SEALSKINZ® CHILLBLOCKER™ SOCKS – LONG TERM REPORT

Background Information:
Name:  Karen Ross
Age:  25         
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: September 2, 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 of 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.

Long-term Testing
For the past 6 months my SealSkinz® ChillBlocker™ socks have been worn in conditions ranging from frigid Boston winters to mild spring weather and the varied terrain of South Africa during the winter season (Yes, I know.  I’m not quite sure what made me decide to experience winter twice this year!) 

Since shortly after completing my Field Report, I have been working in South Africa, primarily in the Gauteng province located in the highvelds (“the high fields” or high-altitude plains).  Weather has ranged from 32-75 F (0-24 C): cool for Africa, to be sure, but by no means winter weather as I know it from the Northeastern United States.  As a result, my opportunities for wearing the SealSkinz® ChillBlocker™ socks have been few and far between.    

Due to the lack of central heating (or any kind of heating, for that matter) in South African apartments, I took advantage of the socks on a few chilly nights.  The SealSkinz® ChillBlocker™ socks certainly kept my feet warm when the mercury dipped to 32 F (0 C)! Of course, being indoors, these nights didn’t give me the chance to test the waterproofness of the socks, but I’m convinced as ever of their ability to warm up freezing toes!

I’ve been on several hiking trips in the past few months, including a ramble through a game reserve in Swaziland and a number of hikes in the Drakensburg Mountains (where elevations range from 7-10,000 feet, or 2134-3048 m).  I wore the SealSkinz® ChillBlocker™ socks on each of these hikes but found myself changing socks part-way through, as the warm temperatures (around 70 F, or 21C) proved too hot for fleece-lined foot garb. 

Unfortunately, dry season in South Africa coincides with the winter, so I’ve had virtually no water to play in while wearing my SealSkinz® ChillBlocker™ socks.  However, I do have a few general comments on these socks’ waterproofness based upon the last six months: Although I wasn’t able to test this aspect of the socks over the entire test period, my experiences using the SealSkinz® ChillBlocker™ socks have been 100% positive.  Even when the outside of the socks did not always dry immediately, their triple layer construction ensured that the inside of my foot was always dry when I was wearing them.  Furthermore, the socks are easy to take on and off, so after fording streams or otherwise getting the SealSkinz® ChillBlocker™ socks wet, I often simply pulled them off and hung them on the back of my pack to dry.  Overall, the SealSkinz® ChillBlocker™ socks have more than met my water-use expectations. 

Conclusions
Over the past six months, the SealSkinz® ChillBlocker™ socks have served me well when I needed them in wet, wintry weather or while hiking in damp conditions.  Overall, however, it is clear that for me at least these socks are not intended for year-round wear: my feet get too hot for that! Furthermore, the summer and/or other dry seasons make water-proof socks unnecessary. 
However, the SealSkinz® ChillBlocker™ socks will continue to occupy a permanent space in my 3-season bag (‘just in case’).  Furthermore, despite a fair amount of use and abuse, the socks are still in very good shape (no signs of the elastic wearing out or the socks delaminating), and I anticipate continuing to wear them for several seasons more. 

Thank you to Danalco and to Backpackgeartest for allowing me to participate in this test.