bridgedale v. smartwool socks - the debate!

"giles" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I see from other comments that Smartwool and Bridgedale are the best
socks about but cannot decide which ones to buy!

I currently have a mix of different socks and want to buy a set of one
type of socks for lakes district walks, some alpine walks and
mountaineering using 3-4 season boots.

It seems merino wool is the fibre to go for, is this true.
Would appreciate any help you have from previous experience.
thanks
giles

On last years coast to coast walk across Scotland I wore the same pair of
Smartwool Expedition socks for the whole of the way across. For the first
crossing ever I experienced no blisters - not even a rub. So needless to
say I'll be wearing them again for next months crossing.
Cheers!
Runningfox

On 11 Apr 2005 07:30:25 -0700, [email hidden]

(giles) said:

I see from other comments that Smartwool and Bridgedale are the best
socks about but cannot decide which ones to buy!

I currently have a mix of different socks and want to buy a set of one
type of socks for lakes district walks, some alpine walks and
mountaineering using 3-4 season boots.

It seems merino wool is the fibre to go for, is this true.
Would appreciate any help you have from previous experience.
thanks

I can only say that I've found Smartwool socks to be the comfiest I've
every worn. Imo, Bridgedale and Thorlo don't compare. I only use
Smartwool now. Ymmv, though! :-)

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

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On 11 Apr 2005 07:30:25 -0700, [email hidden] (giles)
wrote:

I see from other comments that Smartwool and Bridgedale are the best socks
about but cannot decide which ones to buy! <snip>

I can only say that I've found Smartwool socks to be the comfiest I've every
worn. Imo, Bridgedale and Thorlo don't compare. <snip>

Never tried Smartwool, but I do like my Throlo hikers with Bridgedale
Coolmax as liners.

BTW How can you wear just ONE pair of socks on multi-day trip? Your feet
must be in one h*** of a state at the finish! :-)
--
Andy Crawford
www.chiadfhear.co.uk

Remove "my boots" to e-mail me

Quoted message said:

BTW How can you wear just ONE pair of socks on multi-day trip? Your feet
must be in one h*** of a state at the finish! :-)

Keeps the weight down and saves sack space having one pair. I usually
keep mine on for 2 days, then wash and hope they're dry by the next
morning! I did this in winter once and had to put on socks frozen stiff -
er, don't do this in winter BTW.

Jhimmy

I've had both and think that smartwool are the dogs blx!

(giles) said:

I currently have a mix of different socks and want to buy a set of one
type of socks for lakes district walks, some alpine walks and
mountaineering using 3-4 season boots.

Given the requirement, I would have thought you can buy a pair of
both, and test, then buy more of the one that suits you best ?

I've only recently bought proper walking socks - Smartwool, and the
only thing that makes them slightly less than perfect is the fact that
they keep my feet a little too warm (but not hot). They do regulate
the temperature well ie the temperature doesn't go above this.

I've never used Bridgedale, so can't compare.

Daytona

Andy Crawford <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

BTW How can you wear just ONE pair of socks on multi-day trip? Your feet
must be in one h*** of a state at the finish! :-)

I can wear Bridgedale for about 3 or 4 day walks before they smell of
anything unpleasant. I sniff at 'em when I'm getting my kit ready,
and if they're neutral I stick 'em back in the boots....
--
Gordon Harris

On Mon, 11 Apr 2005 17:44:59 +0100, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I can only say that I've found Smartwool socks to be the comfiest I've
every worn.

Same here. Several people on urw recommended that I try Smartwool
socks. I was regularly suffering from blisters and doubted that mere
socks would help ...... but they did. Of course, this isn't
scientific as I have not tried Bridgedale socks (and I also have a new
way of lacing my boots and I sometimes put tape on my heels too!) but
I do like the Smartwool ones.

Unfortunately, my local Milletts/Blacks don't stock Smartwool socks so
I think I bought mine in Betws y coed. I chose a pair of
"Hillwalking" and a pair of "Expedition Trekking". (Standby for
admission of stupidity.......) I can't get my boots on over the
Expedition ones! They have a lot of padding on the top of the sock
and make my boots much too tight.

I have now bought another pair of the Hillwalking ones and think they
are ace. (I shall keep the Expedition Trekking socks in case I ever
need to break in a pair of clown boots.)

Judith

"giles" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I see from other comments that Smartwool and Bridgedale are the best
socks about but cannot decide which ones to buy!

I've used Bridgedale, Smartwool, and Thorlo--must say the Thorlos work best
for me. On the other hand I'm always fooling with new boots and different
footbeds and can't correlate hosiery to boot experiments, so I'm probably
not much help, except to the folks at Thorlo, whose retirement plans I must
be funding.....

Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the
wonderful person Judith <[email hidden]> said
<snip>

Quoted message said:

(I shall keep the Expedition Trekking socks in case I ever
need to break in a pair of clown boots.)

Just wear them around the house instead of slippers. 8>.

--
GSV Three Minds in a Can
SC recommends the use of Firefox; Get smart, or get assimilated.

On 11/4/05 5:44 pm, in article [email hidden],

Peewiglet said:

I can only say that I've found Smartwool socks to be the comfiest I've
every worn. Imo, Bridgedale and Thorlo don't compare. I only use
Smartwool now. Ymmv, though! :-)

Yep. Smartwool it has to be!

--
Andy Howell
Birmingham, UK

To mail simply put back the dots ...
http://www.ecotrend.org.uk/walking/

Bitstring <BE81EA75.4140D%andy.howellNOSPAM@ecotrendDOTorgDOTuk>, from
the wonderful person Andy Howell
<andy.howellNOSPAM@ecotrendDOTorgDOTuk.?.invalid> said

Quoted message said:

On 11/4/05 5:44 pm, in article [email hidden],

Peewiglet said:

I can only say that I've found Smartwool socks to be the comfiest I've
every worn. Imo, Bridgedale and Thorlo don't compare. I only use
Smartwool now. Ymmv, though! :-)

Yep. Smartwool it has to be!

Mine showed up today .. I guess I should have asked here where to get
them, since the prices seem pretty outrageous (even compared to normal
walking socks).

My 'Coolmax' Brasher 3x3s failed to keep my feet dry last w/end (and I
was road-walking in trainers - OK, 42km, but even so .. plus one of 4
has already worn through heel and toe).

My Coolmax 'Wynsters' have stretched like taffy (the heels are now
somewhere up around my calves), and the cheaper woollen 'walking socks'
just are not comfy, so I guess Smartwool gets a try.

If they do the job, I think I'll have to fly to NY and fill a suitcase -
it'd be cheaper than buying them here (and IIRC no customs duty on
clothing?).

--
GSV Three Minds in a Can
SC recommends the use of Firefox; Get smart, or get assimilated.

On 12/4/05 11:50 pm, in article [email hidden], "GSV Three

Minds in a Can said:

If they do the job, I think I'll have to fly to NY and fill a suitcase -
it'd be cheaper than buying them here (and IIRC no customs duty on
clothing?).

Smartwool have never let me down. They do get scuffed quite quickly but
they simply go on and on. I used to buy 3 new pairs each year but, quite
frankly, don't really need to replace these socks that often.

--
Andy Howell
Birmingham, UK

To mail simply put back the dots ...

Bitstring <BE82B39E.415BD%andy.howellNOSPAM@ecotrendDOTorgDOTuk>, from
the wonderful person Andy Howell
<andy.howellNOSPAM@ecotrendDOTorgDOTuk.?.invalid> said

Quoted message said:

On 12/4/05 11:50 pm, in article [email hidden], "GSV Three

Minds in a Can said:

If they do the job, I think I'll have to fly to NY and fill a suitcase -
it'd be cheaper than buying them here (and IIRC no customs duty on
clothing?).

Smartwool have never let me down. They do get scuffed quite quickly but
they simply go on and on. I used to buy 3 new pairs each year but, quite
frankly, don't really need to replace these socks that often.

But what does that amount to in terms of mileage? I do several thousand
Km a year. 8>.

--
GSV Three Minds in a Can
SC recommends the use of Firefox; Get smart, or get assimilated.

On 13/4/05 11:38 am, in article [email hidden], "GSV Three

Minds in a Can said:

But what does that amount to in terms of mileage? I do several thousand
Km a year. 8>.

I don¹t' know how many kms I do a year, but these socks do stand up with
quite a lot of stick!

--
Andy Howell
Birmingham, UK

To mail simply put back the dots ...

GSV Three Minds in a Can said:

Mine showed up today .. I guess I should have asked here where to get
them, since the prices seem pretty outrageous (even compared to normal
walking socks).

Outrageous ?! Pah! Try SealSkinz Waterproof Long Light at £30 a shot
<g>

FWIW I paid £13 for my Smartwool Hikers.

Daytona

Andy Howell andy.howellNOSPAM@ecotrendDOTorgDOTuk said:

They do get scuffed quite quickly

I noticed that, it's good to know it's just cosmetic !

Daytona

On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 10:31:44 GMT, Andy Howell

andy.howellNOSPAM@ecotrendDOTorgDOTuk said:

Smartwool have never let me down. They do get scuffed quite quickly but
they simply go on and on.

I'd had mine a day when I caught them on some velcro. I was horrifed
at how scuffed and tatty they looked ..... but it's all cosmetic and
it hasn't affected the comfort or durability.

Judith

giles <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I see from other comments that Smartwool and Bridgedale are the best
socks about but cannot decide which ones to buy!

FWIW.
I bought a pair of Bridgedale some years ago and have never bothered to
buy any other make, they are so comfortable, never had a blister.
--
Gordon Harris