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Thorlos Ultra Light Hiking Protection Level 1 Socks
Field Report
January 10, 2006
Tester Bio
Name: Anthony (TJ) Smith
Age: 31 years old
Gender: Male
Height: 5’10” (1.78 m)
Weight: 155 lbs (73 kg)
Shoe Size: 9.5 D US
Email address: tjsmith1946@gmail.com
City, State, Country: Pensacola, Florida USA
Backpacking Background
I have been camping for a little over 5 years now, mostly car camping. I have
recently begun backpacking, and I am constantly adding new gear to my “collection”
in an effort to get my gear list tailored more towards backpacking. Most of
my backpacking trips are short duration, not more than one or two nights.
My current pack weight is around 15-20 lb (7-9 kg) without food and water, depending
on if I'm solo camping or taking my son along. I am a dedicated hammock camper
and have tailored my personal gear to that aspect of camping.
Product Information
Year of Manufacture – 2005
Manufacturer URL – www.Thorlos.com
Weight as Delivered – 2.1 oz (60 g)
Size as Delivered – Large (Fits shoe size 10.5 – 11.5 US)
Color Tested – Hazelnut Brown
Style Tested – Men's Mini Crew
MSRP – $14.99/pair US
Initial Information/Observations
For product information and initial impressions, please see my Initial Report.
Field Information
Date: October 29, 2005
Location: Calloway Swamp, Munson, Florida
Weather: Weather for this trip was sunny and clear, with a low of 50 F (10 C)
and a high of 68 F (20 C). I did not experience any precipitation.
Terrain: While the area is referred to as a swamp, there is actually very little
"swamp" here. The area is actually an upland pine forest bordering
the Blackwater River. The area has minor elevation changes, no more than 15-20
ft (4.5-6 m) at a time.
Trip Details: This was a short dayhike with a group of children. I wore the
Thorlos with my Nevados Greylock Light Hiker boots, and carried a small daypack
with lunch, rain gear, water, and safety items (total pack weight of approximately
5 lb [ kg]). The Ultra Light Hikers were fairly comfortable, and I did not experience
any noticeable issues with the padding not covering the full sole of the sock.
My feet did not appear to be any warmer or cooler than I normally experience
with other wool backpacking socks.
Date: November 9-11, 2005
Location: Wiregrass Trail and Karick Lake Campground, Baker, Florida
Weather: Clear skies; daytime highs of 87 F (30 C), 72 F (22 C) and 58 F (14
C) with overnight lows of 52 F (11 C) and 32 F (0 C). We did not encounter any
precipitation on this trip, and humidity levels stayed below 75%.
Terrain: This area is an upland pine forest, with rolling hills and trails ranging
from sandy soil to hard-packed clay. Elevation changes are no more than 15-30
ft (4.5-9 m) at a time.
Trip Details: This trip consisted of three days of trail hiking followed by
two days staying in a campground. During the two days in the campground, I hiked
a 4.5 mi (7.25 km) nature trail in the campground area. I wore the Thorlos with
my Avia Nevados Greylock Light Hiker boots. Total mileage for this trip was
30 mi (48.3 km). During this trip I carried a full backpack with a beginning
pack weight of 22 lb (10 kg).
The Thorlos were very comfortable while hiking both with and without my pack
on. I did not experience any excess sweating of my feet while wearing the Thorlos
on this trip. They did develop a bit of wetness while hiking from my usual sweating,
but they dried out relatively quickly upon airing them out at camp. The second
night, after drying the socks out, I wore them to bed and did not experience
any issues with them while sleeping.
Date: December 3-4, 2005
Location: Karick Lake Campground, Baker, Florida
Weather: Overcast skies with some precipitation, temperatures ranged from 76
F (24 C) to 55 F (13 C). We experienced about 20 minutes of heavy rainfall,
and about 2 hours of condensation dripping from the trees after that.
This trip was at an organized campground and did not require hiking in. I did
wear the Thorlos while both conducting some geocaching at the campground and
on a dayhike around Karick Lake. This hike was 5.4 mi (8.7 km) long, with elevation
changes of no more than 15-30 ft (4.5-9 m). During this trip, we experienced
a downpour rain shower, and the Thorlos received quite a soaking through my
Avia Nevados Greylock boots. Once I was sure the rain had passed, I took off
my boots and socks, and hung the socks from a line under the rainfly of my hammock
to dry. The socks were still damp upon retiring for the night (about 2 hours
later) but by morning had dried and were ready for the day ahead!
As an experiment, I wore the socks around town for several days without washing
them. I would wear the socks all day, and turn them inside out at night (the
recommended method for washing them, so I thought they might air out better
that way.) I would then put them on the next day, and repeat the process. I
did this to test how long they would last before any smell they developed would
begin to offend me. The socks lasted a total of 4 days with no washing of any
type, only the airing out at night. This is more than adequate for me, and is
not a reflection of any claims made by Thorlo but an added feature in my opinion.
So far the Thorlos have performed as well as I had expected, if not even a
little better given the lightweight nature of this particular product. I find
the socks quite comfortable, whether on the trail in my hiking boots or around
town in my tennis shoes. I have not had any problems with any seams digging
into my feet, and I don't even notice the lack of padding in the arch area when
I'm wearing the socks. The Thorlos have retained their elasticity even through
several washes and numerous wearing cycles. I find that the socks dry out quickly
when damp from a days use, and in a reasonable amount of time when soaked.
Continued Test Plan
The Thorlos will continue to be tested in a variety of locations throughout Northwest
Florida and Southeast Alabama. During the testing period, expected weather conditions
range from a high near or just above 80 F (27 C) to lows approaching or creeping
to near 20 F (-7 C). I also anticipate varied levels of precipitation, from
bright sunny days with low humidity all the way to torrential downpours.
I have numerous trips planned during the remaining test period, mostly one night trips and day trips. While these socks are designed for dayhikes,
I will also be using them on the overnights listed (my pack weight I feel is
low enough to allow them to be used in this manner.)
The following are a list of issues I intend to continue exploring:
- How well do the socks fit with a variety of shoes? Do they work as well
with hiking boots as they do with trail shoes?
- How well do the socks hold up to frequent use? Do they stretch out, or
retain their elasticity? Does the material become matted from frequent use,
or does it retain its “newness”?
- Do the socks develop an odor when worn for extended periods of time? Or
do they appear fairly odor-resistant?
- How easy are these socks to clean while on the trail? Do they tend to retain
stains, odors, etc or do they come clean fairly easily?
- How quickly do these socks dry out when wet, either from wearing in wet
conditions or from washing?
- Do these socks have any seams that sit in “odd” spots that
cause rubbing or friction? Do the seams stay where they are designed to? Are
the embroidered logos noticeable while wearing the socks?
I also intend to report on any other issues that may arise during my testing
of this product.
My thanks to Thorlos and BackpackGearTest for allowing me to test this item.
Read more reviews of Thorlo gear
Read more gear reviews by Anthony Smith
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