In normal 3-season conditions, I carry just two pairs of socks. In wet climates I carry a “daytime” pair and a “sleeping” pair, whereas in dry climates I carry two “daytime” pairs. But there’s slightly more to it than that.
This is the first of what I hope will become a more regular feature here, especially now that I have this slick new blog feature.
The format is simple: short tips on specific equipment, supplies or skills.
If you’d like me to address a particular subject in the next installment, leave a comment for me. If you’d like to read more content like this, you can find much more in my book, The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide.
In dry environments, I wash each pair of socks daily and dry them in my pack's compression straps.
My Three-Season Sock Systems
Unless it’s the winter or the deep shoulder season (early Spring or late Fall, for northern states), I carry just two pairs of socks with me.
In dry environments, when my feet rarely (if ever) get wet, I alternate between two identical “daytime” pairs. I wear Pair A for the first half of the day, then swap into Pair B for the second half of the day. After taking off Pair A mid-day, I wash them and loop them through my backpack’s compression straps to dry. They are dry and clean when I pull into camp, at which time I put them back on and sleep in them. Before going to bed or first thing in the morning (depending on nighttime temperatures and water access), I wash Pair B, which are dry and clean when I put them on mid-day.
In wet environments, I have a “daytime” pair and a “sleeping” pair. The daytime pair gets wet and stays wet: I put them on wet in the morning and take them off wet at night. The sleeping pair always stays dry, so that my feet get at least eight hours of dry and warm bliss each night. Without this recovery time, plus a few other tricks, my feet wouldn’t be able to withstand the daily abuse that they do.
Why not carry more than two pairs of socks in wet environments, so that at least occasionally I could hike in dry socks? Because in prolonged wet conditions, I’ve learned that trying to keep my feet dry is futile: water comes in through the ankle opening, drips down my legs, or soaks through “waterproof-breathable” liners; or I simply get wet from the inside, through trapped perspiration. Instead, it’s more productive to focus on my efforts on attainable results: negating the effects of having wet feet. See the sample page, “Tried & True: How to care for your feet,” for that information.
The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide: Tools & Techniques to Hit the Trail 
Looking forward to reading more regular blog posts! Can you explain your glove/mitt system for the Alaska/Yukon trip. I’ve spent over $100 on liner gloves and mitts but I can’t keep my hands reliably warm in temps below 20 degrees, unless I’m really exerting myself. Snowshoeing quickly in deep snow might be enough to keep my hands (and the rest of me) warm but not road walking for example.
Thanks!
What is “deep shoulder season”? Is that like late fall, early spring? Also, I don’t know if this is really something you’d cover in this section, but what do you do to keep your mind engaged on these long trips? This summer I tried hiking the AT, and eventually pulled off because of the sheer monotony, boredom etc. What are your techniques for dealing with this?
As for future topics, here’s a thought. Like you, much of my trips are either solo or with competent friends I barely need to tend to. However, on recent group outings I have “led”, I march onward naively thinking others will be fine, then find a hotspot has turned to blister, a snowshoe binding crapped out, a few stragglers got tired and turned back, etc. I need the forethought to head off these problems before they start. What tips can you share in group travel to help ensure a successful outing? You mentioned “insisting” others are diligent on footcare. -good. I learned to be sure I have a competent “sweeper” to tend to anyone at the back of the pack., etc. Thanks for your thoughts.
Do you wash out your socks just by rinsing them out in clean water, or do you use a little soap before rinsing such as Dr. Bronner’s?
Great post. Feature post, love to here more about your thoughts on packs. You haven’t posted anything that I’ve seen since you were using old Golite Jam2 packs for most of your trips. These packs have evolved and I see you’ve used new packs on your Alaskan trips. Love to hear your thoughts on them.
Mr. Skurka,
I’ve been trying to make the transition from hiking boots to trail runners. Do you have any advice on what to look for in a shoe? Finding one that fits seems harder than I had predicted. What I think fits in the store doesn’t work on the trail. Can you suggest any techniques for testing a shoe fit before damaging it too much? How important is the grip of the shoe? My last shoe felt nice but was really slippery on anything icy, wet or even flat rock surfaces but it was great in mud and gravel. It also didn’t have much wiggle room if my feet decided to swell. What kind of sole should I be looking for or which ones should I avoid? I am hoping to hike in the Grand Canyon come Spring time.
Thanks,
christy-lynn
Great advice! Pretty much what I do now, but I have been packing that third pair of socks a little too often. I agree that two should be enough and will be trying that on my next trip, no matter what the conditions.
Andrew, on your earlier website or some other discussion on line you had explained your choice of going with Silnylon instead of Cuben fiber on your shelter. I can’t find what you said here and wonder if you could repost or put up a discussion on the comparisons and your view of those materials.