Backpacking Background:

Along with my two sons – ages eleven and thirteen, I am very active with our local Boy Scout troop. I’ve been involved with Scouting as an adult for the past ten years. Besides being the Committee Chairman, I’m also the High Adventure Leader. As such, one of my responsibilities is to teach the young people about the "Great Outdoors". I especially love to teach them about hiking, backpacking and canoeing.

Description

The Sealskinz ChillBlocker Socks by Danalco are socks designed for all sorts of outdoor pursuits where warm, dry feet are a priority.  The socks are designed as a crew sock, complete with elastic band at the top of the sock.  The sock is comprised with an inner fleece layer, with an outer black, nylon/spandex mix, and waterproof membrane sandwiched between the two.

Field Information:

The weather has been typical for the latter half of winter.  Daily temperatures for the field tests have ranged between 10 - 40F (-12 - 4.4C).  Much of the snow base melted early this year with an unexpected thaw, yet a couple of late season storms insured continued testing in winter conditions.  We are now in early spring conditions, which spells high creeks, wet trails and plenty of rain.

Test Results:

I've had plenty of opportunity to test the ChillBlocker socks thus far.  Weather conditions have been terrific for testing the unique properties of the ChillBlockers.  In other words, it's been very cold and wet!  I've worn them three times a week on average.  I've found them to be quite comfortable.  I've experienced no hot spots or blisters.  They retain their form well, and stay up on my leg.  The elastic band at the top of the sock is a little tight, but has loosened slightly over the first two months of testing.  There is adequate room in the toe box, although personally I wish it were a little wider.  The fleece lining is very warm and pleasant against my skin.  I still experience some pilling from the inner lining, although not like in the beginning of the test.  The nylon/spandex outer layer has held up beautifully, and looks brand new.  The proprietary moisture barrier is holding up well too.  It gives the sock a thickness similar to a sock-slipper.  I believe it too contributes to  keeping the socks up on my legs. 

The socks have been washed several times, both by hand and in an electric washer.  They have been air-dried and tossed in the clothes dryer.  They appear to have suffered no ill effects from my test washings.  They are simple to clean, like any other durable backpacking apparel.  The most surprising thing is how much water they seem to hold, and how long they take to dry.  I find this surprising since the inner fleece layer is known for its water shedding properties as are the nylon and spandex material used on the outer layer.  I can only deduce that this is a property of the moisture transport layer, resident in the inner layer of the sock.  Whether they are air-drying on the back of my pack, hanging from a clothes line, or tumbling in the dryer, they take a long time to dry relative to other similar items - such as thick, ragg wool socks.  In the dryer, it is necessary to turn the socks inside out halfway through the dry cycle to ensure complete dryness in a reasonable time.  Air-drying has taken as long as 12 hours.

The waterproof properties have been a lot of fun to test with satisfying results.  I've gone out of my way to find puddles to waddle through and creeks to meander in.  I even tested them in the ocean as I strolled along the beach in Myrtle Beach, SC!  So far, the ChillBlockers have delivered.  The only time my feet got wet in them was when water came in over the top of the proprietary barrier and ran down the inside of the sock.  Even then, the sock seemed to absorb the water and dissipate much of it back through the membrane.  I've had a lot of fun wearing the ChillBlockers with my sandals especially.  They were made for each other in my opinion. 

The breathability of the membrane works very well as well.  There were times I expected to find my foot wet and the inside of the sock damp, yet this never really materialized.  There was definitely more moisture trapped inside the sock when I wore my leather boots versus my trail shoes or sandals, but that was expected as the boots effectively sealed the socks from the outside air.  Even in those conditions though, the socks were surprisingly dry to the touch - along with my feet as well.  This property has had a tremendous effect in eliminating hot spots or blisters. 

The ChillBlockers are very warm as well.  The fleece lining does an exceptional job of providing a wonderful environment for my feet.  They really do a great job of keeping my feet warm, whether I'm wearing footwear or not.  Most of my testing conditions so far have been classified as late winter/early spring, which spells a lot of slush and moisture.  The socks have enabled me to wear all of my footwear options sooner than I normally would have considered.  The socks also do a great job of keeping my feet warm at night - both in a tent and a hammock, in a sleeping bag and with a quilt as well.

So far, I'm very pleased with the ChillBlocker socks.  The bottom line is they work, period.  I've tested them in some pretty nasty stuff, and they've come through every time.  My only question remaining is durability.  Hopefully, I will have an answer by the Long Term Report.  I'm especially concerned with protecting the proprietary membrane, and how easily will/does it damage.  I present this now because as the weather warms, I plan to hike a lot more in the ChillBlocker/sandal combination, and this leaves the socks somewhat more exposed.  I will report these findings, along with any other issues that pop up, in the next report.

Thanks again to Sealskinz and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to test this fine product.

Tim