Alpaca wool is better than merino.....

Tater86

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 3, 2017
Messages
213
Location
Pennsylvania
Personally I think Alpaca is all hype, I've compared them to merino time and time again and I see not better performance and they wear out a lot faster than merino. I quite buying them because you can get better deals on merino, they last longer and my feet feel no difference.
 
Joined
Sep 18, 2023
Messages
69
All I wear is merino, every day, from thin ankle socks to heavy hunting ones. Hunt weight will be thicker.

I have like 12 pair, many brands, and Darned Tough is pricey but quite superior in my mind.
 

lukebrowning

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 21, 2012
Messages
143
100% yak wool for the win. I was a diehard Darn Tough user until I tried yak. Much less sweat and warmer feet. Yak is all I use now for hunts and the DT have been relegated to around town.
 

mtnbound

WKR
Joined
Nov 8, 2016
Messages
386
Location
N. Idaho
I tried the Alpaca socks and they were very comfortable but my feet would still sweat in them and they would become very smelly and the smell would not wash out. They also stretched out really fast. I have ordered some of the Yak socks to give them a test.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Alessio

FNG
Joined
Sep 1, 2024
Messages
13
Etsy by MongulaiCOM. Took 5-6 weeks to come in but well worth it
Thank you for this, I'll try these.

Time to replace my socks anyway. 10 years ago I lost my shit while having an easter egg hunt for my missing sock on a bad laundry day at 4:30am. Literally had just one of each of about six different types of sock.


Threw them all away and bought 10 pairs of the priciest RedWing socks, the ones the only sell in brick & mortar for some reason. The socks were incredible but lost inner material everytime you wore or washed them.

I then threw all those away and switched to Duluth 7 year socks. Not as comfortable as the RedWings but seemed better constructed. Unfortunately they only had four pairs left in my size. When they came back in stock I ordered another six pairs but when they arrived they were completely different. Same size but different print and stretchyness. Now I'm back to sock hunting in the dark at 4:30am instead of just blindly reaching into the drawer and going.

Hopefully they'll have 10 pairs available after you told all of us about them. Thanks again.
 

Alessio

FNG
Joined
Sep 1, 2024
Messages
13
One thing about some socks causing some people to produce odor but not others.

Not sure if it is related but I never have bo unless I am sick with a fever for more than 5 days on the couch without showering.

I bought an $80 shirt that looked great on me but instantly tweeked the nips if I didn’t have a wife beater on and within an hour I'd have armpit bo.

Weirdest thing, I tried it a few times, once with my wife's deodorant... just for science.

After washing twice, the second time with an excessive amount of detergent and softener, the armpits of the shirt still have a foul odor.

Maybe some people's biology just interact/ react with fabrics/treated fabrics differently.
 

mtnbound

WKR
Joined
Nov 8, 2016
Messages
386
Location
N. Idaho
One thing about some socks causing some people to produce odor but not others.

Not sure if it is related but I never have bo unless I am sick with a fever for more than 5 days on the couch without showering.

I bought an $80 shirt that looked great on me but instantly tweeked the nips if I didn’t have a wife beater on and within an hour I'd have armpit bo.

Weirdest thing, I tried it a few times, once with my wife's deodorant... just for science.

After washing twice, the second time with an excessive amount of detergent and softener, the armpits of the shirt still have a foul odor.

Maybe some people's biology just interact/ react with fabrics/treated fabrics differently.

I absolutely agree, I prefer synthetic base layers for their quick dry time but in a few hours they stink really bad. I can wear wool for days and get no stink.


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fwafwow

WKR
Joined
Apr 8, 2018
Messages
5,522
Not bison socks, but I’ve tried a hat. FWIW, it was itchy as hell for me. YMMV.
 

Trial153

WKR
Joined
Oct 28, 2014
Messages
8,225
Location
NY
Brought three pair of socks for 11 days in alaska, two were alpaca, purely alpaca field socks. The third set was F2F ELY midweight.
The Alpaca were a quick fail and relegated to wearing to sleep at night and under camp crocks.
I started off with tje Field socks on day one and by the first afternoon they were loosing shape and slipping, switched them out for the second pair the next morning and same issue. Used the Elys the reminder of hunt. The Purely Alpacas are now in my everyday sock draw as they couldn't hold their shape for serious hiking in rougher terrain.

I should add that I have a couple pairs of Hollow Alpaca socks as well and they didn't seems have that issue, that said i didnt use them on any hunts yet that were extended and challenging.

Honestly I think the issue is more related to construction vs material however I am no expert on sock fabrication… who knows maybe they are
related .
 

Wiscgunner

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 24, 2018
Messages
241
Location
Madison, WI
Brought three pair of socks for 11 days in alaska, two were alpaca, purely alpaca field socks. The third set was F2F ELY midweight.
The Alpaca were a quick fail and relegated to wearing to sleep at night and under camp crocks.
I started off with tje Field socks on day one and by the first afternoon they were loosing shape and slipping, switched them out for the second pair the next morning and same issue. Used the Elys the reminder of hunt. The Purely Alpacas are now in my everyday sock draw as they couldn't hold their shape for serious hiking in rougher terrain.

I should add that I have a couple pairs of Hollow Alpaca socks as well and they didn't seems have that issue, that said i didnt use them on any hunts yet that were extended and challenging.

Honestly I think the issue is more related to construction vs material however I am no expert on sock fabrication… who knows maybe they are
related .
This is why I don't use 100% anything socks. I like some elastic sew in to keep shape and stay in place which requires the wool or alpaca to be less than 100%
 
Joined
May 3, 2022
Messages
13
This is why I don't use 100% anything socks. I like some elastic sew in to keep shape and stay in place which requires the wool or alpaca to be less than 100%
Absolutely. There is an advantage to a mix for shape retention and for staying on your leg/calf. Better brands usually have better textile engineering which usually means some synthetic fiber content for elasticity/comfort/weight savings/fit/etc.
 

pparris3

FNG
Joined
Jun 30, 2021
Messages
43
I had good experience with the Hollow socks Crew alpaca socks. Did not have any rubbing issues and seemed to temperature regulate pretty well going from 40 degree mornings to high 70's afternoons.
 
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