Cob Jockey

Today is going to be another long-term gear review post, re-reviewing things I've reviewed in years' past to find out how they're still holding up. Today I'll be sharing two things that I still love years later, and one that I hated and got rid of after less than a season.

STILL LOVE: Smartwool Women's Merino Midweight Pattern 1/4 Zip Top 

My original 2017 review here, and my updated 2021 review here.

Most similar currently available: Women's Classic Thermal Merino Base Layer 1/4 Zip 

Y'all. I got these shirts over SEVEN YEARS AGO. For seven winters, I alternated between just those two Smartwool shirts every time I went to the barn when it was below 50. And they held up beautifully. In fact, it wasn't until this Christmas when I received a new one that I finally admitted to myself it was okay to let the green one go. I had worn it so much, the wrist cuff had worn through where the fabric doubles over.

In addition to holding up, I've been comfortable wearing them in a wide range of temperatures, having worn them to everything from drinks at the bar to hiking to riding to farm chores, usually up until the temperatures reach the mid-50s or so.

Just like the hat, if you're willing to take care of wool following the manufacturer's directions (these are machine wash cold/delicate and lay flat to dry) merino wool almost can't be beat for cold weather gear.

STILL LOVE: Black Diamond Soloist Finger Cold Weather Gloves (and the SSG Ten Belows)

My 2023 review here

The lobster claw gloves (I have heard them described as the "spork" of the glove world, lol) have continued to work out exactly like I thought they would. Turns out, you don't need much more than an index finger and a thumb to do a lot of barn chores - even things like blanketing and haltering.

And when I don't need the index finger (walking around, driving the tractor, doing stalls) I put it in the mitten with my other fingers and it stays very warm. I have also started throwing a hand warmer into the mitten on very cold/long farm chore days, and there's more than enough room for it to sit comfortably in there.

 

Nothing keeps me warmer than the lobster claw gloves at truly cold temps below say 25F, although I still can't quit the SSG 10 Belows for less cold days and for riding. Believe me, I feel like I've tried most of the glove market at this point, and I still can't find anything else that's warm enough for me and yet provides just enough feel of the reins. It's always a compromise, and these compromise the best that I've found.

FAIL: LaCrosse Alpha Thermal Winter Boot

I only ended up wearing these for less than a season before giving them away for free on a local Freecycle group. They are just way too darn heavy, and not nearly warm enough. I am, at this point, severely allergic to any heavy winter gear on my legs (looking at you, Carhartt bibs). My hip flexors can't take it, especially when I'm also picking my legs up to walk through snow.

I have since switched to hiking-brand snowboots for chore boots, and I've been so happy with that decision. I haven't found a pair I like enough to review yet, but even with some minor gripes about the ones I've tried so far, they're miles better in terms of warmth, comfort, and weight than the LaCrosse boots, and are holding up just fine to the demands of chores.

I've fallen in love with wool gear over the years, for more than just the barn. Lounge pants, tanktops, socks, shirts. Merino isn't the heavy, itchy stuff I used to think of when I thought of wool. And it naturally repels the body oils that other fabrics pick up more readily, allowing it to go longer between washes than, say, a technical fabric.

My grandma got me a Minus33 Lightweight Ridge Cuff Beanie - 100% Merino Wool for Christmas, and I have to say that after using it for a few weeks, hats are no longer the forgotten "whatever works" part of my winter wardrobe.

 

It's lightweight: by far the thinnest winter hat I own. I notice it a lot less than my other winter hats. But despite that, it's incredibly warm. All the way into the low single digits F, I have yet to miss any of my heavier hats. That said, when it does get warmer, wool is a lot more temperature-forgiving than other fabrics, so I expect when (if?) it ever warms up again, it will be comfortable to wear up into the 50s F just like my wool shirts.

Minus33 does have a heavier weight hat, but so far, I haven't felt the need to spring for it.

Another "OMG I can't believe I'm feeding in a t-shirt" photo

 

It also had the unexpected benefit of playing much more nicely with the Carhartt Montana Puffer Jacket hood, which is sherpa lined. My other hats would catch on it to where I couldn't turn my head inside the hood. This hat is so thin and smooth, it slides nicely underneath it.

Like all wool, you need to follow the manufacturer's recommendation on care, which can vary between brands. This one wants to be machine washed on cold/delicate with gentle detergent and then tumble dried on low. They also suggest storing it in an airtight box in the offseason.

Bottom line: It's a hat - there's not a lot to say, but it's a great hat.

What: Minus33 Lightweight Ridge Cuff Beanie - 100% Merino Wool 

Sizes: One size

Price: $22.99 from Minus33.com, also available on Amazon

Colors: SO MANY COLORS. 26 different colors to be exact.

Longtime readers of the blog know that you could describe me as obsessive when it comes to finding great cold weather gear. I developed Reynauds in my early 20s, and if I let my fingers and toes go numb long enough, I can sometimes pass out when the blood comes back to them. 

After eight years of wearing the same outfit, my cold weather gear finally changed this year and man, some of these pieces are too great not to share with everyone. So here's the first in a three part series about what's new:

I've found the holy grail of winter weather barn coats.

I had to get a new one this year, and I landed on the Carhartt Montana Puffer Coat - Sherpa Lined. On Carhartt's warmth scale, it's a maxed out "4 - Extreme Warmth Rating". For comparison, the canvas coats you usually think of when you think Carhartt are a "3 - Warmest Rating".

 

 

Guys, I almost returned this coat. It's TOO WARM at temps above 15F. It's too warm to wear a scarf with, too warm to wear a vest with. Too warm for a single Smartwool base layer. Way too warm to wear my Underarmour 4.0 with. I sweat no matter what I wear under it even though my body doesn't handle cold well at all. You put your hands in the pockets and they are immediately WARM. It's remarkable, and I can't get over it. 

Just as a fun experiment for this post, I did an hour of feeding, turnout and stalls in just a t-shirt and this coat when it was 18F this morning, and I was sweating! I have never felt anything like it before, and I'm truly in awe of it. 

The weather this morning

 

How I dressed for it

Other upsides to this coat are:

• Extremely durable water-resistant and windproof outer layer. Yes, it's a puffer coat, but it's a puffer coat that takes the abuse of farm work no problem.
  
• Great pockets - big, warm pockets (with zippers) for jamming your gloved hands into, snap pockets to drop things into, a nice big cell phone pocket on the chest, and an easy-to-access massive mesh pocket on the inside.
• Internal wrist cuffs - you can't see or feel them, but you can feel that the cold isn't getting into the sleeve
• It's lightweight and doesn't restrict my movement in any noticeable way.
  

 

Giant mesh pocket

It does have some downsides:

• It's massive and not at all attractive. Imagine what the Michelin Man would look like if he had all the curves of a cereal box. That's what you'll look like wearing it.
  
• The zipper sucks. It's plastic and sometimes gets stuck. I can already tell I'm going to be making a trip to the seamstress this summer to get it replaced with a metal one.
• The hood is not removable. This really bothered me at first and I felt like it was constantly hitting me in the back of the head, but I don't notice that as much now - not sure if the hood relaxed as I wore it, or if I'm so grateful to be warm that I don't care. I did have to get a different winter hat to fit under the sherpa-lined hood - more on that in another gear review post.

 

Sexy, it is not

Closeup of the sherpa lining in the hood and body of the coat

*tap tap* Is this thing on? I haven't done a product review in so long, it feels weird. Oh well, here goes. These are on sale this weekend for Black Friday so I wanted to get this out ASAP.

Pictured in the background: my Jurassic Park fence extension I had to add because my 42lb rescue mutt can jump my 6ft privacy fence without touching it. Good times.

Over two years ago, I reviewed the Piper Heavy-Weight Winter Tight by Smartpak, and concluded that they were the best winter tights I'd ever found, except that the sizing was tricky. Well, that turned out to be an understatement. In both the XS and S sizes the damn things stretched out as I wore them and slid down, like, over my butt! I ended up only keeping one pair and only wearing them with my Underarmour 4.0 under them as protection.

1.0's, from the original product post. Baggyyyyyy.

I wasn't alone - the reviews were full of people saying the same thing. It seemed that no matter what body type you were and what size you chose, you would eventually moon someone while wearing these. Which is a shame, because I have never found another pair of winter tights that are warmer, more comfortable or more functional.

I am happy to report they finally came out with a new model, the Piper Heavy-Weight Winter Tight II by Smartpak, which changed nothing except the fit, and it does seem to have solved the "moon" problem, at least for my body type.

I got dressed up in a ridiculous outfit just for some legit product photos of these for you guys, please appreciate, lol. Shirt by Equestrian Stockholm, hat from the Royal.

Let's get the big thing out of the way first: they didn't change a single feature. Still the same silicone dots, still a cell phone pocket on both sides, still heavy velour? inside material, still yoga pant-like outside material.

The inside is SO DAMN WARM.

These are all great things. In winter, I want comfort, warmth (REAL warmth, this is Indiana we're talking about), and as little fuss as possible, and both the old and new models smash all that out of the park.

What did change: sizing. I am not quite 5'1 and an hourglass-shaped body-by-CrossFit 120lbs with most of that being in my butt and thighs (holllaaaaa hit a 185lb back squat last week with that butt and thighs!). 

In the 2.0 model of these tights, I can barely get the XS on. Even over my calves! 

 

That said - I am wearing the XS in all of these photos, because they do stretch as you wear them. And they don't fall down. THAT said - I would struggle to put my Underarmour 4.0 underneath the XS. But that's okay. 

Hear me out - even though I can barely get them on at first, XS IS THE RIGHT SIZE FOR ME. If you buy these and try them on and worry they're too small at first, don't panic. Wear them around the house for an hour and see if you change your mind. You probably will.

 

Bottom line: These are such good I-live-where-it-actually-gets-cold winter tights, and they have so little competition for being as good as they are that I do recommend giving them a shot if you live in a cold climate, but sizing is tricky and keep in mind that they do stretch as you wear them. I recommend trying your regular size and not panicking when they feel too tight at first. On some body types, especially if you size up, they may still fall down. But not on me!

What: Piper Heavy-Weight Winter Tight II by SmartPak - Full Seat

Sizes: XS-XXL

Colors: Black, Grey

Price: $82.95 with discounts available for USEF members and supplement auto-ship members (currently $59 with code BF2023 and the USEF discount stacked)

Disclaimer: Bought these with my own hard earned money, and I am not affiliated with nor being compensated by SmartPak in any way.

It's been a while since one of my product review posts! The number of folks that reach out to me publicly and privately to tell me how valuable they find these posts means a lot, and I have a couple of great additions to my winter wardrobe this year that will make for good reviews.

First up. My new lobster claw "Alpine climbing" gloves.

I let the other co-op members go out of town with their families at Christmas this year, which meant I had a LOT of chores. I had hoped my own family would come visit, but that didn't end up happening, so I was alone on Christmas, AND we had some of the most brutal winter weather I've ever experienced, with wind chills pushing -40F and the horses staying inside for multiple days since we don't have shelters outside.

Christmas morning was the first time they could safely go out in three days, and Disco was a perfect gentleman for turnout despite that. Good baby.

I'm not typically one to complain, but man it sucked. I bought myself a consolation present in advance: the best ultra cold weather barn gloves I've found so far, the Black Diamond Soloist Finger Cold Weather Gloves, which are designed for "technical Alpine climbing", which I hoped meant they would be more durable than ski gloves.

 

These gloves have a 100% waterproof outer shell, a removable/washable liner with 340g of insulation, and a Kevlar-reinforced goat leather palm. They also feature a split finger design, with the thumb and index finger being separate and the middle, ring and pinkie fingers together in a mitten space.

The removable liner. It's basically a sleeping bag for your hands.

I hoped that design would split (lol) the difference between the dexterity of gloves and the warmth of a mitten, and that's exactly what it does. They were more certainly more cumbersome than gloves, but I was able to do and undo blankets (slowly), throw hay bales, and open tab-top Ziploc supplement bags without taking the gloves off. Turns out I really don't use my middle, ring and pinkie fingers for much at the barn, unless I'm riding, which clearly these gloves are not suitable for.

 

In terms of warmth: WOW. Without a doubt the warmest gloves I've ever worn. For reference, my SSG 10 Belows have 100g of insulation, and these have 340g. Truly, they're so warm most of you will not need them, because you'll never experience temps cold enough to need them, they are that warm.

My index finger does tend to get a little cold when it's in its little pocket, but unless I actually need my index finger for something, I tend to tuck it into the mitten area where there's more than enough room for it, and then it stays warm.

(And for reference: it was so brutally cold that when I did take the gloves off for less than two minutes, my hands froze so quickly and thoroughly I had to spend 10 minutes in the heated office to avoid frostbite. They definitely got put to the warmth test.)

Some of the fuzzy liner visible on the inside. It's fleece against the skin and then 340g of Primaloft Gold insulation between the fleece and the waterproof shell.

Features I love: I love that the liner is removable. All of my gloves are washable of course, but these are going to dry faster and stay waterproof longer if I'm only regularly washing the liner. And in theory you could buy a second liner to alternate with, although I haven't found them for sale anywhere.

I also love the long cuffs. The SSG cuffs are elastic and designed to fit against the skin, which is annoying when you wear a smartwatch and have other sleeves in the way. The Black Diamond cuffs go comfortably over your coat sleeve and have a toggle to seal against snow getting into them, although I didn't feel the need to use it.

What are the negatives? First, I wish they had straps to keep them attached to my wrist when I take them off like the SSG 10 Belows do, although I can fix that with aftermarket glove straps. Second, they won't go small enough for everyone. I wear a medium in SSGs and a 6.5 in Roeckl, and I'm wearing the X-small here. Third, they are not cheap, at $129/pair (I paid $99). 

(I recommend buying them in a fit of rage when you JUST CAN'T EVEN with f****** winter anymore. It makes the price easier to swallow.)

Bottom line: If you have actual barn chores to do in climates where it's regularly below 15F, I can wholeheartedly recommend these. If you live where you just think it's cold (lol) or you only go to the barn to ride, you'd be better served by buying something cheaper that will give you more dexterity.

What: Black Diamond Soloist Finger Cold Weather Gloves

Where: Amazon or the Black Diamond website

Price: $129 (I paid $99 on sale)

Colors: Black, Dark Curry (brown)

Sizes: Men's XS to Men's XL

What with holiday gift shopping season coming up, I'm going to try to knock out a few product reviews in the next week or two. Enjoy!

Since I'm staring down my first non-full-care boarding winter ever, I knew I had to up my winter boot game, both for riding and for chores.

Pretty quickly after a few days of scouring the internet for good contenders, I realized the horse market just sucks at winter boots, which sounds crazy, but it's true. The reviews tell the tale - either they're not warm enough for truly cold climates, or they are, but they only last six months. And I've done the cheap winter boot rodeo too many times to fall for that again.

So for chore boots, I looked outside the horse industry. What do, like, cattle farmers wear? I wanted something warm, durable and something that I could just jump into while running out the door every day with minimal fuss. And that's how I ended up with LaCrosse Footwear's Women's Alpha Thermal Winter Boot.

When I first opened the box, I was underwhelmed. They didn't look THAT warm - from the reviews I was expecting something with like enormous amounts of fill or something. But when it finally got cold, that's when I got it. These boots do have a fleece lining, but the neoprene works like a wetsuit almost. They are warm.

Cozy. Also not apologizing for the Husky hair, welcome to my life, lol

You do need to give them some time to break in, which I wasn't expecting out of something made of rubber and neoprene, but it's true. At first they felt insanely clunky and like I would never be able to drive with them on. But within a week of wearing them daily, they started bending at the ankles easier and felt great.

 

Note the crease above the ankle. Until they broke in like that, they were pretty clunky.

So far I've worn them in temps down to the mid-20s, and when paired with my Ariat alpaca winter socks, I don't even need footwarmers. We'll see how I feel about them when it gets really cold later this winter, but based on their performance so far (and the fact that I can definitely fit a second pair of socks in there and still have an air bubble around my feet) I think I'll be fine.

I see people compare these to Muck Boots online, and the biggest features people like about the LaCrosse over the Muck Boots happen to be my favorite features of these boots, such as the adjustable calf:

I have small calves, and this allows me to get a snug fit that doesn't let cold air in

And the generous - no, that's not a spur rest. That's a designer understanding how people actually take their muddy boots off at the door and putting a heel step on the boot.

Size-wise, I bought my true street size which is a 6, and I would say that was a good move. They ARE big, but that big-ness allows the boot to 1. keep you above the snow/mud with a thick platform-like sole, and 2. gives you room for the type of socks you'll want to wear with this boot. They feel a little big with thin athletic socks on (but I do still wear them that way sometimes), but with winter socks on they feel perfect. 

 

And I do realize I'm reviewing these A) before I've had them long-term and B) before I've had a chance to wear them in temps below the mid-20s which are my two biggest complaints about other boots, but based on the years of reviews for both longevity and cold performance on LaCrosse's website as well as how they've performed so far, I feel good about both. And I'll update this review in the spring.

Bottom line: If you live in a cold climate and are looking for chore boots that will keep you warm and dry AND last more than one season, the LaCrosse Footwear Alpha Thermal boot is a great option.

What: LaCrosse Footwear Women's Alpha Thermal Boot

Where: Amazon or LaCrosseFootwear.com

Colors: Four color combinations available 

Price: $170

Disclaimer: Bought these with my own hard-earned dollars, am not affiliated with LaCrosse and there are no affiliate links in this post.

Posting this today because SP is running a 15% off Labor Day sale, so if you want to order these, now is a good time!

I have a few very specific requirements for winter riding pants:

• They need to be WARM down to truly unreasonable temperatures
• They need to be as comfortable as sweatpants. Winter is a time of survival, not fashion.
  
• They need to hold up to doing chores in them.
• Silicone full seats are life.
  

I've tried a few pairs to this point - TuffRider was warm but ugly, Horze absolutely MURDERED my lady bits (who puts a raised four-way seam THERE, seriously?! Probably a man...), and Kerrits suffered badly in the quality and longevity department - zippers that stopped working, fabric that snagged if you looked at it funny, and unimpressive, plasticky silicone.

But these. These are almost perfect. Smartpak hit it out of the park.

They tick the most basic of requirements these days: a side pocket. On both sides.

 

I actually bought these last year in October, and they sold out shortly after I bought them. They never came back in stock, and I didn't want to review something you guys couldn't buy, so I held off. But they're back! And that means this is more of a long-term review, since I wore them all last winter.

Proof that this pair have been heavily used and extensively tested!

They have a mid-weight version (that I haven't tried yet) and these heavyweights. And they are HEAVY. They feel heavy just to hold, which is partially because of this ultra luxurious, almost fur-like lining:

Reeeeeeeeally can't understate how comfy this lining is. I kind of hope the silicone falls off at some point so I can wear these around my (very cold) house all winter, lol.

 

The outside is a knit fabric that sheds hay nicely and hasn't pilled at all after an entire season of use. It's not going to snag if you run into a sharp corner either.

Fit is super tricky - don't let the fit out of the box fool you: these do stretch as you wear them. You'll want to size down unless you're planning on always wearing a layer underneath them. I bought these in Small so that I could fit my UnderArmour 4.0 under them, and they work well for that, but I'm planning to buy more in XS because the smalls sag badly when I wear them by themselves.

I'm wearing them by themselves here, and you can see they're pretty baggy. Do keep in mind this is the wrong size for me without something underneath. I'll post an updated fit pic when my XS get here.

For sizing reference, I'm 5'1 and 115lbs, am a 24 in Tredstep and ELT breeches, a 26 in Ovation breeches, an XS in Irideon tights, and a Small in Kerrits tights.

The length is what it is on 5'1 me. They're too long, but nobody makes petite breeches, so this is how long all my breeches are. #wesufferinsilence

I long to be one of those girls that can wear cute riding socks on the outside of her breeches, but I try it and I'm like "why does this look so bad on me?" and it's like "Oh right, because a bunch of extra bunched up fabric at the ankles under socks is not a good look"

In terms of warmth, a normal human would be good in these by themselves down to maybe the low 20s/upper teens Fahrenheit. I'm an actual lizard with Reynauds, so I use my UA4.0 with them below about 30F, and last winter I was just fine or even hot in that setup - even when I was at the barn with the vet and Aeres when it was a low of 8F. They are not waterproof or even water resistant, nor are they windproof, although I would call them "wind-resistant".

Finally, as a silicone full seat connoisseur, this is a middle-of-the-road, crowd pleasing level of grip. It's not going to glue your butt to the saddle, but it's not nothing either. And they do make a knee patch version, if you prefer. 

One reviewer noted the silicone started to fall off on hers after "1-2 seasons", but I can't speak to how she washes them. That has not happened to me washing them about once a week on delicates/cold and hang drying them from October-March of last year, so I feel pretty good about their longevity at this point.

Not a single dot missing after one season of use. And yes, there's dog hair on them in every one of these pictures, welcome to my life

Bottom line: I have yet to find a warmer, more comfortable, more durable pair of winter tights than these, and I wholeheartedly recommend them, but the sizing is tricky.

 

What: Piper Heavy-Weight Winter Tight by SmartPak - Full Seat

Sizes: XS-XXL

Colors: Black, Grey, Navy

Price: $89.95 with discounts available for USEF members and supplement auto-ship members

Disclaimer: Bought these with my own hard earned money, and I am not affiliated with nor being compensated by SmartPak in any way.

I'm going to start going back and occasionally re-reviewing a few of the products I've reviewed in the past. I feel like there's some value in a long-term review from me to see how things hold up over time, since I tend to do a lot of research before I buy something and I keep things I like for a long time.

Up first are the Smartwool Women's Merino Midweight Pattern 1/4 Zip Tops I bought from Riding Warehouse a little over three years ago. Or, more accurately, my mom bought me the black one as a gift and I bought the green one for myself.

I have two of them, and they're the only two shirts I wear to the barn when the temperature is below about 50 degrees, which, I live in Indiana, so that's about 5 months out of the year. So for three winters now, they've been worn 5-6 days a week for five straight months. How have they held up?

The other color I own, the black and white pattern

In short, amazing. They still look new. No stretching, no pilling, and the only damage is one small hole in the arm seam on the back of the green one, from what, I'm not sure. I can't sew, but you can be sure I'm going to find someone to fix that hole for me rather than get rid of it.

I don't wash them much; I don't need to (hello, wool). Even with wearing them nearly daily, they just don't retain smells nor do they get gross like other fabrics do, and I sniff tested them DAILY at home at first because I just couldn't believe that, but it's true. I maybe wash them once every 3-4 weeks on delicate and then dry them on my Sheila Maid. And yes I wash all of my other non-wool clothing regularly like a normal person!

Like all wool products, these shirts do a great job of keeping heat in but letting moisture out, so I'm able to comfortably wear these up to a warmer temperature than I would be able to wear a similarly warm but synthetic fabric. The threshold at which I start to feel hot in Smartwool is much higher than with other shirts. 

From my raccoon hunting expedition, wearing the green one.

Finally, it IS nice to both be warm and feel like I look good at the barn, which is difficult in winter when you just want to bundle up like the Michelin Man. In addition to wearing them to the barn I've sometimes worn them out to dinner with jeans and booties (you know, in the normal times). I love shirts that can pull double duty like this.

December 2018, PC: Austen

I like to put my clothes in terms of cost-per-wear, which saves me from myself when I find a "good deal" on a cheaply made shirt that will only last a couple wears. I paid $90 each for these shirts and I estimate I've worn them collectively about 300 times over the last three years, which puts the cost per wear at about $0.60 right now. I have no doubt these will last at least another few years though, so that figure will continue to go down.

RW no longer carries these exact shirts, but there's nothing equestrian-specific about them. Any Smartwool 250 midweight 1/4 zip Merino base layer will be the same product, such as this one from REI:

This color is calling my name, but I have absolutely no reason to own more than 2 of these.

Bottom line: After three years of daily winter use, I can wholeheartedly continue to endorse these as a great buy for both riding and looking good in the cold. They're not cheap, but very worth the price since I've proven they will definitely hold up over the years.

What: Smartwool Women's Merino Midweight 1/4 Zip Top

Price: I paid $90 three years ago, and it looks like they're still roughly around that $90-100 price point.

Sizes: XS-XL. You may want to consider sizing up one size if you're not into super fitted stuff. For reference, I'm 5'1 and 115lbs with a 32DD chest and I normally wear an XS in everything, but RW chose not to carry that size so I ended up with size smalls, which are perfect. The small is plenty fitted enough to flatter my figure, plus allows me to wear my very thick UA 4.0 underneath when I need to. 

Where: Smartwool.com or any sporting goods store that carries it, such as REI

Disclaimer: Bought these myself, paid for these myself, opinions are, as always, my own.

My winter riding wardrobe has been pretty well set for years at this point - and if you remember, my winter wardrobe is extra important because I have a condition that causes my hands and feet to go numb easily, and then causes me to nearly pass out when the blood comes back to them. 

Socks are always coming and going though, as socks do.  I've never been truly impressed by any winter socks I've tried (and I have tried THEM ALL), which is why I always supplement them with disposable whole-foot foot warmers if I'm riding below 30, or if I'm sitting still outside and it's below 60.

That is, until I took a flyer on these when I needed to hit a free shipping threshold a few months ago:



Guys.  These socks are my holy grail.  They are so warm, they've actually pushed back the threshold at which I need footwarmers.  They're so warm, I wear them for our 10 minute walk to our favorite bar downtown and find my feet getting warm during dinner, something that normally doesn't happen  when I wear other winter socks there.  And they're so light, I don't even notice I'm wearing them.

Why are they so good?  Alpaca fibers!  Alpaca fibers "have an advantage over wool though because of the extra hollow space in the fiber. This additional space creates a greater thermal capacity and allows for more warm air to fill the textile and provide extra warmth over its sheep’s wool counterpart....Alpaca fleece offers equivalent softness, more warmth and higher wicking properties than merino wool, and is also hypoallergenic and eco-friendly."

"Yeah what up, the superior sock producing animal here checking in"

I've been wearing them all winter, and they've washed up well and held up great.  The only thing I don't like is that they're crew socks, so they tend to slide down my legs a bit when I'm pulling breeches over them.  But, if these were knee high, they'd probably be prohibitively expensive, so there's that.  At any rate, I still love them so much I've since bought a total of six pairs for me and two pairs for gifts!

They're tough to find online - not sure if they're being discontinued, if it's just an end-of-season thing, or if most riding apparel companies just didn't pick them up - so if you are interested in trying them, jump on it!

Bottom line: These outperform wool socks, hunting socks, ski socks, shiny reflecting-your-body-heat socks, men's socks, Canadian socks and literally every other sock I've ever tried, and I'm obsessed with them.

What: AriatTek Alpaca Performance Socks
Price: $16.95 on RW or $13.95 direct from Ariat (free shipping at Ariat too)
Size/color options: RW has black/grey in XS/S (up to women's size 8) and M/L (8+), as well as navy/red in XS/S.  Ariat has beige/rose in XS/S.
Where to buy: Riding Warehouse | Ariat