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Darn Tough

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    • Darn Tough socks are probably the most recommend socks among hikers. It's the only thing I wear (everyday, not just hiking). Sometimes I hear complaints about their fit. I have always said they need time to confirm to your foot to fit right. I now can document this. I just got a new pair of my favorites, micro crew cushion oatmeal. Compared to my old pair, you can see how much the old ones have been broken in. Note that I wear size 12 shoes which is at the upper end of the range to fit these size L socks, so I may stretch them out more than most.

    • I wear 13 and still get the large. The XL are too loose and seem to "squish" around on me after 20 wearings and washings. I like the oatmeal color also but am wearing a bunch of the charcoal that I got when I still worked (Retired in 2018). I've never sent any back because they wear great and it takes me a few years to wear them out.
      Pirating – Corporate Takeover without the paperwork
    • Mine seem to shrink instead of stretch and I'm hand washing and air drying. They get just too darn tight across the top of the foot. I've even tried stretching them by stuffing them for days. Maybe I to stuff them when they are wet????
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference
    • jimmyjam wrote:

      Mine seem to shrink instead of stretch and I'm hand washing and air drying. They get just too darn tight across the top of the foot. I've even tried stretching them by stuffing them for days. Maybe I to stuff them when they are wet????
      how often do you wash them? I wear a pair for at least a week, maybe two before washing them. Their anti stink property is remarkable.
    • odd man out wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      Mine seem to shrink instead of stretch and I'm hand washing and air drying. They get just too darn tight across the top of the foot. I've even tried stretching them by stuffing them for days. Maybe I to stuff them when they are wet????
      how often do you wash them? I wear a pair for at least a week, maybe two before washing them. Their anti stink property is remarkable.
      Same here, usually 5 to 7 days for whenever I hit town/hostel. Over that with 100 Mile Wilderness.

      Last two hikes this summer (AT & CT) I wore Merino Wool shirt instead of usual Under Armour. Not as durable, but a whole lot better smelling. :)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Since we are bragging about how long we go without changing... :)

      I wore 100% merino shirt and shorts for my two weeks in CA for the PCT. Wore them into a shower when I on my breaks to keep them clean, but little else. As far as I could tell, they never smelled. At least no one complained about sitting next to me on the flight home. :)

      I brought two pairs of darn tough socks, but I wish I had brought more. It takes a while for the socks to get stinky, but they will (the shoes especially). The real problem is that they pick up dust on those desert hikes that eventually makes the socks abrasive causing blisters and hot spots. Hiking in the east not a problem, plenty of water to give them a wash every day. But in the desert I just had to live with it. I was a little mad at myself because I knew better, but only packed two pairs. I will not make that mistake again.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • odd man out wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      Mine seem to shrink instead of stretch and I'm hand washing and air drying. They get just too darn tight across the top of the foot. I've even tried stretching them by stuffing them for days. Maybe I to stuff them when they are wet????
      how often do you wash them? I wear a pair for at least a week, maybe two before washing them. Their anti stink property is remarkable.
      When I'm hiking I wear them only a day or two before "field washing". Not because of any stink, but because of the dirt which causes hot spots and blisters.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference
    • IMScotty wrote:

      Since we are bragging about how long we go without changing... :)

      I wore 100% merino shirt and shorts for my two weeks in CA for the PCT. Wore them into a shower when I on my breaks to keep them clean, but little else. As far as I could tell, they never smelled. At least no one complained about sitting next to me on the flight home. :)

      I brought two pairs of darn tough socks, but I wish I had brought more. It takes a while for the socks to get stinky, but they will (the shoes especially). The real problem is that they pick up dust on those desert hikes that eventually makes the socks abrasive causing blisters and hot spots. Hiking in the east not a problem, plenty of water to give them a wash every day. But in the desert I just had to live with it. I was a little mad at myself because I knew better, but only packed two pairs. I will not make that mistake again.
      Ever try gaiters to keep the sand/dirt out?
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Astro wrote:

      Ever try gaiters to keep the sand/dirt out?
      I do not use them , but I have observed others do. I think in the desert, it is a losing battle anyway.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier

      The post was edited 2 times, last by IMScotty: Edited to correct my terrible spelling :) ().

    • IMScotty wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      Ever try gaiters to keep the sand/dirt out?
      I do not use them , but I have observed others do. I think in the desert, it is a losing battle anyway.
      Likewise in the swamp. On my Nothville-Placid sorta-thru hike, my socks were always full of mud. I used a lot of Gurney Goo and brought three or four pair. At every stop, I washed the ones I had on and put on whichever pair was driest, which helped only to the next mud hole or ford. Don't think gaiters would have helped much, I wore lightweight New Balance trail runners so at least they'd dry fast if i hit a solid stretch.
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.