Best Survival Socks

Its finally getting cold in Southern California. It was still 80 degrees the first week of December but now, a week before Christmas, I've finally broken out my wool socks.

A Pair of Hand Knit Wool socks. Image courtesy of Flickr user AnnaKika

Keeping your feet both dry and warm in a camping/hiking/survival situation is paramount. You loose a lot of head through your extremities, especially your feet, and this can cause a serious problem when out in the wilderness.

Cotton socks are currently the king of footwear. They're cheap, and comfortable, and many people wear them every day without a problem, But they're not the best choice for winter survival.


Cotton and Moisture

Cotton is a good insulator, and is perfectly capable of keeping your feet warm, so long as they're dry. But cotton absorbs moisture and takes quite a while to loose it. If your socks are locked in your boots for hours they'll probably never get dry.

Moisture in your feet is bad for two main reasons. First, the moisture will make it more likely that your feet blister, which can be a very dangerous thing to have in a survival situation. Second, and most importantly, your feet will freeze. In cold weather survival situations, the general rule is that if you sweat, you die. During the hot of the day its not so bad, and it may even make you feel better, but once the temperature drops, that water will chill you, and possibly kill you.

Since cotton absorbs the moisture, your feet will be swimming in sweat by the time the temperature drops, leading to a very uncomfortable night of possibly frost-bitten feet, if not all out hypothermia.

Wool

Wool is a natural fiber, as is cotton. Wool is an animal fibre, harvested from sheep, who have evolved to survive in cold weather climates. Wool is an excellent insulator, and can retain its insulating capabilities up to 80% even when completely wet. Compare this to Cotton's 0% insulation when wet and it's already the top choice for survival clothing.

Wool is also fire resistant (some claim it's fire proof, but it will burn, you just have to work harder at it to get it lit).

Wool is, however, quite heavy, and itchy to some people. Moreno wool is very soft to the touch and many sock manufacturers use this wool so that your feet don't itch.

Wool also "wicks" water away from itself. Unlike cotton, which absorbs moisture, wool wicks it away from its fibers, meaning that your feet will stay dry. Wool dries faster than cotton, and this property helps it keep bad odors or bacteria away from your feet. 

Wool lasts longer. Its just a more sturdy fiber, so even though you'll be paying anywhere from $7 to $20 dollars a pair, you'll probably save money in the end run as cotton socks last about two years at best with everyday wear. I have wool socks that I purchased 10 years ago and they still fit snugly.

Synthetics

For years the only choice in survival clothing was wool for cold weather. But modern synthetic fibers do offer a few advantages over wool socks.

I think the chihuahua might like some socks too.
Courtesy of flickr user hojusaram

Primarily synthetics are used because they are cheaper to mass produce. Wool requires a living sheep, synthetics are man-made and can be mass produced very inexpensively. Most wool socks are in fact blends of synthetic materials including nylon, polyester and spandex.

As a general rule, synthetic materials are lighter than wool. They insulate just as well, and depending on the blend perhaps even better, than wool. Although they don't retain as much insulating power when wet, they dry quite a bit faster and offer superior moisture wicking capabilities.

It is the moisture wicking power of synthetic materials that have brought them into the cold weather sock market. Synthetics simply wick better than wool does.

The Blend

Most wool socks are a blend of other synthetic materials which offer both increased comfort as well as better moisture wicking. What type of blend is best for you?

Generally speaking in moderate cold weather you'll want something around 30% wool, in very cold weather (or in situations where you feet may be soaked) you'll want to go with 60% to 100% wool (if you can find it). In this situation you may want to think about getting a moisture wicking liner sock which will move all the moisture produced by your feet away from the skin. As a general guideline this is what I use to make my sock purchasing decisions

55 degree weather or higher: ~<30% wool, ~30% Acrylic, ~25% nylon, ~8-10% polyester, 1% spandex.

I got these numbers from averaging out the blends of my socks that I currently have.

For very cold weather, you'll want something like this: 70% wool, ~30% nylon, 1% spandex. This would be in addition to a moisture wicking liner sock.

We see that the wool blend increases for colder weather situations due to wool's superior insulation abilities (when wet) over other fibers. The spandex is added in to help the sock be stretchy, the nylon helps with the moisture wicking. Acrylic is a synthetic fiber that acts as a wool substitute.

A Note on Wool Care

Wool is more durable than cotton, and since it retains less moisture it doesn't culture bacteria as easily. Because of this, you'll need to wash your wool socks far less often (so long as they are allowed to air dry between uses). However, at some point you may find a need to throw those socks in the wash.

Wool has natural oils that can be ruined if washed improperly.

The best method is the hand wash in cold water. The agitation of a washing machine, along with detergent may damage the wool items.

Soak the socks in cold water for an hour before washing, this will prevent the wool from loosing its shape. Use a minimal amount of soap, which should be specifically designed for washing wool products. Allow to air dry, which will take about 24 hours depending on the amount of wool.