Socks - wool , smart wool , or synthetic ?

Probably a little late for this year as cold feet aren't a problem is Spring
but I'm curious what the best socks are to keep your feet warm . I have
tried a few different synthetic types with pretty good success but on REAL
cold days my feet have still gotten slightly cold . This year I tried a
thinner pair of synthetic with a little bit of padding by the bottom , heel
and toes , and they kept me pretty warm . Does anyone think the wool or
'smart' wool is better than synthetic or worse ? And is thinner definitely
better then thicker or does it depend on the material ? Also do those boot
covers that you put over the boots to block the wind and water really do
anything or is it a gimmick ?
Ron

Ron - NY wrote:
Probably a little late for this year as cold feet aren't a problem is
Spring
but I'm curious what the best socks are to keep your feet warm . I
have
tried a few different synthetic types with pretty good success but on
REAL
cold days my feet have still gotten slightly cold . This year I tried
a
thinner pair of synthetic with a little bit of padding by the bottom
, heel
and toes , and they kept me pretty warm . Does anyone think the wool
or
'smart' wool is better than synthetic or worse ? And is thinner
definitely
better then thicker or does it depend on the material ? Also do those
boot
covers that you put over the boots to block the wind and water really
do
anything or is it a gimmick ?
Ron

To me it's all about the boots. In my old Raichles, I needed just a
single pair of smart wools and I was good to go. In my new Rossi boots,
my toes get cold. To compensate, I still wear a single pair of smart
wools, but I stick some Toasti Toes on the bottoms of my feet. I
started using them in December at Jets games. No matter what I did, my
feet got cold on the concrete steps of the stadium. With Toasti Toes,
my feet were still tappin' late in the fourth quarter.

Toasti Toes:
http://www.daddiesboardshop.com/brow...ot-Warmer.html

Cheers,
Jeff

Ron - NY wrote:
Probably a little late for this year as cold feet aren't a problem is Spring
but I'm curious what the best socks are to keep your feet warm . I have
tried a few different synthetic types with pretty good success but on REAL
cold days my feet have still gotten slightly cold . This year I tried a
thinner pair of synthetic with a little bit of padding by the bottom , heel
and toes , and they kept me pretty warm . Does anyone think the wool or
'smart' wool is better than synthetic or worse ? And is thinner definitely
better then thicker or does it depend on the material ? Also do those boot
covers that you put over the boots to block the wind and water really do
anything or is it a gimmick ?
Ron


Choose the THICKNESS so that your boots fit correctly.
No other criteria for that.

I happen to use SmartWool and think they are great. I
do like a little extra padding on the bottom.

Yes boot covers work. Friends who have them swear by them.

Hotronics are also held in wide acclaim and so are
MyCoal chemical foot warmers. These are what I use if
the need is great. If you feet are only "slightly" cold
when the out temp is REALLY low, maybe you don't really
need anything extra except maybe another layer on your
body core.

No, really, keeping your body core warm goes a long way
to keeping feet and hands warm. It a fault/condition of
our physiology that when the core gets cool/cold, blood
is drawn away from our extremities to warm our core.

VtSkier

Well I never really went with any really thick socks or doubled them up or
anything . But my boots are comfortable no matter what socks I wear . When I
1st started years ago I wore cotton tube socks and that was a disaster but
then again all my equipment and skills sucked back then . I did try some
fairly thick wool socks way back too and that was also a disaster . Only in
the last few years have I learned from my mistakes and paid attention to
these things . The synthetic socks made a noticeable improvement but I have
been wondering about these 'smart wool' socks I see online and have thinking
about giving them a try to compare them to the synthetic ones . They aren't
cheap at about $20 a pair so I thought I would ask 1st. You might have a
point about layering the body , that's another thing I have been trying with
success . I wear multiple thin layers of high tech synthetic type stuff
instead of say a hot chile and a thick sweater . I stay away from anything
cotton now. But naturally the hands and feet always seem like the 1st part
that gets cold on those sub zero days . I did try those chemical hot bags
things but they were very uncomfortable in the feet so I can't really use
them , but I do use them in my gloves sometimes . I might give those boot
covers a try , as the seam under the buckles seems like an obvious place for
the wind and moisture to sneak in .
"
Choose the THICKNESS so that your boots fit correctly.
No other criteria for that.

I happen to use SmartWool and think they are great. I
do like a little extra padding on the bottom.

Yes boot covers work. Friends who have them swear by them.

Hotronics are also held in wide acclaim and so are
MyCoal chemical foot warmers. These are what I use if
the need is great. If you feet are only "slightly" cold
when the out temp is REALLY low, maybe you don't really
need anything extra except maybe another layer on your
body core.

No, really, keeping your body core warm goes a long way
to keeping feet and hands warm. It a fault/condition of
our physiology that when the core gets cool/cold, blood
is drawn away from our extremities to warm our core.

VtSkier

Bob Lee wrote:

Try those SmartWool light ski socks to see if they'll fit in your boots
well - they also make other thickness ski socks from super-thin to
thick. They're the best socks I've ever tried - heads and shoulders
above anything else. I'm not sponsored by SmartWool or anything...but
I'd really like to be.

Anyone out there from SmartWool that wants to contact me, I'm open to
offers.

If they call, be sure to tell them that their website sucks -- another
one of those stupid flash-heavy sites whose print is way too small to
read and can't be made larger using the usual methods. Cute
cursor-chasing cowboy, though.

So they're just non-itchy wool socks? I bought some thinnish
wool-with-some-nylon socks for $4/pair 15 years ago and I'm still using
them.

--
Cheers, Bev
=============================================
You need only two tools: WD-40 and duct tape.
If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40.
If it moves and shouldn't, use duct tape.

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 07:17:44 -0500, "Ron - NY"
wrote:

Probably a little late for this year as cold feet aren't a problem is Spring
but I'm curious what the best socks are to keep your feet warm . I have
tried a few different synthetic types with pretty good success but on REAL
cold days my feet have still gotten slightly cold . This year I tried a
thinner pair of synthetic with a little bit of padding by the bottom , heel
and toes , and they kept me pretty warm . Does anyone think the wool or
'smart' wool is better than synthetic or worse ? And is thinner definitely
better then thicker or does it depend on the material ? Also do those boot
covers that you put over the boots to block the wind and water really do
anything or is it a gimmick ?

IMHO, any thin wool sock is good, but Smartwool does seem a little
more comfortable (and more durable) than most. I usually try to
catch them cheap at Sierratradingpost.com; currently there are a few
different models, all roughly 50% off.

bw

Ron - NY wrote:
Well I never really went with any really thick socks or doubled them up or
anything . But my boots are comfortable no matter what socks I wear . When I
1st started years ago I wore cotton tube socks and that was a disaster but
then again all my equipment and skills sucked back then . I did try some
fairly thick wool socks way back too and that was also a disaster . Only in
the last few years have I learned from my mistakes and paid attention to
these things . The synthetic socks made a noticeable improvement but I have
been wondering about these 'smart wool' socks I see online and have thinking
about giving them a try to compare them to the synthetic ones . They aren't
cheap at about $20 a pair so I thought I would ask 1st. You might have a
point about layering the body , that's another thing I have been trying with
success . I wear multiple thin layers of high tech synthetic type stuff
instead of say a hot chile and a thick sweater . I stay away from anything
cotton now. But naturally the hands and feet always seem like the 1st part
that gets cold on those sub zero days . I did try those chemical hot bags
things but they were very uncomfortable in the feet so I can't really use
them , but I do use them in my gloves sometimes . I might give those boot
covers a try , as the seam under the buckles seems like an obvious place for
the wind and moisture to sneak in .

For foot warmers get the ones that are labeled "foot warmers" they
have an appropriate shape and a bit of adhesive on one side. Then
put them on the tops of your toes, not the bottoms. Foot warmers are
also thinner than hand warmers. Follow this and all should be
comfortable.

Your body layering seems right.

I don't see much difference between SmartWool and good synthetic of
equal weight. Yeah, $20 is expensive for sox, but I only have two
pair of the SmartWool and they last for years.
"

Choose the THICKNESS so that your boots fit correctly.
No other criteria for that.

I happen to use SmartWool and think they are great. I
do like a little extra padding on the bottom.

Yes boot covers work. Friends who have them swear by them.

Hotronics are also held in wide acclaim and so are
MyCoal chemical foot warmers. These are what I use if
the need is great. If you feet are only "slightly" cold
when the out temp is REALLY low, maybe you don't really
need anything extra except maybe another layer on your
body core.

No, really, keeping your body core warm goes a long way
to keeping feet and hands warm. It a fault/condition of
our physiology that when the core gets cool/cold, blood
is drawn away from our extremities to warm our core.

VtSkier

I've been buying from STP, too -- the Bridgedale light socks. They wear
like iron, and I guess they're decently warm, but I can't say I'm buying
'em for the insulation.

--
Mary Malmros
Some days you're the windshield, other days you're the bug.

"Ron - NY" wrote in message
...
.. I'm curious what the best socks are...

Not that it matters or anything, but I like thin silk socks that are
intended as liner socks for hiking boots. Thin synthetic socks are okay too,
I guess.

As for the Bootgloves (i.e. the things you put over the boots), my wife is
prone to cold feet and says they make a difference.

Bob Lee wrote:

The Real Bev wrote:

Bob Lee wrote:

Try those SmartWool light ski socks to see if they'll fit in your boots
well - they also make other thickness ski socks from super-thin to
thick. They're the best socks I've ever tried - heads and shoulders
above anything else. I'm not sponsored by SmartWool or anything...but
I'd really like to be.

Anyone out there from SmartWool that wants to contact me, I'm open to
offers.

If they call, be sure to tell them that their website sucks -- another
one of those stupid flash-heavy sites whose print is way too small to
read and can't be made larger using the usual methods. Cute
cursor-chasing cowboy, though.

I'll let them know, but is it okay if I wait until after the papers are
signed?

So they're just non-itchy wool socks? I bought some thinnish
wool-with-some-nylon socks for $4/pair 15 years ago and I'm still using
them.

The mentioned STP deal is the way to get a deal on SmartWool socks.
Anyway, 15 years ago, SmartWool socks would have cost about $5.
An-n-n-nd I don't want to sound...um, peevish, but I'm not sure you ski
enough to wear socks out.

*******. May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your private parts.
Not peevish, just sneaky and mean and vicious. TWO thousand camels AND
their drivers.

--
Cheers, Bev
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Usenet is like a herd of performing elephants with diarrhea -- massive,
difficult to redirect, awe-inspiring, entertaining, and a source of
mind-boggling amounts of excrement when you least expect it."
--Gene Spafford (1992)