richardglyon
2005-08-19 22:23:02 UTC
Another longtime favorite:
OWNER REVIEW FILSON HEAVYWEIGHT MERINO WOOL SOCKS
August __, 2005
Product: Filson Heavyweight Merino Wool Socks
Reviewer: Richard Lyon (backpacking profile at end of review)
Manufacturer: C. C. Filson Co.
URL www.filson.com
Year of manufacture: 1995 - 2005
Year of Purchase: 1995 - 2005
Length: 12 inches (32 cm) standard size; 18 inches (48 cm) over-the-
calf, in each case from the heel to the top of the sock
Weight per pair, as measured (not listed on manufacturer's site):
7.0 oz (198 g) for size XL standard, 9.5 oz (289 g) for size XL over-
the-calf
Color: Gray
Fabric: 84% virgin Merino wool/15% nylon/1% Lycra® spandex
MSRP: USD 24.50 standard; USD 30 over-the-calf
Sizes available: Unisex Medium (fits men's US sizes 6-9), Large (9-
12), Extra Large (12-16)
Similar Products: Filson also sells Lightweight and Midweight Merino
Wool Socks. Some of these are available in colors other than gray.
Warranty: "Filson guarantees its products will perform to your
satisfaction."
Fabric and Design: From Filson's website: "Only comfortable,
wickable 100% Merino wool touches your foot. Then, to reduce wear
and make socks last longer, we added nylon -- but only in the socks'
outer surface -- especially in the heel and toe. A special knitting
technique makes this possible." (N.B. Many hiking socks that are
primarily synthetic have some wool and many natural wool socks
(including the Heavyweights) have some synthetic. I use the term
synthetic in this review to refer to any sock with less than 75%
natural wool content.)
As with all Filson products, function trumps flash; these
socks have an altogether ordinary appearance. They are available
only in pale gray. A Lycra band at the top of the sock has a
lighter gray color, and on newer purchases I can detect a slightly
lighter shade on the toes and heels. "Filson" is printed in plain
green type just below the toe line. This bit of advertising is of
course visible only when the socks aren't inside my boots, and I
like this feature as it makes it easier to pick the Filsons out of
the sock drawer.
Why I Use Them: Ten years ago I bought my first pair of Heavyweights
because they were the bulkiest wool or wicking synthetic sock I
could find. I have a long, narrow foot (US size 12-B) and favor
thick socks, even at the expense of unnecessary insulation, to
reduce movement inside my boots. This concern has increased as
fewer bootmakers offer a narrow width boot off the shelf. (My
thanks to Danner for continuing to look after me in this regard.)
That's still an important reason why I keep using these socks. A
decade's favorable experience is another.
When and Where I Use Them. For me, these are strictly athletic
socks. In my temperate home climate I find the Heavyweights too
warm for casual use, even in winter. From my first pair ten years
ago through this writing the Heavyweights have been my socks of
choice for snowshoeing and backcountry and in-bounds telemark skiing
and for year-round hiking whenever I expect to carry 30 pounds (12.5
kg) or heavier loads. (That's most of my backpacking, as for me
even overnighters or three-day trips normally mean a large pack and
some camp extravagances.) I prefer the over-the-calf version for
winter sports, for additional warmth, while the lower-cut standards
reduce insulation and take up less pack room when backpacking in
other seasons. When hiking I always wear these socks with thin wool
or synthetic liner socks. A liner isn't necessary when wearing my
plastic tele boots.
What I Think of Them. I have tried socks with a higher synthetic
content with mixed success (best results with Smartwool products),
but in my experience no synthetic wicks moisture away any more
effectively than wool. That's especially true in winter. After a
full day of hard skiing, when wet feet mean cold feet, these socks
and my feet are drier than my boot liners.
Boots carry more blame than socks for blisters, of course, and I
have occasionally developed blisters when hiking in the
Heavyweights. But every little bit helps. I've found no sock of
any kind with the bulk of the Heavyweights, and that bulk, I am
convinced, does lower the blister risk. The Heavyweights
immediately improved the condition of my feet (and consequently of
my general attitude) when wearing a not-quite-broken-in pair of
standard width all-leather Scarpa boots on a long steep hike in
Montana.
These socks are heavy (a pair of similarly sized Smartwool Hikers
weighs five ounces (142 g), about 30% less) and I'm sure that my
feet are hotter on a warm summer day on a steep trail when I wear
them. More bulk and a very tight weave mean less breatheability
than any lighter sock and probably less breatheability than a
synthetic. Comparing against any other sock with a liner and heavy
boot, though, the difference is marginal.
The Heavyweights dry more slowly than higher synthetic-content
socks. Again the difference is marginal. In the Rockies in summer
everything dries quickly when it's dry or not at all when it's damp.
One final advantage: It usually gets chilly in the evenings in high
country, and my custom is to change into clean socks in camp after
the day's hiking is done, for comfort and warmth. Short of cashmere
or alpaca there is nothing cozier than natural Merino fibers against
my skin far less scratchy than a synthetic.
Do They Last? While I haven't made any scientific comparisons, I
believe these socks last longer than higher-synthetic counterparts.
In the field I wash my socks by hand and dry them in the sun; at
home it's mild soap, usually Ivory or Woolite, and delicate cycle
with cold water in the washer followed by line drying. On those
occasions when I get lazy and use the dryer (on the lowest heat
setting, delicate cycle) there's minor shrinkage, but the socks
stretch back to normal size when pulled on my feet. Unlike
synthetics, I've encountered very little pilling, and there's less
fabric "erosion" on the heels from washing or wear and tear than on
my other hiking and ski socks. The only pair of Heavyweights I've
disposed of in the last five years met the same fate as my homework
chewed up by my Great Pyrenees puppy.
Will I keep Buying Them? As long as Filson sells 'em. Filson is now
108 years old, so that's likely to be for the rest of my lifetime.
Backpacking background:
Male, 59 years old
6' 4" (1.91 m) tall, 200 lb (91 kg)
Email address: rlyon-RbfoTPPwhLi1h8DMDp+***@public.gmane.org
Home: Dallas, Texas USA
I've been backpacking for 45 years on and off, and regularly in the
Rockies since I moved to Texas in 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 13,000 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. Regardless of type of
trip, I'll tote a few extra pounds to have the camp conveniences
I've come to expect.
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page
http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/V4TolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
To read our reviews, please visit http://www.backpackgeartest.org/
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BackpackGearTest/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
BackpackGearTest-unsubscribe-***@public.gmane.org
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
OWNER REVIEW FILSON HEAVYWEIGHT MERINO WOOL SOCKS
August __, 2005
Product: Filson Heavyweight Merino Wool Socks
Reviewer: Richard Lyon (backpacking profile at end of review)
Manufacturer: C. C. Filson Co.
URL www.filson.com
Year of manufacture: 1995 - 2005
Year of Purchase: 1995 - 2005
Length: 12 inches (32 cm) standard size; 18 inches (48 cm) over-the-
calf, in each case from the heel to the top of the sock
Weight per pair, as measured (not listed on manufacturer's site):
7.0 oz (198 g) for size XL standard, 9.5 oz (289 g) for size XL over-
the-calf
Color: Gray
Fabric: 84% virgin Merino wool/15% nylon/1% Lycra® spandex
MSRP: USD 24.50 standard; USD 30 over-the-calf
Sizes available: Unisex Medium (fits men's US sizes 6-9), Large (9-
12), Extra Large (12-16)
Similar Products: Filson also sells Lightweight and Midweight Merino
Wool Socks. Some of these are available in colors other than gray.
Warranty: "Filson guarantees its products will perform to your
satisfaction."
Fabric and Design: From Filson's website: "Only comfortable,
wickable 100% Merino wool touches your foot. Then, to reduce wear
and make socks last longer, we added nylon -- but only in the socks'
outer surface -- especially in the heel and toe. A special knitting
technique makes this possible." (N.B. Many hiking socks that are
primarily synthetic have some wool and many natural wool socks
(including the Heavyweights) have some synthetic. I use the term
synthetic in this review to refer to any sock with less than 75%
natural wool content.)
As with all Filson products, function trumps flash; these
socks have an altogether ordinary appearance. They are available
only in pale gray. A Lycra band at the top of the sock has a
lighter gray color, and on newer purchases I can detect a slightly
lighter shade on the toes and heels. "Filson" is printed in plain
green type just below the toe line. This bit of advertising is of
course visible only when the socks aren't inside my boots, and I
like this feature as it makes it easier to pick the Filsons out of
the sock drawer.
Why I Use Them: Ten years ago I bought my first pair of Heavyweights
because they were the bulkiest wool or wicking synthetic sock I
could find. I have a long, narrow foot (US size 12-B) and favor
thick socks, even at the expense of unnecessary insulation, to
reduce movement inside my boots. This concern has increased as
fewer bootmakers offer a narrow width boot off the shelf. (My
thanks to Danner for continuing to look after me in this regard.)
That's still an important reason why I keep using these socks. A
decade's favorable experience is another.
When and Where I Use Them. For me, these are strictly athletic
socks. In my temperate home climate I find the Heavyweights too
warm for casual use, even in winter. From my first pair ten years
ago through this writing the Heavyweights have been my socks of
choice for snowshoeing and backcountry and in-bounds telemark skiing
and for year-round hiking whenever I expect to carry 30 pounds (12.5
kg) or heavier loads. (That's most of my backpacking, as for me
even overnighters or three-day trips normally mean a large pack and
some camp extravagances.) I prefer the over-the-calf version for
winter sports, for additional warmth, while the lower-cut standards
reduce insulation and take up less pack room when backpacking in
other seasons. When hiking I always wear these socks with thin wool
or synthetic liner socks. A liner isn't necessary when wearing my
plastic tele boots.
What I Think of Them. I have tried socks with a higher synthetic
content with mixed success (best results with Smartwool products),
but in my experience no synthetic wicks moisture away any more
effectively than wool. That's especially true in winter. After a
full day of hard skiing, when wet feet mean cold feet, these socks
and my feet are drier than my boot liners.
Boots carry more blame than socks for blisters, of course, and I
have occasionally developed blisters when hiking in the
Heavyweights. But every little bit helps. I've found no sock of
any kind with the bulk of the Heavyweights, and that bulk, I am
convinced, does lower the blister risk. The Heavyweights
immediately improved the condition of my feet (and consequently of
my general attitude) when wearing a not-quite-broken-in pair of
standard width all-leather Scarpa boots on a long steep hike in
Montana.
These socks are heavy (a pair of similarly sized Smartwool Hikers
weighs five ounces (142 g), about 30% less) and I'm sure that my
feet are hotter on a warm summer day on a steep trail when I wear
them. More bulk and a very tight weave mean less breatheability
than any lighter sock and probably less breatheability than a
synthetic. Comparing against any other sock with a liner and heavy
boot, though, the difference is marginal.
The Heavyweights dry more slowly than higher synthetic-content
socks. Again the difference is marginal. In the Rockies in summer
everything dries quickly when it's dry or not at all when it's damp.
One final advantage: It usually gets chilly in the evenings in high
country, and my custom is to change into clean socks in camp after
the day's hiking is done, for comfort and warmth. Short of cashmere
or alpaca there is nothing cozier than natural Merino fibers against
my skin far less scratchy than a synthetic.
Do They Last? While I haven't made any scientific comparisons, I
believe these socks last longer than higher-synthetic counterparts.
In the field I wash my socks by hand and dry them in the sun; at
home it's mild soap, usually Ivory or Woolite, and delicate cycle
with cold water in the washer followed by line drying. On those
occasions when I get lazy and use the dryer (on the lowest heat
setting, delicate cycle) there's minor shrinkage, but the socks
stretch back to normal size when pulled on my feet. Unlike
synthetics, I've encountered very little pilling, and there's less
fabric "erosion" on the heels from washing or wear and tear than on
my other hiking and ski socks. The only pair of Heavyweights I've
disposed of in the last five years met the same fate as my homework
chewed up by my Great Pyrenees puppy.
Will I keep Buying Them? As long as Filson sells 'em. Filson is now
108 years old, so that's likely to be for the rest of my lifetime.
Backpacking background:
Male, 59 years old
6' 4" (1.91 m) tall, 200 lb (91 kg)
Email address: rlyon-RbfoTPPwhLi1h8DMDp+***@public.gmane.org
Home: Dallas, Texas USA
I've been backpacking for 45 years on and off, and regularly in the
Rockies since I moved to Texas in 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 13,000 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. Regardless of type of
trip, I'll tote a few extra pounds to have the camp conveniences
I've come to expect.
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page
http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/V4TolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
To read our reviews, please visit http://www.backpackgeartest.org/
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BackpackGearTest/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
BackpackGearTest-unsubscribe-***@public.gmane.org
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/