In no particular order will I be blogging about the gear, restaurants
I tried, nor the places I visited over the last few months.
I
try to do a bit of research before I make any purchases, but I always
find that first-hand recommendations, and of course trying it myself is
the only way to find out if the gear is right for me. Unfortunately,
unlike some of my friends to the South, I'm not allowed to return gear
haphazardly. Returns here can't be made after a specified time period,
or after its been used. Such a disadvantage to my wallet!
I'll
start with my socks. I'm dumfounded by the selection of socks these
days. Whatever happened to the plain-old, white tube socks. At least
they don't have to be knee-high, cotton socks anymore! So I've ask
friends and ultramarathon athletes abound. I narrowed down the list to a
few brands: Teko, Inijinji, and Balega. (Don't ask me the correct
pronunciation of any of them.)
I did try Fox River
the last time I volunteered in the desert. I didn't like them because
they felt too synthetic and slippery. They also gave me sore spots on my
feet, so they didn't make the list for this trip.
I'll
tell you now, I was wearing Salomon XT Wings 2 GTX, with my custom
orthotics. The GoreTex shoe gave no breathability so no matter what
socks I wore, my feet absolutely stunk!! I discovered that it was the
orthotic that held the smell in.
Injinji - Outdoor Series, Crew-cut, Original Weight - 1/5 stars
I'll
start with the worst of the 3 for me: Injinji. Firstly, you have to
get over the fact they're toe socks. I was never a fan of thong sandles,
so this took a while to get use to. Kind of fun to wear if your feet
are cold, but that's about it. I've been told that they help prevent
blisters between your toes - which I got last time I walked 10 kms
through sand dunes - so I gave them a try. The material feels nice.
However, with the extra material between the toes, it spread my toes
apart making my foot wider across the ball of the foot. This gave me
pinch points in my shoes on the sides of my foot, so these were a
write-off!
Balega - Hidden Dry, Low Thickness - 4/5 stars
These
worked out very well. The cut is perfect, just enough to cover so your
shoe doesn't rub on your ankles, and the sock doesn't slide down into
the shoe. Thin enough for breathability, but allows enough cushioning to
prevent blisters. Since they are so thin, they hand wash easily and dry
quickly. They also worked great as a second layer over my Bauerfeind
compression socks. I didn't have a single blister or sore spots on my
feet after walking a continuous 18 kms.
Balega - Enduro Quarter, Medium Thickness, Cushioned Performance - 4/5 stars
Like
fluffy pillows on your feet! These are a great all-round workout sock.
Nicely cushioned in the right spots, without feeling bulky like a thick
wool sock. These take a little longer to dry after a hand wash, but they
feel nicer on your feet than a merino wool sock.
Teko eVapor8 Light MiniCrew Socks - 2/5 stars
I
was convinced to get few pairs of Teko socks after my best friend swore
by them, saying that she had no blisters, or smelly socks after our
hike of the W Trail 5 years ago. I had also tried the Teko ski socks
recently and thought they were the best ski socks I'd ever tried in my
life! I was sadly disappointed by the putrid smell the hiking socks took
on from my orthotics. I hand washed the socks several times, but to no
avail. It wasn't until I got them home an into a proper washing machine,
when they finally lost their smell. Overall comfort was satisfactory,
but paled in comparison to the Balega Enduro Quarters.
All-in-all,
I wouldn't buy the Injinji or Teko Hiking socks again, but Teko Ski
Socks are fabulous - toasty toes, and nice padding in the shins!
*I am not sponsored by, or endorsed by any brands that I review on my site. All reviews are based on my personal opinion.
