do not bleach, tumble dry on low. Do not dry clean.
Initial Impressions:
The socks arrived packaged on a standard hang tag similar to the way they are sold in most stores. I like socks, no probably love socks so I had to try them on as soon as they arrived. I could immediately feel a difference. The bottom of the sock feels nice and thick and the ¾ length ends nicely around the bottom of my calf. The toe seam is comfortable and completely unnoticeable. I am on the smaller size of the size chart so there is a little bit of extra material at the heel of the sock, I don’t think this will be an issue, but I will watch it over the test period. Initial impression is very positive.
The Darn Tough Vermont website is easy to use and provides plenty of useful information especially under the “What makes them Darn Tough?” link which outlines all the knitting features of the socks. They also have an unconditional lifetime guarantee, which I couldn’t find more information on the website, but from the back of the packaging it says “If our socks aren’t the most comfortable and durable socks you’ve ever owned, return them for your money back”. This seems like a solid guarantee.
I look forward to putting these socks through the worst Kodiak has to offer over the next several months. This concludes my Initial Report. Please check back in a couple of months for my Field Report. Thanks to Backpackgeartest.org and Darn Tough Vermont for allowing me to participate in this test.
Read more reviews of Darn Tough Vermont gear
Read more gear reviews by Jason Boyle
| 