WATER 💦 PROOF SOCKS REVIEW - SEALSKINZ | How to keep your feet dry in the outdoors !
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- Опубліковано 23 сер 2024
- Is there a way to keep your feet dry & warm while being active In the outdoors?
The answer is YES !
I want to time-travel back to a late January hike experience in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
On this “WINTER HIKE FAILURE” trip, I found myself in a dangerous situation. The temperatures were in the low 20’s, the wind chill was dropping, there was increasing snow accumulation the higher I went in elevation, and my feet were punching through a thin layer of ice where little running trail streams were ankle deep.
The trail streams had been been warmed the previous day and just the thin icy crust was left on the top where newly fallen snow could accumulate to cover these little watery ice-traps.
With each step, my feet became increasingly more & more uncomfortable - tingling led to biting, biting led to stinging, stinging led to numbness, and numbness…. well you know by the description, this had become a real situation.
With another 8 miles left, once I reached the ridge top of the Appalachian Trail that traverses the ancient peaks of the southern Appalachian Mountain Range, time was quickly slipping away and I knew with my slowed, numbed pace, I would have a couple of hours of night-hiking.
While my slept system gear was more than adequate to handle the extremely cold night, the stinging numbness caused better judgement to prevail. Being solo in the backcountry is a place where real harm can result from poor judgement.
Upon this realization, I promptly reversed my course, back-tracking the trail from whence I’d came safely arriving back at my automobile with only my pride harmed.
After trips or incidents in the backcountry, I replay the scenario in my mind and attempt to study - “Did I make the right judgement-call?” The answer to this question for this specific trek was a resounding yes ! The other question is - “ What could’ve I done differently?”
Fast forward a few days and after putting out my UA-cam video,
“HIKING THE ELKMONT AREA | EP 1 - GSMNP WINTER HIKE FAILURE”
[link to video • HIKING THE ELKMONT ARE... ] , new UA-cam friend - Miyagi On The Trail suggested I look into “SEALSKINZ WATER PROOF SOCKS.”
Like any backpacking gear junkie, I promptly scoured the internet looking, studying, comparing, and of course… watching video on the product. This seemed like a reasonable solution to my previously mentioned dangerous situation. So I purchased a pair and placed them in my hiking gear storage bin and waited for an opportunity to use them.
That opportunity presented itself as a friend & I decided to do a late November/December hike in the Smokies the following year.
On the 3rd day, we were to have multiple water-crossings on the selected trail. This was a trail I must do in my attempt to hike all 900 miles of trails in the National Park.
The day came and we donned our SEALSKINZ WATERPROOF SOCKS and set out to cover the 8+ miles. (Side story - after my hiking partner had watched and listened to the story I am giving account to here, he decided he would buy a pair too.)
Now back to the story, I was hesitant to hike in them, not knowing how truly breathable they actually were. I Donned my typical DarnTough Merino wool socks and slid the SEALSKINZ over them, making sure to expose my skin at the HydroStop membrane as suggested by the manufacturer.
We set out hiking, cover about 5-6 miles, and around mile 6 or so, the onslaught of stream & creek-crossings were upon us. We stepped into the water and to our surprise, our feet were shielded from the normally freezing mountain water. No leaks, no seeps, no egress of water into the top of the sock when the entire leg was submerged in a knee-deep pool.
SUCCESS !
After arriving back to my automobile, I immediately remove my soaked trail-runners and peel off the SEALSKINZ WATERPROOF SOCKS to confirmation…
these socks are truly waterproof.
SEALSKINZ…., where have you been all of my hiking career ?!?
Now…, as I am planning upcoming #GSMNP900MILERMAP backcountry treks, those hikes where I will have to traverse back & forth across creeks and streams don’t seem so daunting… anymore !
What an asset these will be in the coming years.
See you all on the trail,
JBEN⚡️HIKES
THIS PRODUCT CAN BE OBTAINED ON RETAIL SITES SUCH AS:
www.sealskinzusa.com
www.amazon.com
www.google.com (shopping for all the authorized web-based retailers)
#jbenhikes #jbenhikesyoutube #jbenhikesinstagram #greatsmokymountainsnationalpark #gsmnp #sealskinz #sealskinzwaterproofsocks #dryfeet #backpackinggear #optoutside
I just got a pair today for Christmas. I can not wait to try them out. Thanks JBen. Merry Christmas!
AWESOME ! Well…, Merry Christmas then ! These socks are an awesome addition to my kit. When you use them, let me know how it goes, what you think, etc ?
JB⚡️H
I need a pair
They work great! Nice job Jeff! Crow✌️
Thanks…. We will have more opportunities to wear them … for sure!
JB⚡️H
I have worn these and highly recommend them as well. Fantastic product! Happy Hiking!
I am so happy with them …. Happy Hiking back to you !
⚡️
I could so use these on the trails I hike. We are always crossing rivers and streams and I usually end up with one foot in them haha. Great review
These waterproof socks would be a great addition to your kit…. It is to mine.
In the Smokies, there are a ton on water crossings. There is specifically one trail, Eagle Creek Trail, that I still have to do as I attempt to hike all 900 miles of trails in the Park where I will cross the creek 18 times within 8.9miles. You better believe I will be wearing my SealSkinz !!!
Great to hear from you & thanks for the comment,
JB⚡️H
Cool review
Thanks... I would say it is my VIP gear items for 2021!
Thanks for engaging,
JBEN
That sounds amazing I love my water socks I got last year for coyote gulch but these sound even better.
Thanks for the information on waterproof socks 👍
Outstanding piece of gear that us southern boys, like our northern peers, don't necessarily think about due to our warmer winters. However, as described in the description, my "Winter Hike Failure" video from last year in the Smokies caused me to pause and reevaluate the need.
Thanks for engaging with the video by commenting.
-JBEN
THOSE..... Look awesome!! Did you feel you needed to wear the sticks underneath those for comfort? Or do you think you probably didn't need them?
they are awesome…! Trust me !
To answer your sock question, I just wore them …because.
I think they would’ve been fine with out. I’m still learning to trust them. You know the way us hikers are with our feet when hiking mileage.
I hiked 13 miles in them, in the snow and stream-crossings here in Bama yesterday. They did great again, no issue… just dry feet 🙂 nice & toasty toes!
I will buying a warm weather pair for spring hiking . I’m already envisioning not caring my trailrunners are wet for the next day. You know that dread of putting on wet shoes 😩!
Thanks for watching the review & commenting,
JB⚡️H
Love the GSM and gonna have to get me some of these socks!! Thanks for the heads up!
I ❤️ The Smokies too!
You’ll not regret getting a pair. I’m going to get a pair of warm weather for spring hiking in the Smokies… gonna be very beneficial when I hike Eagle Creek Trail and those 18 creek-crossings!
- JB⚡️H
@@JBENHIKES most definitely!!! But what an awesome hike it will be 🥾
Merry Christmas JBEN! 🎁🎄🎅
M E R R Y 🎄 C H R I S T M A S ‼️
The question is: Over normal hiking socks, under socks, or instead of hiking socks?
Any good for long hikes..???.I'm worried about wearing em for miles... sweating, or something 😅
Thks for the review...kind regards from Oxford 🇬🇧
The hike on this video was 7-8 miles. I then hike again on my snowy wilderness hike video for around 14miles, then I hiked 2 days with them the on the Alabama Trip Crown for 37 miles without any excessive sweating or associated issues.
- JBH
Thanks for commenting! Glad you did…
@@JBENHIKES thanks for replying...have fun and thanks very much...just bought them....😁
Isn’t it a funny feeling though ? You can feel the water run into your shoe and your foot gets chilled from the water. In your mind you really think you’ve just gotten wet. But Nope … nice and dry! Great video! MERRY CHRISTMAS! 👍
EXACTLY !
That chill isn’t as bad as the icy cold normally experienced…right !?!
Thanks for the compliment & Merry Christmas 🎄 to you too.
⚡️
But aren't they hot to hike in? Do you use them as an only sock, or over your existing hiking socks? Always wondered about these...
For this hike, my feet were not hot. We started out with it being in the low 30’s and got up to the mid 50’s. I wore them over my Darn Toughs and didn’t experience any sweaty feet.
They are lined with merino wool, so you can wear with or without.
The company does have warm weather waterproof socks, I have the cold.
I will probably get a pair of warm weather sock for spring hiking in the Smokies.
Totally worth a purchase !
JB⚡️H
@@JBENHIKES Thanks, I will check them out! Merry Christmas!
Are they comfortable for all day walking?
I had no problem at all in them. Felt kinda squishy when they got wet, but other than that, it felt like a normal merino wool sock. I’ll probably get a warm weather (thin) pair for warmer hikes where there is a lot of water crossings.
Such a great product !
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