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SEALSKINZ®
CHILLBLOCKER™ SOCKS – INITIAL REPORT
Background
Information:
Name:
Karen
Ross
Age:
24
Gender: Female
Height: 5'0" (1.5 m)
Weight: 103 lb. (47
kg)
Email address: karen ross AT tufts DOT
edu
City, State, Country: Metropolitan
Boston area, MA
Date: March 1, 2004
Backpacking
Background
I have been hiking and camping for as long as I can remember. I'm
an avid
runner and day hiker, ski occasionally, kayak, car camp, and generally
like to
spend as much time outdoors as possible. I've spent time hiking
and
orienteering with scout groups, as well as while doing my military
service in Israel.
I travel frequently and try to use every opportunity to explore. I
started
backpacking a few years ago and my trips have been mostly limited so
far to
shorter ones, although I’m slowly working my way up to longer trips
(including
trail maintenance work). Being small, I
tend towards lightweight gear, although I’m not one to hit the digital
scales
with every item – it’s more of a philosophy than a science for me. I like to think of my style as light, but not
without a couple luxuries.
Product
Description
Manufacturer:
Danalco, Inc.
Manufacturer website: www.danalco.com
Year of manufacture: 2004
Listed weight: N/A
Measured weight: 3.9 oz (111g) for the pair
Size: Small
Colors: Black
MSRP: $49.95
The
SealSkinz® ChillBlocker™ socks are black crew socks which come up
to the calf - 10 inches (25.4 cm) from the heel. On
the front of each sock (across the toe area) is written,
“SealSkinz®, Small, USA” in red,
white, and blue letters. One of the socks
has a small blue triangle near the top of the sock with the
SealSkinz® logo on it. (Note: the
socks are not marked for right/left wear)
The
SealSkinz® ChillBlocker™ socks are three-fold in thickness,
excepting the top 1.75 inches (4.5 cm) which consist of a single-layer
elastic cuff. The inner layer is made of
(according to the website) “expedition-weight double velour
Polartec® Power Stretch™ fleece (7.3 oz. [207 g] per square yard).” According to the website, the outside layer is
“nylon/lycra® spandex offering a durable, flexible, stretch
covering. In between the two fabric layers is our waterproof MVT
membrane.” Together, SealSkinz® touts
these three layers as creating “a very soft, comfy, warm,
stretch-to-fit sock suitable for a whole host of cold, wet, nasty
outdoor conditions.” From my point of
view, what this creates is a thick, definitely substantial-looking sock
– much more so than my normal cotton socks. The
outside layer of the sock feels not unlike Neoprene.
The Socks Arrive
I
received the SealSkinz® ChillBlocker™ socks Friday night in a
small, unmarked cardboard box. Before
continuing, I feel the need to mention that Danalco sent me an email
when the socks were shipped, which included a link allowing me to track
its movement across the country via UPS. I
was impressed with the fact that the company alerted me as to when the
socks were sent and would be arriving. Hopefully
this is a good indicator of customer service
In
the cardboard box was a small plastic box containing the SealSkinz®
ChillBlocker™ socks and a leaflet containing information on the
Polartec® Power Stretch™ material used as the inner sock liner. The box also contained a cardboard hang tag
describing SealSkinz® ChillBlocker™ products and giving care
instructions (hand-wash and drip-dry).
Initial
Impressions
I was not quite sure what to expect when I put on the SealSkinz®
ChillBlocker™
socks for the first time. I pulled them
on my feet shortly after receiving them and in truth found them fairly
uncomfortable: one of the socks has a seam running straight down the
middle
bottom of the sock, underneath the foot (this despite SealSkinz®
being
advertised as seamless on the website), and I found walking with this
not at
all comfortable. Also, the socks seemed
a bit snugger my usual ones. I wore the
socks around the house for about an hour, but found myself sufficiently
uncomfortable to remove them after that short period of time.
Saturday morning found me on a day hike of about 10 miles (16 km), with
temperatures in the mid-40s Fahrenheit (about 7 Celsius).
I was initially concerned about wearing the
SealSkinz® ChillBlocker™ socks: after my discomfort the night
before, I was
worried that wearing them on a long hike might give me blisters.
Despite my
skepticism, I put the socks on (with a pair of liner socks underneath). The SealSkinz® ChillBlocker™ socks felt
much
more comfortable this way, and I found that within about half an hour
of the
start of my hike I forgot to think about my socks altogether. Although it was a relatively warm day (and
although I was wearing another pair of socks under the SealSkinz®
ChillBlocker™
socks), my feet were not too warm by any means.
Based on this initial test, I’m much more pleased with the
SealSkinz®
ChillBlocker™ socks than I thought I would be Friday night when I first
put
them on. With a pair of liner socks
underneath, they are extremely comfortable (though still a bit snugger
than I
would like). My only concern at the
moment has to do with durability. I
noticed that the inner fabric of the sock seems to be glued to the
other
layers. On one of the socks, the ‘seam’
created by this already seems to be coming apart – there are about
3-inches
(7.6 cm) along the back of the sock (along the calf) there is about a
half-inch
(1.3 cm) separation between the two sides of the inner fabric and where
the MVT
membrane is visible. The fabric can be
further separated without any difficulty at all; although I have no
intention
of trying to rip the socks apart, I’m a bit concerned that with
repeated
washing and even normal use the liner might separate from the rest of
the sock
entirely.
Testing
Plan
I will be using the SealSkinz®
ChillBlocker™ socks on all hikes and for daily warmth as long as cold
weather
persists. I also plan on using these as
sleep socks. I am anticipating a wide
variety of temperatures over the testing period as well as terrain. The SealSkinz® ChillBlocker™ socks will
also
be worn during any kayaking trips I will take this spring and other
water
activities.
I will be testing the SealSkinz® ChillBlocker™ socks for warmth,
comfort, and
durability over the course of the next six months.
In particular, I am interested to see what
the usable temperature range for these socks is. I
will also be testing how waterproof these
socks are, and how (if at all) getting the socks wet affects their
comfort
level. Finally, I am curious to see how
well the SealSkinz® ChillBlocker™ socks hold up, especially
considering that
one of the seams is already coming apart.
Will repeated washings detrimentally affect these socks, even
when
following SealSkinz’® explicit washing instructions?
The next two months should see a lot of use for the SealSkinz®
ChillBlocker™
socks and I hope to have answers to some of these questions in my field
report.
Read more reviews of SealSkinz gear
Read more gear reviews by Karen Ross
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