Reviews > Clothing > Socks > SealSkinz Socks and Gloves > David Anderson > Long Term Report

I have car camped since about the time I started to walk, and went on my first backpack when I was 10 or 11 years old. I have also become involved in sea kayaking since I moved to the northwest. But somewhat more important to this test, I never really got over my love for playing in puddles. Sunny weather is for hanging out at the beach. The really good weather for going out and doing stuff is a good rain storm, where the world comes alive and all the wonderful shades of green show so clear and alive. And there's nothing quite so soothing as falling to sleep to the sound of the rain on the nylon overhead.

I already owned the regular SealSkinz socks and gloves, so I chose to test the WaterBlocker Socks and the Gauntlet Gloves. I was most interested in seeing how well the WaterBlocker socks perform, since I periodically have to cross rivers that go above the cuffs of the over the calf socks.

SealSkinz socks and gloves are made with 3 layers laminated together. The inner layer is made of Coolmax to help transport your perspiration away from your skin. The middle layer is made out of a waterproof hydrophilic membrane. The outer layer is made out of nylon and Spandex.

The membrane used in SealSkinz products is not breathable in the normal sense. Most breathable fabrics use a microporus membrane that has pores small enough for water vapor to escape, while being too small for water droplets to enter. The membrane in SealSkinz is hydrophilic which means that it attracts water molecules. There are no holes for it "breathe".

I have not had any reason to use the SealSkinz Gauntlet Gloves since I filed my field report. It isn't because of any sort of problem with the gloves, it is because I just do not wear gloves unless the temperatures drop into the 30s. If I wear them in warmer weather my hands quickly overheat, and the problem is worse with the Gauntlet Gloves as they cover much of my forearm too.

The WaterBlocker Socks have gone with me every time I have gone backpacking, but I have only worn them a couple of times, and those times I didn't really need them. Since the field report I have not crossed any streams while wearing the WaterBlocker Socks where my regular over the calf SealSkinz would not have served just as well and been more comfortable. During the summer I am a barefoot or sandals guy, and water crossings just aren't much of an issue. In fact I go out of my way to find them to cool off.

The WaterBlocker Socks and the Gauntlet Gloves are both special condition items for me. If I was going to be doing a lot of deep water crossings on a particular section of trail, I would opt to use the WaterBlocker Socks. But any time I would have to wear the socks for more than a couple hours I just find them to be too constricting.

I am much more likely to use the Gauntlet Gloves as snow gloves. The added length tucked under my sleeves would do a good job of keeping the snow out of the gloves. Though they do a good job keeping my hands dry when it is wet, the extra hassle of getting the gloves on and off lead me to prefer to wear my regular SealSkinz Gloves for wet weather activities.

I remain a big fan of SealSkinz products, but in the future I expect that I will stick to using the regular socks and gloves.

David Anderson
www.quiet-like-a-panter.org

Reviews > Clothing > Socks > SealSkinz Socks and Gloves > David Anderson > Long Term Report