FIELD REPORT

THORLO LEVEL 1 LAMBSWOOL BLEND HIKING SOCKS

Richard Lyon
January 5, 2006

Personal Details and Backpacking background

Male, 59 years old
Height: 6' 4" (1.91 m)
Weight: 200 lb (91 kg)
Shoe size: US 11.5 – 12, depending on manufacturer
Email address: rlyon AT gibsondunn DOT com
Home: Dallas, Texas USA

I've been backpacking for 45 years on and off, and regularly in the Rockies since 1986.  I do a weeklong trip every summer, and often take three-day trips.  I'm usually camping in alpine terrain, at altitudes 5000 to 13000 ft (1500 - 4000 m). I prefer base camp backpacking, a long hike in with day trips from camp, but I do my share of forced marches too.   Though always looking for ways to reduce weight, I'm not yet a lightweight hiker and I usually choose an extra pound or two over foregoing camp conveniences I've come to expect.

Product Details

Manufacturer: THORLO, Inc. (www.thorlo.com)
Year of manufacture: 2005
Weight as delivered: 3.7 oz (105 g)
Height as measured from base of heel to top of sock:  9 in (23 cm)
Size: Medium (Per manufacturer's website, fits men's US shoe sizes 10.5 – 11.5; see comment below)
Style: Crew (Also available in mini-crew)
Color: Hazelnut brown (Also available in graphite, black, midnight blue, moss green)
Materials: 48% lambswool, 37% nylon, 13% polyester, 2% elastic
MSRP: USD15.99

For a description of these socks, see my Initial Report.

Field Conditions - The Socks Put into Service

Since receiving the socks I have made a conscious effort to wear them on my local hikes (three day hikes in the Dallas area, in weather varying from 45 F (8 C) to 86 F (30 C)).  After some unseasonably cool weather in November and our first freeze in December, it's been warm here – record highs on a couple of days.  And one of the driest years on record ended with less than 2 in (5 cm) of rain in November and December.  In these balmy circumstances the Level 1s are ideal with my light hiking shoes, a pair of low-cut Asolo fabric shoes.  To give the socks more testing time I've worn them many times (at least two dozen) at my daily trips to the fitness center, for spinning classes (with biking shoes) and various aerobic and weightlifting sessions (with lightweight Nike running shoes).  I wore the Level 1s with a liner on my first day hike but decided that this wasn't necessary after the next hike, when I used them on their own and did not encounter any difficulty with heel slippage.  (My eschewing these socks for backpacking is consistent with the manufacturer's recommendation; to quote from its website, Level 1s are "for use on day hikes on flat or varied terrain."   Because I have a narrow heel, I do not believe these socks would serve me well with any significant load or heavier boots.  And they are too short for use when skiing.) 

Care and Washing.

I've washed the socks at least one a week since receiving them in October.  I have usually washed the socks with a regular load of laundry, in order to follow the manufacturer's washing instructions: no bleach, do not iron, do not dry clean, wash normal (hot water: "106 F, 40 C") with fabric softener, and dry normal – medium.  When washed only with my other socks (all are wool or high wool content blends) or with fleece and other polyester garments I did not use a fabric softener.  As I am currently testing Atsko's Sports Wash™, I have used that product for most washings.  As instructed by Thorlo, and following my customary practice, the socks have always been washed and dried inside out.  I store the socks flat.

Strong Field Performance

With my narrow heel I often encounter slipping or other movement at the heel with lighter weight socks.  That hasn't happened much, even when I experimented with no liner on a day hike or when I used them on the spinning bike, and I am prepared to blame the occasional problem on loosely tied shoes or my own carelessness in fitting the sock to my heel.  So far I've encountered no sagging of the elastic at the top of the socks. In hotter weather I've not felt that my feet were uncomfortably warm, and perspiration hasn't built up on my feet – the socks have passed the breathability test.   When worn as a casual sock with street shoes the wool keeps my feet from getting cold in the evenings or in an air conditioned office. 

Here are my impressions against the test criteria set in my Initial Report:

Fit.  Will the socks shrink with washings? Will the perfect off-the-shelf fit remain after washing and heavy use? So far, so good.  Still a perfect fit.  Will the elastic continue to hold the socks up, with no sagging?  As noted, yes.  Will the socks "slip" at the heel (a frequent problem because of my narrow heel)?  Not yet.

Comfort.  Will the socks scratch or itch? To avoid this is another reason I prefer socks with a high wool content.   No itching at all.

Durability.  I wash my socks after every hike, and usually after every exercise session.  Will the socks retain wickability, fit, padding, elasticity, and shape? As noted above, excellent results to date.  Will there be pilling or "erosion" of heel padding?  Here the socks have exceeded my expectations, as I've seen only minor pilling  and no discernible loss of fabric or comfort in the heel.

Odor.  In my experience wool garments accrue a less offensive odor than synthetics.  Which will these socks take after: the 48% wool or the 52% synthetic? Will washing remove any odor? Will the socks pick up odor more quickly after multiple washings?  Washing removes ordinary odor, and I haven't noticed any undue aroma when removing my shoes after a hike or exercise class.   Of course, with lighter use and no multi-day trips the socks haven't really had a chance to build up  the level of perspiration or odor that I'd encounter on a backpacking trip.

Construction.  How tight is the weave?  This affects wickability and durability. Will the sock resist snagging? How common are loose threads from wearing the socks or from washing? These socks have a very tight weave, and have so far proven to be durable.  Very minor loose threads, hardly noticeable.  One snag, from a nail on the floorboards of my house,  was not due to the socks' weave or workmanship.

Performance.  The two most important questions for any wicking product: How well do they wick? How quickly do they dry? I will look to see if initial performance holds up after repeated use and washing.  As the reader can tell from what I've written, excellent overall performance so far.

Appearance: Will heavy use and washing alter the color or ribbing on the socks? No deterioration noticed yet.

Continued Testing

Simply put, more of the same.  I'll look especially for durability issues after further use and washing.

Likes and Dislikes So Far

On the bright side:

Impressive overall performance; they're almost good as new
No slipping at the heel is a real plus for me
Very handsome socks

Issues:

Other than the misleading sizing information on the paperboard hanger, as noted in my Initial Report, very little ground for complaint.  I'd like to see them available in white or light grey, but that's strictly a personal preference.  The manufacturer warns of their limited uses so that can't be considered a shortcoming.   To me the Level 1s appear to be on the expensive side, but I usually buy my hiking socks on sale or from discounters so perhaps I don't know the market so well.

My thanks to BGT and Thorlo for the opportunity to participate in evaluating these socks.