As a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award supervisor, I need to ensure I have the best equipment suitable for all weather and terrain. As I suffer from Raynaud’s, ensuring that I am warm and dry throughout my entire body is of the upmost importance to ensure I can fulfil my duties.
The Maier women’s Helga walking trousers are a great fit, comfortable and keep you toasty warm thanks to the fleece lining. They were the perfect windbreaker for the top of Ingleborough. The Patagonia women’s R1 Air zip-neck fleece is great for layering, not bulky so easy to pack away. Ideal for windy, cold conditions this was the perfect layer on top of all 3 Yorkshire peaks, especially when coupled with the Patagonia women’s Torrentshell. The 20K shell ensures you stay warm while the pit vents allow for great ventilation. The 3-layer, 50 denier construction makes it perfectly hard wearing with a great fitting hood. The stylish design means I can also wear it around town and not feel overdressed.
Start from the bottom up! That old saying “a house is only as good as the foundations” might not seem appropriate to skiing; but have you given your sock choice much thought recently?
Here in Colorado many of the mountain resorts have stopped the gondola wheels spinning, because Spring has sprung. For some of us the need for gondolas and chair lifts has long been gone, the deep powder days have come to an end, and the desire for ski touring has been getting stronger by the day. With clear skies, and an ever settling snow pack, the long days in the skin tracks are become a daily ritual – 4am trail head starts by head lamp and t-shirt hikes out; are how we spend the days.
With clear skies, and an ever settling snow pack, the long days in the skin tracks are become a daily ritual. Photograph Joe
With the Spring sun the days might start cold, but they soon warm up. And as for all the great things ski boots bring to the slopes, breathability certainly isn’t one of them. Consequently I was pretty excited to try out Stance’s new super light weight, super breathable Backountry Ultra-Light Sock, and see what they could do for my feet. Out of the pack these socks feel light and thin, very thin, and initially I thought Stance might have gone to far – and it would feel like I was putting my bare foot into my ski boot. That being said, and “you don’t know until you try”, I pulled them on and took them for a test on my pre-work skin up Vail Mountain. Straight away any concerns disappeared; because my feet felt great, and comfortable, in my Dalbello Lupo boots. My feet stayed warm, the arch support hugged my foot, and the gradual compression kept my legs feeling fresh – although I hope that was partly down to my fitness, not just the socks!
With the initial test out of the way, it was time to really put the socks through their paces. The planned route would be a twelve mile round trip, gaining a vertical height of 1400m (4600ft), and descending the south couloir of East Partner in the Gore Range, Colorado. Again, starting by headlamp in the early hours of the morning, the socks preformed excellently keeping my feet warm and comfortable for the first few miles of hiking. Once on the skis, and skins, everything still felt great. The thin slight compression-nature of the sock gives a great feeling that your foot is well held, and not moving around inside the sock or boot. The temperature regulation was good, which became more evident the longer the day went on and everything started to warm up. I have previously felt that once my feet get hot the socks can rub and create sores; this was not the case and I felt great all the way up and down. The trip, with its varied terrain, was more like an alpine ascent to the summit – including skinning, boot packing, and ice climbing in crampons – which took approximately eight hours; and I can truly say it’s the most comfortable my feet have felt all season. Don’t get me wrong I was super happy to get my ski boots off at the end!
The trip, with its varied terrain, was more like an alpine ascent to the summit – including skinning, boot packing, and ice climbing in crampons – which took approximately eight hours. Photograph Joe
Please note for the 2019/2020 season the Stance sock range will be called, for either ski or snowboard: Performance, Merino Blend, and Ultra-Light Merino Blend.
We are all encouraged to get outside more, and reap the benefits of the great outdoors – both physical and mental. Walking is one of the easiest ways to do this; whether a simple stroll in the park, a walk in the woods, or a hike up a mountain!
So when it comes to walking the first thing we think about is what walking shoes or hiking boots to put on our feet. We may even think about insoles to give support and comfort. But how much do we think about the interface between our feet and our footwear? Yes I’m talking socks!
Stance Women’s Hike Timber Multi Coloured Socks.
An inadequate, poorly fitting sock will negate all the money spent on your hiking shoes/boots; making them uncomfortable, they may even give you blisters, and therefore unlikely to get you outdoors more!
So what about their walking socks? The ‘Adventure’ range from Stance consists of the following socks, for both men and women: the ‘Outdoor’, the ‘Hike’ and the ‘Trek’. The socks are made of an ‘uncommon blend’ of fibres to produce a sock which is durable, temperature-regulating, moisture-wicking, and comfortable. Price varies between the three, as the socks get a little more technical, but there is a sock for everyone.
But what are they like to wear? Well let me tell you about the ‘Hike’ socks I recently wore, in both walking shoes and hiking boots, on a resent walking holiday. The mountainous area presented a variety of terrain: dusty rocky trails, a few marshy bits, boulder fields, and snow; and the weather was predominantly warm and dry, mid twenties degrees C.
I’m a UK 9.5 and selected a size large (UK 8.5-11.5). The first thing you notice when putting the socks on is the fit. As you pull the ‘L’ sock onto your left foot you feel the sock securely encase your toes, support your arch, encase your heel and reach the base of your calf. It’s a snug comfortable fit, like a second skin. Once in your shoe or boot, and you start to tighten your laces, the sock interfaces between foot and footwear to give a secure and comfortable fit. Whilst walking the sock didn’t move, and my feet didn’t get too hot – keeping them dry – thanks to the breathable nature of the socks. And when the socks did get wet, through the occasional deep snow, they were still comfortable and dried out quickly!
Having camped out over night, I had to wear the socks for a second consecutive day, and was pleasantly surprised they maintained the comfort of the first day; and didn’t smell (too bad).
Stance Men’s Pennell Hike Black Socks.
So if you’re wanting to get outside more by walking, ladies and gentlemen, you won’t be disappointed with a pair of these socks – whether a casual stroll in open park land in the ‘Outdoor’ socks or a full-on walking holiday in the ‘Hike’ or ‘Trek’ socks. Basically “these socks were made for walking”.
Note 1: the classic socks do not have a left and right indicator, like the more technical snow or adventure socks. However they are still ergonomically designed/manufactured; therefore there is a left and a right sock for you left and right foot. Although not essential to have the correct casual lifestyle sock on the appropriate foot; they will be even more comfortable if you do. So when wearing the classic Stance socks, remember the ‘Stance icons’ to the inside!by
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