|
| Home | Guest - Not logged in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
» Register
» Login
Gear Reviews
Documents
Tools
» Contact
|
Reviews > Clothing > Socks > Thorlo Hiker Model Socks > Coy Starnes > Long Term ReportThorlo
TREKKER socks
Long Term Report April 21, 2005
Tester Bio I live outside a small town in northeast Alabama. I also enjoy hunting, fishing, canoeing, and most other outdoor activities. Backpacking is my favorite pastime. I consider myself a knowledgeable backpacker but I am not an expert. I enjoy hiking with my friends and family or solo. I limit my hiking to areas fairly close to home, usually within a day's drive of home. I hike throughout the year and actually hike the least in the hot humid months of summer. My style is slow and steady and my gear is light. However I will sacrifice weight for comfort and durability. A typical 3 season load for me is around 20 lb (9 kg) not counting food or water. I usually sleep in a hammock and cook with an alcohol stove. I generally hike in New Balance 806 trail runners but I have worn several different boots during most of this test. My backpacking trips are usually 2, 3, or 4 days in length. Product Information
Product Description The Hiking Level 3 Wool/THOR•LON® - TREKKER crew large TKX will be referred to as the TREKKER throughout the report. The TREKKER socks are a blend of materials (FIBERS) to maximize performance. Nylon, for example, adds durability. The breakdown is as follows; TKX Fiber Contents: 44% THOR•LON® Acrylic, 39% wool, 8% stretch nylon, 6% insulating hollow-core polyester, 3% stretch nylon The TREKKER socks are designed for extended hiking in all weather conditions. They look like traditional boot socks but are padded in ways to benefit hikers. The diagram on the Thorlo website of the TREKKERS shows where the extra padding and other features are located. (1) Ventilation panel enhances wicking. (2) Heavyweight padding in the heel and ball protect the foot from shear and impact forces helping to prevent painful blistering. (3) Lace pad protects the top of the foot against boot lace pressure. (4) Elastic and low density padding in the arch create a snug fit. (5) Full padding around the toe area for ultimate comfort. Thorlos warranty ""Thorlos feel better than your 'ordinary socks' or your money back." This means that within 30 days of purchasing Thorlos, if you decide that your feet do not feel better in Thorlos than in your ordinary socks, we will refund the full retail price of your Thorlos." Thorlos do not have a durability warranty since no product made from textile fibers is indestructible. Field Test Locations and Conditions Testing was conducted in Northeast Alabama and Southeaster Tennessee. I wore the Thorlo TREKKER socks on an overnight hike to The Walls of Jericho, Bucks Pocket State Park, on the Fiery Gizzard Trail, and on several day hikes in the woods close to home. These trails ranged form very steep to flat and from rough and rocky to almost road-like smooth. The temperatures while hiking on these trips ranged from as high as 81 F (27 C) to as low as 23 F (-5 C). Elevations were between 1300 ft (400 m) and 2000 ft (600 m). I wore them for a hike in the snow only once but on several rainy hikes when it was cold. My good hiking boots are waterproof so I did not get the socks wet from outside moisture on these hikes. I did get them wet from sweat several times. I also wore them as sleep socks on most of my overnight hikes. Long Term Test Results I have worn the Thorlo TREKKER socks while hiking in my regular winter hiking boots, and more recently in a new pair of boots, my 45.5 Scarpa ZG 65 GTX's, designed for warmer weather. While at work I wore them in my work boots. I could not wear the socks in my running shoes or my other boots which are tighter fitting. This is not really a problem because the Thorlo TREKKER socks are better suited for cold weather hiking. The different sizes for the shoes and boots are more of an indication of how shoes/boots fit differently from brand to brand. My running shoes are 11.5 New Balance 805's. My work boots are 11.5 but I have other boots which are size 11. I have 3 pair of hiking boots, all with European size designation. One pair is a 45 while the other 2 are 45.5. The Thorlo TREKKER socks were too thick to wear with the size 45 hiking boots, my size 11 US boots and shoes or the 11.5 New Balance Shoes. I wore the socks on a recent day hike when it was 81 F (27 C). I loaded my pack with 45 lb (20 kg) of gear and water to get a feel for the new boots with a heavy load. I hiked for just over 2 hours on this hike but when I got home I had been hiking mostly uphill for about 45 minutes. My feet were very warm. The socks did do a great job of moving the moisture out from my feet because the boot liners were actually damper than my foot. In truth, I find the socks are better suited for cooler weather hiking. However, I plan to continue using them quite a bit in these boots this summer. I will hike slower and take breaks when I feel like I'm overheating. I wore the socks in my sleeping bag on several occasions. They are excellent in this regard, making sleeping easier. I just can not sleep very well when my feet are cold. On the occasions that I hiked a few miles before setting up camp the socks always dried on my feet, in my boots, before bedtime. This is usually a couple of hours after I finish hiking. I have to warn not to wear the socks when using a chain saw while wearing shorts. Just recently I cut a tree down and up (up as into smaller pieces that I could move). Sawdust got all over the upper exposed section of the socks and even on the socks down inside my boots to a degree. I spent a long time picking each sawdust particle out of the wool. It seemed as if the wool blend was magnetic and I even pulled some of the sock yarn from the sock in the process. However, after washing they were back in tip-top shape. Actually, I have washed the socks several dozen times over the past 6 months and they have survived well. Just to be clear, I never had any problems with trail debris sticking to the socks while hiking, just sawdust fresh off the chainsaw. Summary I have to say that the Thorlo TREKKER socks are indeed very nice hiking socks despite being a tad warm on the hikes in warm weather. My feet did not develop any blisters and I never had to re-adjust the socks to avoid that icky feeling I get when my socks slide down inside my boots. The Thorlo TREKKER socks have performed as well or better than I expected. They are better fitting, keep their shape through more washings, and felt better on my feet while hiking than the cheaper tube type boot socks I was accustomed to. I am impressed enough that I will buy another pair when these wear out. Fortunately, not being a high mileage hiker, that looks like it may be a few years down the road. I am also planning to buy a lighter version of these socks so that I can enjoy the same benefits in my footwear that were too small for the thickness of the Level 3 sock, a level 2 perhaps. Bottom line, I found the Thorlo TREKKER socks are just the ticket for hiking in cool weather. Read more reviews of Thorlo gear Read more gear reviews by Coy Ray Starnes Reviews > Clothing > Socks > Thorlo Hiker Model Socks > Coy Starnes > Long Term Report | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||