NRS HydroSkin 0.5 Wetsocks

Provides good warmth in wet and cold conditions.

I've packed these on my last four years of doing an event that takes you across the Bob Marshall Wilderness in May, but never felt the need to use them, so they stayed in the pack. This year we experienced a lot of cold rain (temps in the 30's and 40's), more snowshoeing than any year past, and with the normal amount (lots and lots) of fording icy creeks/streams/rivers, so I tried them.

I used them in conjunction with a very thin merino sock—think dress sock thin.

My biggest fear was developing hot spots as we were covering 30-ish miles/day. Well the fear was unwarranted and I never developed a blister or even a hot spot. They do indeed keep your feet warmer than a thick wool sock (which I still used for some of the trip).

Thicker neoprene socks/booties would certainly keep your feet warmer, but are only really useful for static use or for short excursions.

If your travels are into wet and cold conditions, these are certainly worth a look.

Background

I put roughly 60 tough miles on these this past trip.

Versatile sock for wetshoes and sandals. Fit is good, but fairly thin, so not super warm. Great for mild water conditions.

Used these socks in Keen sandals during a three-week rafting trip down the Grand Canyon. On the raft, in the water, on hikes, they did well. Very comfortable fit. Easy to get off and on.

They are socks not booties, and have no soles and provide no traction. They are for use inside footwear of some type.

The material is fairly thin and isn't intended for cold conditions. A thicker neoprene sock would be my choice for such conditions, but fit would be more footwear-specific. There is a snap on the inside of each leg allowing the pair to easily be kept together when not in use.

For wet/dry hiking, a poly or wool sock from the closet would perform similarly. In fact, for hikes during the raft trip, I tended to prefer regular socks over these, primarily because when not in the water socks would tend to allow feet to dry out, whereas these (per design) would retain moisture around the feet. Not a problem if in/out of the water...

Background

Three-week Grand Canyon raft trip (April-May)