Reviews > Clothing > Socks > SealSkinz ChillBlocker Socks > David Anderson > Initial Report

Name: David Anderson
E-mail: danderson@backpackgeartest.org
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Height: 6'2" (1.87 m)
Weight: 285 lb (130 kg)
Shoe size: 14
Location : Olympia Washington

I grew up car camping with my family in California, and started backpacking sometime around 5th grade. As an adult I've lived, worked and backpacked in New England, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. I've also gotten involved in sea kayaking in the last few years. My backpacking style could be described as light-heavyweight. I carry the lightest version of the gear that I believe is up to the task.

I have been a user of the traditional SealSkinz for several years now. Here in Western Washington, we get a lot of rain for most of the year, and much of my backpacking is done in areas that are considered rain forest. On many of my trips, the only time the SealSkinz come off my feet is when I'm in my sleeping bag, or when I am changing the socks that I wear underneath them.

Product Info

Manufacturer: Danalco
Year: 2004
Size: X-Large

The SealSkinz ChillBlocker Socks are made of three layers. The inner layer is made out of Polartec Power Stretch fleece to provide warmth. The outer layer is nylon/lycra spandex for durability. These layers of fabric are laminated to a non-porous hydrophilic film.

Unlike most waterproof fabrics there are no microscopic pores for the water vapor to escape through. This film transports the water vapor by attracting it from the air on the hotter, more humid side of the sock, and releasing it on the drier and cooler side of the sock.

At the top of the sock is a fairly standard 2 inch (5 cm) knit cuff. This is not waterproof, and water is able to come in the top of the sock if it is immersed deeper than the bottom of the cuff.

Initial Report

The socks appear to be well made with no noticeable defects. When I put them on and tried them in the tub, there were no leaks, and they kept my feet noticeably warmer than the standard SealSkinz socks when I wear them without any socks on underneath.

When I took a closer look at the inside of the socks, I noticed that the ChillBlocker socks have a seam on the inner fleece layer, along the top and bottom of the sock. This has me a little concerned about whether this will lead to hotspots.

The following week, I took the ChillBlocker socks on a backpacking trip out to the Washington coast. On the first day I wore the ChillBlockers without liners or any other socks underneath, during cold and rainy conditions. I put on about 8 miles (13 km) that day, and didn't get any hotspots from the seam as I had feared.

The fleece did a reasonably good job of keeping my feet warm till I stepped into an icy stream and soaked the outside of the sock. While no water got in, it did succeed in cooling my foot below the comfort level for several minutes afterwards.

While the inside of the socks were dry when I took them off that night, when I went to put them on the next morning, I found that they were quite cold and damp. It seems that without the body heat inside the socks, the hydrophilic membrane has the annoying tendancy of wicking the moisture from the outside of the sock to the inside.

For the remainder of the trip, I wore light wool socks underneath the ChillBlocker socks for the first few hours of the day to dry out the liners. I also discovered that the slight amount of added insulation made a big difference when stepping into the cold streams, so I would also wear them whenever I knew that I was going to be spending any time with my feet in the water.

Test Plan

I will continue wearing the SealSkinz ChillBlocker socks on backpacks and dayhikes when the conditions warrant. I will also wear them on snowshoe trips to see how they do in different footwear and weather conditions.

I am still concerned about that seam, and whether it will give me problems with different footwear. If there are any problems with the seam, will wearing an inner sock reduce or eliminate the problem? Only time and testing will tell.

I look forward to seeing how much of a difference the fleece makes over wearing the normal SealSkinz with a wool sock underneath.

David Anderson
squtch.quiet-like-a-panther.org

Reviews > Clothing > Socks > SealSkinz ChillBlocker Socks > David Anderson > Initial Report