I received my SealSkinz package on Saturday morning from the USPS. It was packaged in a tyvek mailing envelope. I opened it to find the socks and gloves packaged individually. Each was packaged in a small re-closing plastic bag suitable for retail sales. There was a cardboard card surrounding the socks and gloves with pictures and a product description. On the inside of the card was a description of all the SealSkinz products. The product card enclosed with the WaterBlocker Waterproof Socks also included wearing instructions. These instructions describe how the membrane seals water out and how to fold the top of the sock back over itself to ensure a good seal. The product card enclosed with the gloves included washing instructions on the inside. The product card with the socks include care instructions on the back of the outside of the card in small print just below the sizing chart. The materials used are not listed on the cards or on the product.

I opened the socks first and inspected them. The exterior was a black woven fabric much like the nylon covering for some neoprene materials. The inside of the sock was a white woven fabric with the words "SealSkinz USA" stitched in red and blue . Also, on the inside of the sock near the top, was a plastic membrane covering about two inches of the sock. The sock had another two inches of just black material above this. The socks appear to have no seams at first, but after close inspection the seams or welds are virtually flat.

Afterward, I opened the gloves. They are made of the same type of material, navy on the outside and white on the inside. On the outside of the gloves there are gripper dots covering the palms and fingers. These dots make a real difference when holding objects with the gloves on. I tried them on and they were snug, but not too tight. I wear a large golf glove so I ordered the large SealSkinz glove as well. I think that I could easily wear an extra large SealSkinz glove.

I tried on one SealSkinz sock over a regular hiking sock and the other SealSkinz sock on an uncovered foot. Both of the SealSkinz socks felt fine. I thought the hiking sock foot would be too tight, but it wasn't uncomfortable. The size range if for 10 to 11 and I wear a size 10 shoe. This may be the reason that I could get the SealSkinz sock over a regular hiking sock. I walked around with them on for about an hour. By this time, the rain had started, so I grabbed my rainsuit and Raidwinds and went for a walk. Upon returning, my shoes were soaked, but both feet and hands were dry.

On Sunday, I performed different tests. I first filled the bathtub with warm water and put on short cotton socks. I followed the wearing instructions provided and stepped into the tub. I had to kneel down to completely submerge the socks. I noticed small bubbles seeping from the tops of both socks. After 5 minutes, I got out and dried off the outside of the socks. Upon removing the SealSkinz socks, I discovered that both of the cotton socks were completely wet except for the toe area. I turned the SealSkinz sock inside out to see how much of the inside of it was wet. They were both wet up to the toe area also. I believe this was caused from the seal leaking, thus the steady stream of bubbles. I have 11 inch ankles and 17 inch calves. I don't have unusually hairy legs either. I will try testing the seal again using the shower instead of completely submersing the socks.

I wanted to test the gloves under cold conditions so I put them on and went for a 10 mile bike ride. The gripper dots worked very well and showed no signs of slipping. My fingers did get extremely cold. After awhile though, they went numb so I couldn't feel them any longer. This is when I knew that I had to stop and warm them up. The gloves may be too tight resulting in poor circulation.

Future testing will include hiking in warmer rainy conditions with shorts. I have several camping and canoeing trips scheduled over the next two months. These trips should provide ample testing opportunities for both the gloves and socks.

Initial Report