SealSkinz

Waterproof socks may not immediately appeal to everyone. Perhaps they should. Anyone who ventures into the backcountry could benefit from Dupont's SealSkinz. From canyoneering, paddle sports, crossing streams while backpacking or hiking, to cross country skiing and snowshoeing, keeping your feet dry is usually a good idea. Other uses include golf, gardening, walking, and outdoor professions (e.g. construction).

SealSkinz Moisture Vapor Transpiration (MVT) construction makes the socks waterproof and breathable. The sock consists of three layers: the outer layer of abrasion resistant fabric yields durability; the middle MVT layer allows moisture to escape, but prevents water from entering; and the third inner layer of DuPont CoolMax (All-Season and All Sport models) or ThermaStat (insulated socks) wick moisture away from skin, spreading moisture throughout the sock where it forms water vapor and escapes through the MVT layer. The three layers are laminated together to be sure they won't come apart.

From a comfort perspective, the SealSkinz seamless construction is the real key to the socks usability. The socks feature a form-fitting stretch with no seams. A special MVT membrane in the middle layer allows seamless construction, which means no blisters and no seams to tape or leak.

SealSkinz come in several models. We tested the Over-the-Calf socks which have a nylon/lycra spandex cuff that keeps them from slipping off the calf. The Over-the-Calf socks come only in black. The All-Season and Sport versions offer tundra or black.

Our crew put SealSkinz Over-the-Calf sock to the test in Southern Utah's slot canyons in September and snowshoeing in Utah's Wasatch mountains in January. Every one who tested agreed that the SealSkinz made both the water hike and the snowshoeing better.

In the water, the socks keep your feet dry, or at least they keep the water outside from getting to your feet. We found that our feet tended to retain sweat more than with regular socks, but not uncomfortably so. Wearing a pair of polypro liners under the SealSkinz helped to keep our feet drier. We were quite pleased with the Over-the-Calf socks while canyoneering–walking about 50% or more each day through a creek varying from just a few inches to about 18 inches deep. Taking the socks off, we found the water to be colder than we had noticed with the Sealskinz on (so we put them back on!)

The SealSkinz kept our feet warm, and more importantly dry, in 20 degree weather snowshoeing. Since most people wear snow gaitors for winter outdoor activities, the Over-the-Calf aren't necessary for dryness on the calf. SealSkinz regular socks would work just as well, or in very cold weather, the insulated socks would add extra warmth to your feet.

Conclusion: We'll continue using our SealSkinz whenever our activities take us through water or snow for extended periods and our feet will thank us for it.

SealSkinz come in Men's and Women's sizes S,M,L,XL at an MSRP of 34.99 for the Over-the Calf and insulated socks.

Contact Dupont at www.sealskinz.com or 800-868-2629.