GREG WITT
Author, Trekking Guide
15 days, 120 miles, 30,000 vertical feet. One pair of socks!
I admit it was a giant risk – taking just one pair of socks for a summer of hiking in the Swiss Alps.
I’m an Alpine guide, and I take my clients on some of the most spectacular and scenic mountain trails in the world. In any given summer I’ll hike hundreds of miles and easily wear out a pair of shoes. So I know the value of great hiking socks. A sock is what protects my tender feet from the ravages of the trail and all sorts of weather conditions.
My sock of choice for the Alps is the Kosciuszko Hiker. These socks are 80% pure Tasmanian Merino Wool – the best in the world – so they’re soft and amazingly comfortable. They have superb cushioning and just enough nylon and lycra for support and reinforcement.
The result? I wore these socks every day for two weeks. I washed them out every night. Every morning they were dry and ready for another day of beating. No bagging, no sagging, and they never bunch up under my toes like some other socks. They have a flat toe seam placed on top of the toe, not at the end or underneath, so the seam is completely unnoticeable.
These socks wick like a champ, so my feet were always dry, never cold, and never hot.
I’ve found the perfect socks. The Wilderness Wear Kosciuszko Hiker may be the best hiking socks money can buy. For my money, they are the only socks I will ever use in the Alps.
Make the Most of Your Time on Earth: A Rough Guide to the World (contributing editor)
60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Salt Lake City (Menasha Ridge Press)
Ultimate Adventures: A Rough Guide to Adventure Travel (Rough Guides, September, 2008)
Exploring Havasupai: A Destination Guide to the Heart of the Grand Canyon (Menasha Ridge Press, September 2008
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Gear Review - Wilderness Wear Merino Wool Base Layer - 1/12/2008
I’ve never given an IQ test to a ram, or a ewe for that matter; but those who have agree that sheep are a notch or two dumber than cows and pigs, and certainly far below dogs. How is it then, that sheep are so absolutely astute when it comes to high-performance fabrics?
I’m talking wool, of course – and not just thick socks or that cardigan you wore to last year’s Christmas party, but a 100% Merino wool base layer, suitable for hiking, mountaineering, and a full range of four-season outdoor pursuits. Before you turn up your nose and dredge up memories of those olive-colored, chafing, WWI I surplus pants, know that the soft wool fabrics produced by the top manufacturers today weren’t even available ten years ago.
To discover the secret to the softness, we need to talk sheep again – Merino sheep, a breed originally from Spain, but now producing wool around the world, with the highest quality production coming from Australia and New Zealand. Merino sheep have about four times as many wool fibers per square inch of skin as other breeds of sheep; and the fiber is long-staple, high-quality wool that is exceptionally soft. All Merino wool fibers are less than 24 microns in diameter, about one-fifth the diameter of a human hair. Softer medium grade Merino wool is between 19.6-22.9 microns in diameter and is great for socks and hats. But for the softest wool products on the market, perfect for use as a base layer, look for fine (18.6-19.5) or even superfine (under 18.5 microns) Merino wool.
My choice was a Wilderness Wear 100% Australian Merino wool base layer, which comes in three weights for both the tops and the long john bottoms. The heaviest – great for ice climbing or winter camping – contains 240 grams of wool per square meter of fabric (240 GSM). The mid-weight, my pick for cross country skiing or snowshoeing is rated at 195 GSM. The lightest of the series is 170 GSM and as suitable for summer hiking in the mountains as it is for spring skiing or fall trekking.
You would expect wool to be warm, which it is; but it is also exceptionally breathable, so that it delivers a natural air-conditioning in the summer and comfortable warmth in the winter. Merino wool also has natural water-repellant, flame retardant, odor-resistant, anti-static, and UV-protective qualities. And since wool is 90% keratin – the same fibrous protein found in human hair and skin – you can feel good about having it next to your skin for days on end. The wicking properties of Merino wool are exceptional and unlike polypropylene, each fiber has the ability to absorb some moisture into its cortex without the fabric feeling clammy or damp against the skin. Merino wool is also tough, with a natural elasticity and the ability of each fiber to be twisted and bent over 25,000 times before beginning to show the wear.
Beyond the characteristics of wool, the Wilderness Wear base layer is high on functionality, with flat seams and a more expensive Raglan cut sleeve for added comfort and performance. The high-quality blind stitch hemming in the cuff and collar also allows for plenty of stretch – helpful for a big-headed guy like me.
Some weeks, Greg Witt hikes more miles than he drives, which means he wears out his boots faster than he wears out his tires. Last summer Greg hiked more than 700 miles in the Swiss Alps and in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. In addition to guiding for his company, Alpenwild, Greg is the author of Ultimate Adventures: A Rough Guide to Adventure Travel, and 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Salt Lake City.