(Izzy's latest update on camp / outdoor kit).
When you have worn & relied on the same socks for many days on end whilst travelling you suddenly understand the difference between "good & bad" socks.
My dad started ski-ing & snowboarding many years ago, everyone wore flannel cotton tube socks which ended up soaking within a few hours & became very uncomfortable & painful to wear, (wet feet shed skin, rub & blister easily).
His hiking socks were thick wool which could get really sore over a few days of wear on the Scottish mountains & always felt cold & wet!
But luckily nowadays we know lots about socks & feet & you can wear the same hiking or ski socks for a good amount of time before they get cheesey, so are often better than your normal school socks! ..& if they make that much difference it does make you wonder why we don't just have proper socks, (just less of them) in the sock drawer!?
A sport / trekking sock can be very cheap for the wear you get out of them, my dad will take only 2 or 3 pairs with him for a 2 or 3 week winter holiday, he used to have to take a pair for every single day! ..that makes for much lighter luggage or room in a backpack if hiking & camping.
You CAN spend up to £20 on a pair of socks for an adult ..but you don't necessarily have to.
My Bridgedale socks are the same, hiking socks & ski socks are padded in places where normal socks aren't so are incredibly comfy to wear without feeling so hot & tired.
Bridgedale socks are available in most camping & sport shops, they are made in the uk & there are many different types for different sports & hobbies...
Right now, i'm wearing Bridgedale Coolfusion Hike Junior socks to school & simply for playing out, or going for a hike with Cubs.
http://www.bridgedale.com/hike-junior they have padded heels & toes so are super comfy, & designed to let your feet breathe more, (so even in trainers my feet are less stinky).
Having an RRP of £6.99 they might become your favourite socks!
Dad has a hard time getting me to wear "normal" socks these days because they are so comfortable, ..whether you are out shopping, hiking or simply trudging around a car boot sale or lost deep inside a giant DIY store, in fact recently, dad caught me wearing my Bridgedales in bed as they are so comfy & warm! (tut-tut) ..but that's not so bad really as I was seeing how comfy they were to wear over a weekend without taking them off, & you often need to wear socks in a sleeping bag ...in fact that's why it's a good idea to have extra pairs of GOOD sport & trekking socks, so you can put a clean pair on before you go to sleep & have extra foot warmth (& better sleep) when camping outside!
Good socks last, so don't suffer tired achey feet, ..invest in a good pair (or two) & see what I mean, sadly we do not treat our feet to the same level of technology as we do other parts of our kit, but feet really are SO important to keep happy alert & mobile!
Izzy's rating: 10 / 10 ..because fresh feeling feet let you do so much more!
Note: i'm off hiking with my family in Crete (spring 2013) to really test these socks out, & will update you then.