Personal Data:

Name: Gail Staisil
Age: 53
Gender: Female
Height: 5'9" (1.75 m)
Weight: 132 lbs (60 kg)
Location: Marquette, Michigan USA
Email: woodswoman2001@yahoo.com

Photo Album Website: http://community.webshots.com/user/isleroyalegirl

 

Backpacking Background:

For the last 16 years, backpacking has become a passion. I am a four-season backpacker and an off-trail navigator. Although I do take yearly trips to the American West or Southwest, the majority of my trips are in Michigan and Canada. My pack weight varies considerably, but my base weight is below 20 lbs (9.1 kg). I am primarily a tarp camper, who averages over 50 nights a year backpacking in a huge variety of weather conditions, including relentless rain, wet snow and sub zero temps.

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Darn Tough - Cabot Hosiery Mills, Inc.

Website: http://www.darntough.com 

Phone: 1.877.327.6783

Model: Darn Tough Full-Cushion Boot Socks

Model Year: 2005

Materials: Merino Wool (62%), Nylon (34%), Lycra Spandex (4%)

Color: Forest

Sock Size: Large

My Boot Size: Women's 10.5 US (42.5 EU) 

Manufacturer's Weight:  Not listed

Actual Weight: 3.5 oz

MSRP:  Not listed

 

Product Description:

 

The Darn Tough Vermont Full-Cushion Boot Socks belong to the In-Country Series of socks according to the manufacturer. The series includes both one-quarter height socks, as well as boot-height socks that are specifically designed for hiking, trekking, and backpacking. The manufacturer also makes two other sock series which are particularly designed for skiers, snowboarders, runners and bicyclists.

 

The Full-Cushion Boot Socks are made out of a combination of Merino Wool (69%), Nylon (27%) and Lycra Spandex (4%). The manufacturer claims that the blend of fibers enhances durability, softness, breath-ability, stretch-ability and softness. The high-density terry loop padding surrounding the entire foot and shin areas have been designed to resist flattening under pressure. The manufacturer incorporated a number of design features that make these socks high performance as well as form fitting. They include knit-in elastic support at the arch, form-fitting toe boxes, ribbing at the ankles and sculpted heel pockets. 

 

 

---

 

It couldn't have been better timing.  A package containing three pairs of Size-Large Darn Tough Vermont Boot-Socks arrived as I was getting my gear assembled to go backpacking. All of the pairs are the same color - Forest. That color really only applies to some parts of the socks, specifically color-blocked areas on the heels and soles of the socks. There is also Forest-colored trim on the top edge of each sock. Inside the top edge of each sock, there is a "VT USA" logo and the letter "L" for the size which has been knitted in to the fabric. I thought the later was innovative, as some times when I buy socks and I want to purchase more of them later, I can't tell what size my original pair was. The rest of the sock is primarily dark gray with light gray and variegated gray sections. A "Darn Tough" Burgundy-color logo is written across the toe of each sock and a three-peak mountain logo (also in burgundy) adorns each side of every sock. While this may sound like a hodgepodge of colors, they are really a very attractive-looking sock.

 

The socks appear to be nicely finished, the toe seams are smooth and the only loose threads are fringes of yarn inside the socks, where the color-blocked areas are inserted. However, these fringes are soft and don't look like they would be irritating to my feet.

 

Each pair of socks came partially encased in a light cardboard sleeve. The "Darn Tough" Logo is the most catchy feature on the cardboard sleeve and it also has some basic information about the socks. What I noticed first, is that there is a symbol in the left corner of the cardboard sleeve with the number "25" years on it, plus there are small letters underneath it which say, "of making socks". I must say that is quite an impressive history in the world of manufacturing.

 

The size chart is located at the side of the cardboard unit.  It is not the first place I would have looked for a size chart, but it is handy once I found it. I already knew my required Darn Tough sock size, as I had looked at their web-site in the application process.

 

The back of the cardboard sleeve is partially covered with a graphic of a welder-type man swinging a wedge over a sock that he is holding with iron grips. This very well defines the "Darn Tough" Logo. There is a lot of information on the back of the cardboard sleeve, but what appealed to me most, was "The bigger than lifetime guarantee". It defines the guarantee as "If our All Weather Performance Socks aren't the most comfortable and durable socks you've ever owned, return them for your money back". I guess I've never thought of returning something like socks, I wonder if anyone would. Still it is nice to know that a company stands behind their product.

 

I also was glad to see that the care instructions were on the back of the cardboard unit. Being that the socks are mostly wool (69%), I wondered what the specific instructions would be, as they vary with different manufacturers for wool products. It does say to wash the socks inside-out.  I have never done that before with any socks, so it will take me some time to remember.

 

I tried the socks on and they fit well. I decided to wear them around the house while I continued to pack my gear. They seemed extremely comfortable - no itching or unnecessary tightness. I then left for a four-day backpacking trip to the Hiawatha National Forest. I decided to take the other two pair of Darn Tough Socks with me on my trip. I usually pack two extra pair of socks at this time of year because the weather is so unpredictable. If the socks would become soaked, they might be hard to dry in this late Fall weather. In fact, it was predicted to rain all four days of the trip.

 

The weather turned out a bit differently. The first two days were just ordinary cloudy days with temperatures of  35 F - 40 F (2 C - 4 C), the third day brought relentless rain which turned into about four inches of very heavy, wet snow, and the last day was back to clouds and rain. Regardless, at the end of the trip I was still wearing my first pair of Darn Tough Boot Socks, and the other two pairs were still stowed in my pack. I stayed comfortable throughout the trip and the socks performed nicely in combination with my Gore-tex boots and short gaiters. In my test plan, I had planned to check how the socks performed while wearing them multi-days in a row. I noticed no evident odor, very little dampness, the cushioning didn't flatten and they still conformed nicely to my foot. The only nuisance for me at this point is the length of the sock. I am used to wearing shorter length socks, so I folded the top down a bit to be comfortable. This is a personal preference, so it really wouldn't be an issue for most people, plus they are readily available in a shorter length. With such a good beginning, I am looking forward to the next four months of testing this product further.

I will address the following concerns and more:

Fit: 

• Will the socks fit snugly against my feet?
• Will they stay in place?
• Will the sculpted heel pocket hug the heel and not move out of place while hiking?
• The socks are fully cushioned - will there be too much bulk so that I will have a hard time fitting them into my boots or mukluks?
• Will the socks stretch so that I can put them on my feet easily without yanking?
• Will the ribbing above the ankle be placed in a position so that it will align right to the contours of my leg?

Comfort:

• Will the use of a vapor barrier restrict their comfort?
• Does the heel pocket area stay comfortably in place?
• Does the ribbing above the ankle irritate or restrict movement in any way? 
• Will the toe box seam be flat and comfortable and not rub the top and sides of my toes?
• Is there enough wool in the socks to keep my feet warm?
• Is the Merino Wool itchy?
• Do the socks feel soft to my feet?
• Are the socks comfortable when they are wet?
• Can the socks be worn un-washed several days in a row without retaining too much odor? If they are worn in that manner, would they be comfortable and not flattened out from extended use?
• Is there too much cushion in the socks?
• Are the cushioned sections of the socks in the right areas?

 Durability:

• These socks are supposed to be darn tough - will they hold up to repeated wear?
• Will the socks pill or become fuzzy with use?
• Will the heel area of the socks become thin due to possible rubbing interaction with boots?
• Will the Lycra Spandex in the socks retain its stretchiness?
• Will the appearance of the socks change significantly over the course of four months of extended use?
• Will the high-density terry loop padding in the foot and shin areas flatten out under pressure?

Construction:

• Will the socks be neatly constructed and not have any loose threads or yarns?
• Will the heel pockets be finished off properly?
• Will the top edge be finished off neatly and not be irritating to the skin?
• Will the combination of materials used in the socks be an ideal blend and integrate nicely together?
• Will the toe box seam be finished off smoothly?  

Versatility:

• Will I be able to use the socks with a variety of footwear including Gor-tex lined boots, mukluks with felt liners and rubber boots with a wicking liner?
• Will I be able to use the socks with a vapor barrier over them?
• Will I be able to use the socks for not only backpacking, but also for other activities such as xc skiing and snowshoeing?
• Will the socks look good enough to wear with more casual attire?

Wick-ability:

• Will the Wickit Dry Technology using Cool-Max be adequate for moisture retention?
• Do the socks feel mostly dry when wearing them or do they feel wet and clammy due to improper wicking?
• If the socks are worn several days in a row without washing them, will they retain their breathe-ability?

Care:

• Are the Darn Tough Socks easy to care for out in the field as well as at home?
• Are there any special wool soap products that must be used for their care?
• Will the socks dry quickly when they are wet?
• Are dirt stains easy to wash out of the socks?
• Will the mostly wool socks shrink if hot water is used to wash them?

I will gladly address all these issues and any additional pertinent issues, as I continue to test the Darn Tough Vermont Boot Socks.

 

Thanks to Darn Tough and BGT for this great opportunity.

 

Gail Staisil