My wife and kids shrug their shoulders and roll their eyes when they open Christmas presents from me and get more socks.
I might be cementing myself as a predictably utilitarian gift giver, but I for one love a great pair of socks. As someone who wishes to spend as much time outdoors as possible, I’ve found one of the best strategies is to take good care of your feet.
The philosophy of ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing’ is a mantra I try to dress for and live by. Natural materials have some amazing properties that can outperform synthetic fabrics made in a lab.
Like most avid outdoor users, I have tried to wear wool socks as much as possible while hunting, angling, or otherwise being active outside. Whether it’s cost, convenience of finding it in stores, or marketing, merino wool has been a staple on outdoor trips.
Like a lot of sportsmen, I thought merino wool was all I’d ever need. But this past
November, I tried something different. Minnesota’s firearms deer season was starting and a cold front was hitting.
I was excited for everything to line up — cold to get the deer moving, snow to make spotting them easy, and the rut to keep the bucks on the move. The forecast was for temperatures to dip under 20 degrees and I knew I’d need to pack on layers and do whatever I could to keep myself parked in a tree 16 feet in the air.
I was ready to pull out all the stops to stay warm and I had something new to try. I packed a set of alpaca wool socks. With a pair of 800-gram insulated hunting boots, over 10 years old and probably having lost some insulation value, I donned a pair of midweight Altera alpaca socks.
By the time I got off the stand at the end of the morning, my feet were as warm as when I’d started. And they were cozy and comfortable. I didn’t think I’d ever find a fabric better suited to outdoor use than merino wool, but the alpaca wool made quite an impression.
“Think about alpacas,” said Mel Cochran, the Vice President of Sales with Alterra
Alpaca. “Alpacas are indigenous to the Andes in South America and they go through extreme climates. They go from extreme hot to extreme cold within their year and their own wool fibers have naturally crafted the perfect environment around them. The fibers in their wool are hollow, which makes it extremely lightweight and not bulky, yet still gives them the natural benefits of all that thermal regulation and moisture wicking.”
Wool, sheep or alpaca excels since it insulates whether it is wet or dry. But with moisture wicking properties and breathability, the alpaca wool really shines. Cochran says alpaca wool also outperforms sheep wool with odor resistance properties and being naturally antimicrobial.
For me, trying was believing.
With lightweight, midweight, and heavyweight options, you can pick your level of cushion, and you can choose your sock length and style, ranging from ankle, crew, to mid-calf. Cochran advises customers that the thicker the sock does not necessarily mean the warmer the sock. Mid and light weight socks can still keep you very warm and are ideal in the dead heat of summer because of their breathability and moisture management.
Alpaca wool socks are expensive. But Cochran made a good point.
“Hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts spend big money on boots, but then scrimp on socks with cotton or inexpensive sheep’s wool socks,” she said. “If you really want to take care of your feet, invest in a good pair of alpaca wool socks to go with your boots.”
Altera alpaca is trying to change people’s minds about their socks, one pair at a time. To that end, they offer a lifetime guarantee on their socks. As a guy that has thrown out a lot of holey socks, I can’t imagine a lifetime guarantee on them. Most Americans view socks as having a short life in use before ultimately needing to be thrown out.
Cochran says that in 13 years in business, Altera Alpaca has not seen any returned socks brought back for a warranty failure.
“I have seen other companies’ socks mistakenly sent to us,” she said. “I have also talked to customers who bought their first pair of socks and returned wearing the same pair several years later.”
Filson and Columbia are two outdoor apparel companies with ironclad outdoor garment guarantees. Altera Alpaca plans to join them with lifetime guaranteed socks.