Socks!

[hank4elk]

Mostly DT now.
Several REI.
Liners for hunts and hiking.
Boot high.
Year round here in NM.

 

[mxracer317]

I’ve got a variety of Darn Tough, Smartwool and Wright Socks. Recently upped my stock of Wright Socks after meeting their head of sales on a flight to NC where they are based. He noticed I was wearing some and said he’d send me more if I gave home my address. 6 pairs showed up about a week later.

I generally wear thin socks for both skiing and hunting/hiking, and have had issues with Smartwool pilling up and wearing out quicker than Darn Tough and Wright Socks. The Wright socks are a bit heavier, so only to be expected that they last longer. All 3 perform well for me otherwise. I don’t put any of them in the dryer, so haven’t had issues with shrinking.

If you could only choose one sock, would it be the Darn Tough or the Wright sock for hunting?

 

[Hammsolo]

Darn tough for durability. Rough and routinely shrink. They’re not called Damn Comfy for a reason, but they’re bullet proof.

Smart wool for comfort. Super soft, but not as durable. They’re my favorite. I’ll sacrifice a little durability for comfort. They have great customer service to and back their products.

First Lite over the calf compression socks for warmth and support! They’re magic!!!

 

[Wildabeest]

If you could only choose one sock, would it be the Darn Tough or the Wright sock for hunting?

Probably the Darn Tough because they are a bit thinner.

 

[gwhunter]

I originally went all-in on Darn Tough. I saw an add on FB for Hollow socks and bought a pair. I've bought 6 more pair. So much more comfortable and flexible than DT.

 

[Papsqueeg]

I am using kuiu brand socks comfortable,feet seem to stay warm 2 years using them. Socks are used only for hunting.

 

[Dubz337]

Very happy to see that no one has said they are 'running' a specific pair of socks.

Anything merino for me.

 

[D4570]

Alpaca is the only way to go. I have lightweight for summer and "Heavy" for winter.

Maximum Warmth Arctic Socks

Cold winter days are no match for our Arctic Socks. These tall, warm Arctic Winter Socks will keep your feet toasty all day and night. Treat your feet to the sumptuous experience and expertly crafted design of Alpaca Dry Fusion Technology ®️ in these winter boot socks. Stay warm this winter.

alpacasofmontana.com

 

[SAJ-99]

I wear Kenetrek, over the calf. Socks are like boots, packs, rifles, and just about everything. People can like different things.

I find the materials change the way the socks fit me. I like more elasticity so they don't bunch up. From the breakdown below I can rank them pretty easy. The mix might vary by selecting a different model of sock, but once you find one, no reason to change IMO.

Darn tough
64% Wool
34% Nylon
2% spandex

Kenetrek
33% Wool
33% poly
26% Nylon
5% elastic
3% Spandex

Smart Wool
69% wool
30% nylon
1% elastic

 

[Robert N]

Thorlo synthetic for me.

 

[MattyJ]

love the darn tough socks!

 

[swampfoxsc]

Why wear the liners underneath? Sweat absorption?

 

[wannabee]

DT, not even close for me. Never had a blister with them. I also have some of their sport socks and they look the same a year later.

 

[mrcowboy]

Meindl everyday. Work boots and hunting boots.

 

[FrogFan]

Another Smart Wool user here.

 

[COEngineer]

Did I miss it or has no one mentioned odor? This is one of the top priorities for me while living in the same pair of socks for at least a day (and maybe multiple days with a rinse in between) while backpack hunting climbing up and down mountains. I have 3 pairs of SmartWool that I have hiked and hunted in for ~15 years and they are just starting to wear thin at the balls of my feet. I have joked with my wife that if I had 3 new pairs today that lasted as long, I would never have to buy another pair of socks for hiking/backpacking/hunting in my lifetime. If I see them on sale, that is exactly what I will do.

The DarnTough socks I have seen are much higher percentages of nylon than those listed above by SAJ-99, but maybe they have different mixes depending on the application?

 

[Boarmaster]

Another Darn Tough.

 

[Salmonchaser]

I wear Kennetrek boots and socks every day. I have some smart wool and darn tough socks that have hung around for years but I actually only wear those when I’m not wearing boots anymore.

 

[SAJ-99]

Did I miss it or has no one mentioned odor? This is one of the top priorities for me while living in the same pair of socks for at least a day (and maybe multiple days with a rinse in between) while backpack hunting climbing up and down mountains. I have 3 pairs of SmartWool that I have hiked and hunted in for ~15 years and they are just starting to wear thin at the balls of my feet. I have joked with my wife that if I had 3 new pairs today that lasted as long, I would never have to buy another pair of socks for hiking/backpacking/hunting in my lifetime. If I see them on sale, that is exactly what I will do.

The DarnTough socks I have seen are much higher percentages of nylon than those listed above by SAJ-99, but maybe they have different mixes depending on the application?

Yeah, the different models will vary. I picked the “hunting” model. The wool socks are certainly better for your odor problem, so I can see why you go with SmartWool. The SM socks tend to bunch up on me. I like the warmth and the feel, but they need more elastic to excel in the functional aspect. Like I said, everyone has what works for them. It’s kind of funny how we can have such individual preferences in socks.

 

[Eyebandit]

Darn tough all the way. For blisters or hot spots on your feet, I carry leukotape. Once you put it on it’s there for a week!