Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Sock Fetish

Wed Apr 23

I love my socks.

Forget all the conventional advice that you read about how to stay warm when outdoors in cold weather. All that garbage about how you can lose 75% of your body heat through your head. It's a myth. If you don't believe me check out this post on the Wilderness Medicine Newsletter.

In any case, when sailing a Laser in cold water which extremities are likely to start wet and stay wet? With a bit of luck you won't be dunking your head in the icy waters... though it could happen. And your hands may or may not get wet but at least they are out of the water most of the time. But your feet are going to be immersed when you launch from a beach or ramp and are likely to stay wet throughout your sail.

That's why I love my socks.

Last Wednesday I went for a sail on the lake near my son's house in Massachusetts. For my recent solo sails on Narragansett Bay I wore my drysuit which has latex booties so my feet stay totally dry. I love the socks I wear with my drysuit too but that's for another post. Or maybe I should start a parallel blog about the socks I wear each day? That would surely win any competition for Most Pointless Blog in the World. But then it might attract all sorts of weirdos with a sock fetish...

Hmmm, I was going to post a link to a sock fetish site here but you really don't want to go there. Or maybe you do. Use the Google, weirdo.

Where was I? Where am I? Oh yes, socks.

For my lake sail last Wednesday I wore my wetsuit with neoprene boots and inside the boots my NRS Hydroskin G2 Socks.




There they are. Or rather, there is one of them. Or one exactly like mine.

Isn't it a beauty? It's a wonder of advanced sock technology with (according to NRS) a 0.5-mm neoprene core that insulates and protects, 4-way-stretch PowerSpan™ outer layer for enhanced mobility and greater durability, ThermalPlush™ inner lining for increased insulation that also repels moisture and dries quickly, titanium laminate adhesive that aids body heat retention without adding bulk, and DWR
coating that forces water to bead and roll off the material reducing evaporative cooling.

You can tell from the description alone that some serious sock science brainpower has been at work here. All I can tell you was that last Wednesday my feet were toasty.

I love my socks.

PS. If any sock manufacturer would like to sponsor my Olympic campaign please get in touch.

7 comments:

bonnie said...

Thank you for pointing out the importance of SOCKS.

Probably the most underappreciated piece of gear in the cold weather arsenal.

The built in Gore-Tex socks on my drysuit are the best thing EVER. Those with a pair of Smartwools inside & I've got me some happy feet!

JSW225 said...

I'm glad I read this. I was debating whether or not to purchase a set of wetsuit socks myself.

But with the warming weather, I'm going to hold off til the fall.

Anonymous said...

Did the Vikings settle my homeland wearing neoprene socks?

Did Nelson at Trafalgar hoist

"England expects that every man will have warm dry feet"

Did Winston Chruchill say"

"Rum, sodomy and high technology socks"

You need to toughen up Tillerman - wool socks, Uncrustables and a sip of water.Next we will be informed Tillerwoman is on the mommy boat bringing warm milk, cookies and dry clothes.

If these fellows decide to sponsor you I wear a size 11 US or 44/45 Euro. Look forward to hearing from you.

Anonymous said...

Welcome back kristjan -- good to hear from you again. At least the Sock post prompted you to make a comment.

Mal Kiely [Lancelots Pram] said...

Sock it to 'em, boy! [rolls eyes and groans!]

Yes yes, I wear socks on my old Laser... I get the occasional mocking glance at the occasional regatta... until they come in chattering with blue feet! muwahahahaa.

Cyalayta
Mal :)

Pat said...

Hope you'll have a whole big run of sock-sess now that you've taken proper stockings of things.

PeconicPuffin said...

There were one or two days in the water over the winter when my heavy booties (with drysuit) still left my feet chilly, and I thought about socks. Perhaps I should pick up a pear (can you believe I typed it P E A R? I am an idiet) and throw them in the box.

You should still wear a good hat.

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