Hiking Socks
Hiking as well as other outdoor activities are meant to be fun, provide you with great exercise, and hopefully be an educational experience as well. Being in the outdoors is something that everyone can enjoy, but it is also important to keep in mind that during hiking, camping, or just about any other outdoor activity, you will be far from home and you should be well-prepared. The last thing you want is to get blisters on your feet, or risk more serious injuries from having inappropriate gear or clothing.
This page is meant to give you tips on what kind of hiking socks are the best for your outing. Socks seem like a somewhat un-important aspect of the overall experience, but your socks are the first line of protection for your feet. Socks are also important to make sure you are stepping comfortably and your walking technique is not hampered. If you walk for a number of miles with poor or unbalanced walking technique, that can put strain on your joints like your hips, knees or ankles.
Ultra Light Hiking Socks
Importance of Hiking Socks
Yes, the socks! You must absolutely have comfortable and hopefully cushioned socks. If you do not, you may get blisters after a few miles of hiking, which will make the rest of your hike less enjoyable and make you feel more fatigued as the hike goes on. Developing blisters on your feet is the beginning of having a healthy outdoor experience become miserable, unhealthy and even damaging.
When you develop blisters, you begin to walk unevenly to put less pressure on your foot which has the blister. By walking unevenly, you redistribute the weight on your body to all your joints in an uneven manner. Since hikes usually go on for many miles, you can begin to irritate different joints and in some cases inflammation can occur, which can lead to further injury. Having the right kind of hiking socks can help prevent all of this from happening and keep your feet feeling comfortable and healthy. Socks are probably the cheapest part of all hiking gear and can help reduce the risk of injury and increase your level of enjoyment from the experience. Take a closer look at hiking socks and why they are such an important part of your outdoor wardrobe.
Consider the Weather
If you are hiking in good weather, probably the last thing you want are heavy socks and hiking boots that weigh you down and make your feet hot. Cold weather makes the decision easy because the thick wool socks will help you stay warm, but in case of hot weather you have to make the decision of whether you want comfort and blister-protection, or do not want your feet to get too hot.
Consider the Length of Your Hike
If you are going on a short hike, your gear will not make as much of a difference than it would if you were trekking for many hours or even days. If you go on a walk that is just a few miles, your socks might not matter much. If you do plan on a long hike, it is very important that you pick good socks that will help protect your feet from blisters from repetitive rubbing, and other repetitive stress injuries.
Join Us On Some Adventures
While we hope you found this article helpful, this site offers much more than that. You can join or lead hikes, and participate in community created maps for different aspects of hiking. Additionally, you can plan your hikes by visiting the trailhead map, plan out your trips and add trailheads you know of so that others can have more knowledge when planning their trips.