Socks

Darn Tough Mid-weight Hikers

These socks have been a hiking staple of mine for years now. I love the cushion, the durability and the lifetime guarantee. Who makes warranty claims in their socks? I do! I mail them in as I wear them out and have store credits waiting for me when I need my next pair. Tons of colors if that's important to you, all the standard height selections, crew, quarter-crew, etc. And they're a merino wool blend, so they keep your feet warm when wet and they're slightly less stinky then the average sock that been worn for five days straight...

(me displaying my Darn Tough sock, frozen solid somewhere in New Mexico. After thawing, it worked like new! That's what I expect from Darn Toughs!)

Injinji toe sock liners

These are an integral part of my long ditance hiking sock system. Loved by some and equally hated by others, toe socks are literally like gloves for your feet. Each toe securly wrapped in its own little sleeve. They work great for blister preventing by creating a two layer sock in combination with your outer sock, like my Darn Toughs, and the stop your toes from physically rubbing against eachother, something you may not notice until the daily mile really start adding up. Additionally, they're great at wicking moisture away from your feet, keeping them dry mile after mile. Unless of course you ford a creek or something, but even then they dry surprisingly quickly and feel relatively comfortable. They don't last forever and I tend to need to replace them every 250-300 miles on a thru-hike, but with less extreme use they last much longer.

(a rather broken in pair worn by Moose near our home in Washington State)

Wright Socks

These are and have been Bugs favorite hiking sock for many years now. They're a "double wall" sock right out of the package. This means there's no need for a liner sock and an outer sock! They are also much thinner then a Darn Tough or similar merino blend sock and this makes them a great choice for people with warm, sweaty feet or in hotter climates. They don't last as long a merino sock but they don't have the same price tag either, so your sock cost mile by mile is probably pretty similar.