Title: INTERNET SCOUTING
Author: Michael F. Bowman
Company: Attorney at Law

SCOUTS-L
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HIKING SOCKS

 
From owner-jambo97@freke.hoplite.org  Tue Oct  1 13:58:50 1996
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Date: Tue, 1 Oct 1996 11:28:27 -0600 (MDT)
From: Amick Robert <amick@spot.Colorado.EDU>
To: jambo97@hoplite.org
Subject: Re: JAMBO97 knee socks vs regular length socks
In-Reply-To: <2.2.16.19960930192826.2b0757e8@mail.teleport.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.3.95.961001111412.1275B-100000@spot.Colorado.EDU>
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Status: RO
X-Status: 

The shorter socks would definitely be preferable to the long socks for a
variety of reasons, mostly having to do with comfort.  However they are
still mostly COTTON and therefore very risky to wear without wearing a
high bulk acrylic or polypropylene liner sock underneath.  At the past six
jamborees, we have had to treat many cases of serious blisters on Scouts
and leaders due to the fact that they wear only the cotton scout socks and
consequently when the cotton socks become soaked with perspiration, cause
the friction and subsequent blistering of feet.

Thorlo high bulk acrylic hiking socks are sold by BSA supply service as
well as local athletic/sporting goods/shoe stores and
are considered among the best socks available to prevent blisters because
they wick moisture away and are padded in the critical areas where rubbing
occurs.  There will be a limited supply of them available at Jamboree, but
as I recall , the last time they sold out and a lot of people really
needed them.

Best bet is to educate your Scouts and Leaders about the danger of just
wearing one pair of cotton Scout socks and be sure they wear the Thorlo or
polypropylene liners underneath. 

We encouraged our Scouts to get them for World Jamboree, and we had
virtually no problem with blisters despite all the walking on tours and
hiking around the jamboree for ten days.  It's a good idea to have each
Scout and Leader buy at least four pairs of high bulk acrylic or
polypropylene socks and be sure Scouts wash them out frequently; change
socks every day and wash the soiled ones in laundry buckets; it only takes
a few minutes and is well worth the effort.

 It would be great if BSA supply would
consider making Scout socks with high bulk acrylic, or better yet, get
Thorlo to make an official Scout sock in that fabric.  

Best wishes.

Bob Amick, EMT-B, Explorer Advisor, High Adventure Explorer Post 72,
Boulder, CO, and Medical Technician, Subcamp 9, 1997 National Jamboree