If you buy nothing else for your trip, take these socks. Trust me.
Darn Tough Mid-Weight Cushioned Ski Socks
Multiple colors and designs available
Darn tough Mid-weight Cushioned Ski Socks - $28
When making landings from a expedition ship you’re going to wear some version of a Muck Boot. These boots are warm, waterproof, and tall enough that water won’t come in over the top when you hop out of a zodiac. The boots are probably not going to fit anyone perfectly (they have no laces) so you really need to think about your sock game in order to give full attention to the penguins and seals instead of being annoyed by walking around in bunched up socks.
PROS:
Made to wear under boots in the cold
Warm, keep their shape, won’t fall down
Durable with lifetime warranty
CONS:
Not great for for wide calves
Investment-grade sock ($$$)
ALTERNATIVES:
Wide Open Socks for travelers who have wide calves
Why are good socks important?
You want three things from your expedition socks: that they’re warm, they don’t fall down, and they keep their shape. Because Muck Boots are tall and roomy, mid-calf socks will eventually wind up bunching when walking around. Keeping shape is important for the same reason. If the heel of your sock doesn’t stay on your heel, you’ll wind up with bunching again. It’s super-annoying and you can’t just sit down in the snow to do sock maintenance while on your landings. Socks made for skiing and snowboarding have the best weight to warmth ratio and are made for boots that have limited insulation.
How many pair should I bring?
You can get away with bringing just one pair, but a good strategy is to bring two pair, so you can pull on dry socks before your morning and afternoon landings. (Your socks don’t get wet from snow or water, but from sweat, so rinsing them in the sink and letting them dry overnight will get the salts out and keep them fresh.) Save these socks for your zodiac rides and landings. Take them off when you take off your boots and use regular socks when onboard.
Fit matters.
It’s really important to get the right size sock so the heel pocket stays where it’s meant to be. Darn Tough offers XS to XXL in increments of 1.5 - to 2 US shoe sizes (meaning a Men’s Medium sock is for US 8 - 9.5) and this small sizing band is why they work so well. Socks that cover more than 2 US shoe sizes are almost guaranteed not to fit well. If you’re between sizes definitely go smaller. If you have wide calves, tall ski socks may not work great for you, so a solution is to wear Wide Open Cushioned Crew socks with tights pulled over them (socks on first.) The Wide Open sock (made by Darn Tough) is engineered to stay up on wide calves and the tights will help to keep them in place.
Alternatives:
None. Trust me when I say that other brands literally don’t keep up. Darn Toughs are super-durable (I own many pairs that I have worn for more than 10 years) and they have a lifetime warranty. Spend the extra money on at least one pair of these socks, even if you won’t need them again. You won’t even think about them when you’re in Antarctica, and that’s a good thing.
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