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Reviews > Clothing > Socks > SmartWool Hiking Medium Crew > Owner Review by Chad G Poindexter
SMARTWOOL MEDIUM HIKING CREW
May 15, 2010
TESTER INFORMATION
I am a fairly new hiker and have hiked in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, and at a few state parks in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama. I initially obtained slightly heavy gear, however, I am currently making efforts to go lighter. I love my tent and appreciate a warm drink in the morning, as well as a warm meal at night. So far my distance has averaged around 10 mi (16 km) per day, depending on terrain. My wife or my son typically tag along with me on my hikes. PRODUCT SPECS & INFORMATION
FOOTPRINTS
I bought two pairs of these socks almost one year ago, and have worn each pair approximately twenty to twenty-five times each. Both pairs have been washed probably between fifteen to twenty times. I love wearing these socks, whether hiking or not. I have worn these socks comfortably with not only my Merrell hiking boots, but also a pair of Adidas running shoes, Converse All-Stars, Crocs and even a pair of Dr. Martens all leather boots. I have worn them on trail as well as off trail, for walking trails at the local city park to wearing them as my daily socks to work in. I have worn these on a few day hikes to some of the local state parks around my home as well as some overnight trips. I have used these to both hike in as well as to sleep in while on some of these overnight trips. I have worn them in a range of temperatures from 15 - 90 F (-9 to 32 C). I have worn them while hiking in conditions that have ranged from wet and rainy to sunny and dry, on trails that have consisted of dirt (sometimes mud) and rocks (some small and some big).Average elevation at the local state parks are between 400 - 500 ft (122 - 152 m). I have worn these socks while on a few multi-day trips, including a five day trip on the Appalachian Trail (AT) which I used these socks to hike in exclusively. Temperatures here ranged between 61 - 85 F (16 - 29 C). Conditions ranged from sunny dry days to a few rainy, slightly wet days. Elevations ranged between 1,770 - 4,450 ft (539 - 1,356 m), and there were many ups and downs in between! We trudged over dirt and rocks and roots, and loved every minute of it! I also wore these socks while on a three day trip to Sipsey Wilderness last November. The temperatures were around 25 - 40 F (-4 to 4 C) and mostly sunny. The trails were well maintained here and consisted of mostly dirt with some rocks, however, there were a few places I had to actually climb over rocks, and others where I even had to squeeze between wet and slimy rock walls. And even though the days were sunny and nice, the air was still thick with moisture as we were following the Sipsey River inside a boxed-canyon the whole time. I carried these socks with me on a three day hike in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park this past January. However, I did not use them to hike in on this trip, but rather to change into some clean and dry socks while at camp. The temperatures here were between 20 - 35 F (-7 to 2 C) and snowy.
SUMMARY
I have been impressed with these socks since the moment I put them on. They are extremely soft. Not only do they feel good while walking around in, but they just feel good in general, around the entire foot as well as around my leg. I can actually feel the arch support band in the socks, and they are comfortable the way the hug my foot. And since the top 7 in (18 cm) of the sock is ribbed, the soft wool actually hugs my lower leg. And while wearing the socks with my boots, they are some of the most comfortable socks I have worn. Overall these socks are awesome. They are comfortable, and they have held up well over time. Other than the piling, the socks are the same as the day I bought them. They still fluff up well, and are still very soft. I will be purchasing a few more pairs of these to wear on a daily bases once the temperatures cool down again. THE GOOD
1. The comfort. NOT SO GOOD
1. The price. SIGNATURE
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