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best socks...for long term hunting in COLD weather

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Newhunter1

Well-Known Member
SH Member
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Dec 20, 2018
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Just seeing if anyone has used the alpaca socks that are being advertised? I use heavy wool and would like to have a warmer sock....if there is one.
 
I like long ski boot-socks with some Merino and put the ski long johns over them.
This is my ultimate set up in neoprene rubber boots.
Both, the socks and the underwear soak up the moisture and bring it up out of the boots.
 
bigmike23 said:
thebuffalowoolco.com

Trekker - Advantage Gear Boot Socks

Seriously warm-Surprisingly soft, we created a sock from Bison down and superfine merino wool that will keep your feet warm and dry all winter long.
thebuffalowoolco.com thebuffalowoolco.com
It's not even close. Darn toughs are dollar store quality by comparison
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$50 for a pair of socks!

I tried alpaca socks once and then my wife washed them and they turned into little kids socks. So be careful if you buy alpaca socks.
 
What temperatures is cold to you?

How many hours spent sitting still?

How many hours walking?
 
Newhunter1 said:
i looked over them...actually i have a couple of their dress socks. Which ones do you use and at what temperature?
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The thickness I wear depends on the time of year and the kind of hunting I’m doing that day. Temps during my hunting season range from 50deg to -10 deg on average.
 
I have some Kenetrek thin liner socks made of polypropylene. They are called Kenetrek Ultimate Liner lightweight Over-The-Calf Sock.

They are awesome socks and fit tight like a compression sock which reduces fatigue. They wick away moisture very well which is important to maintaining warmth. I then wear a wool sock over them for warmth when needed.

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https://hollowsocks.com/ Do it, you won't regret it! I will wear a really thin polypro or silk liner underneath when it gets really cold, but otherwise just the Alpaca boot socks. I have more socks [high end socks] than I care to mention, as my feet and my hands are my downfalls... I do wash all my hunting gear on tap cold with Atsko Sport Wash and then tumble dry low, and I've never had an issue with the socks. I have some really high end merino that needs to be hung or draped rather than put in a dryer, but...

As a side note, for my personal preference: compression is good for walking but a looser fitting (non compression) keeps my feet warmer during an extended sit. Another way to test is to sleep in your socks, and check your foot circulation in the morning; if your feet feel good, wear them! I won't sit/hunt in a sock that I can't sleep in. I will wear compression-type socks for hiking/scouting, etc.
 
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Newhunter1 said:
Just seeing if anyone has used the alpaca socks that are being advertised? I use heavy wool and would like to have a warmer sock....if there is one.
Click to expand...

I use alpaca socks all the time (from Warrior Alpaca). I have a mid-weight hiker and the thick toasty toes (which the company told me was their warmest model). Supposedly, they can be less itch-free than high quality merino or synthetics for some people. I haven't found that because when it is cold enough to wear them then I'm also always wearing a synthetic liner sock (Fox River with the anti stink treatment).

The alpaca feels very soft, which is kind of lost on me since I wear liners. I have read, and think I've experienced, that they are warmer than wool. The alpaca is a hair and is hollow, supposedly. Alpacas live in some harsh climates (Andes).

I haven't tried drying them in the dryer. I wash them in scent free soap in a net delicates bag and then lay out to dry (flipping and turning inside out, which is especially important for the thicker socks).

I can wear 400 gram thinsulate boots with a liner sock and the toasty toes socks down to around 40 degrees or so and my feet are warm while sitting still (and I have naturally cold feet).

PS Liner socks not only add warmth but really help with stopping blisters since the liner acts like a big piece of moleskin covering your foot.
 
Gator said:
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I tried alpaca socks once and then my wife washed them and they turned into little kids socks. So be careful if you buy alpaca socks.
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Probably it depends on the blend. I've several pair of Dahlgren Alpaca socks that I wash and dry regularly without any problems. And I wear them around the house in winter so they have been through many many cycles and are holding up great. But they're more of a heavyweight technical sock for hiking and semi-active activities, vice a high content single blend arctic Alpaca sock.

I got them for hiking in to my spots, where I usually change socks. But found my feet were warm and dry when using them, so I've been keeping them on throughout my hunts into the 20s.
 
raisins said:
I use alpaca socks all the time (from Warrior Alpaca). I have a mid-weight hiker and the thick toasty toes (which the company told me was their warmest model). Supposedly, they can be less itch-free than high quality merino or synthetics for some people. I haven't found that because when it is cold enough to wear them then I'm also always wearing a synthetic liner sock (Fox River with the anti stink treatment).

The alpaca feels very soft, which is kind of lost on me since I wear liners. I have read, and think I've experienced, that they are warmer than wool. The alpaca is a hair and is hollow, supposedly. Alpacas live in some harsh climates (Andes).

I haven't tried drying them in the dryer. I wash them in scent free soap in a net delicates bag and then lay out to dry (flipping and turning inside out, which is especially important for the thicker socks).

I can wear 400 gram thinsulate boots with a liner sock and the toasty toes socks down to around 40 degrees or so and my feet are warm while sitting still (and I have naturally cold feet).

PS Liner socks not only add warmth but really help with stopping blisters since the liner acts like a big piece of moleskin covering your foot.
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Do you mean more itch free?

Alpaca lacks the lanolin that causes some people irritation with wool.
 
Plebe said:
Do you mean more itch free?

Alpaca lacks the lanolin that causes some people irritation with wool.
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lol....I don't know how to diagram my original sentence, probably missing some commas on my part.

The alpaca is supposed to make some people more itchy than merino. But I only read that one or two places years ago and other folks say less itchy. So I could be wrong.

I'm a bad judge because of the liners and also I'm just an itchy person when anything but cotton or synthetics are touching my skin. Even SmartWool and WigWam (decent brands?) merino wool socks make me a little more itchy than synthetics.
 
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raisins said:
lol....I don't know how to diagram my original sentence, probably missing some commas on my part.

The alpaca is supposed to make some people more itchy than merino.

I'm a bad judge because of the liners and also I'm just an itchy person when anything but cotton or synthetics are touching my skin. Even SmartWool and WigWam (decent brands?) merino wool socks make me a little more itchy than synthetics.
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Hmmm. Alpaca is a smoother fiber (less scale) and no lanolin. May just be advertising, but it's said to be less itchy than Merino.

I don't have any issues with either, so I can't say from experience.

Royal and baby Alpaca are like the Merino of Alpaca with finer fibers for less scratchy itchiness.
 
Plebe said:
Hmmm. Alpaca is a smoother fiber (less scale) and no lanolin. May just be advertising, but it's said to be less itchy than Merino.

I don't have any issues with either, so I can't say from experience.
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Alpaca certainly feels softer to me compared to merino or any material, really. People compare it to cashmere.

Too bad the alpaca jackets I've seen (for casual use) start at $500. A thick, alpaca hunting jacket would probably be a grand. I'm surprised my socks are so cheap in comparison.
 
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