What to Do When Your Hiking Socks Get Wet

The "Squelch" Factor

We have all been there. A rock hop gone wrong, a puddle that is 3x deeper than it looks, a misstep with the water filter bag… and your feet are drenched. You take a step and squelch, the dreaded sound of water swishing in your shoes.

Sometimes wet hiking socks are a minor inconvenience, other times they can be the straw that slowly unravels a great trip. Wet feet create hot spots, blisters, foot swelling, maceration, and cold feet that just can’t get warm.

Moisture is unavoidable, but how you deal with wet hiking socks can mean the difference between type two fun and type three fun.

In this blog we will talk through the factors to consider for wet hiking socks, some lessons learned the hard way, and tips to bring with you on your next trip into the backcountry — whether that is a multi-day trip or a quick after work hike.

The Physics of Wet Feet — Consequences & Triage

First and foremost: here are some tips to avoid getting your feet wet. Though once your socks are wet, the decisions you make next matter more than how they got that way.

• Be prepared and have an idea before you go. Trip reports, trail guides, and reviewing maps all should give you an idea of how wet a given adventure might be.
• Some water crossings are easy to rock hop, others might be worth taking your shoes and socks off and walking across barefoot.
• Time it well — Some trips with involved crossings, I have camped near the crossing so we could do it first thing in the morning (avoiding higher flows from snowmelt later in the day) or gone through and camped close by on the other side (to transition right from crossing to gear drying).
• Think outside the box — On a couple occasions I brought trash bags with me ice climbing, knowing that the tradeoff of less traction was worth keeping my boots dry crossing the south fork of the Shoshone (Cody, WY).

While not getting your socks wet is the preferred path, if you hike enough, it is eventually inevitable, and sometimes just walking it off is the best option.

Have a Spare Pair

I always keep a dry pair of socks in the center console of my truck. Especially in Vermont, it is a sign of a good day to take a minute and change my socks/footwear after a hike, ski, or skate.

Generally if I have less than a handful of miles back to a trailhead or know that I have another water crossing shortly, I will just walk it out: temperature and time being two factors that can definitely influence the decision. I would absolutely recommend bringing a spare pair of socks in your pack, even on day hikes.

Wet Consequences

The consequences of wet feet are wide ranging: foot swelling, hot spots, blisters, skin damage, faster heat loss which can lead to even worse consequences in some conditions like numbness, frostnip, frostbite.

Often on longer trips or later in the season your feet will build up some resilience to the consequences of wet socks, but really it takes time on trail… and most of us don’t want to suffer the whole way there.

Conducting Triage

A big part of caring for wet feet is the initial triage. Evaluate the situation: an unexpected fall in a creek is a lot different than an all day rain that slowly seeps through your shoes.

Sometimes you can’t just walk it off, and if you are thinking about it, it is likely something you should address; the earlier you act the less likely you will have things get worse.

Ultimately you will face a "Stop or Go" Decision. Temperature, time of day, miles to cover, weather, and other extraneous circumstances all factor into the decision to just hoof it out or stop and dry out. Sometimes five minutes spent dumping out your shoes and wringing out your socks can make a huge difference.

On a sunny day taking an early lunch and drying your socks on a rock can be enough to keep your feet healthy. Basic first aid like mole skin, athletic tape, or a bandaid also might be a great step towards damage control and heading off the issue.

Know Your Circumstances Before You Decide to Dry Out or Push on

Wet socks can have a major impact during shoulder seasons, winter, or high altitude trips; keep your feet dry to help prevent numb feet or frostbite. Moisture pulls heat away from the body: estimated heat loss is 25x faster than dry socks.

Wearing wet socks for longer periods of time can cause socks to stretch, lose their fit, and begin to "bunch," leading to blisters. 

The Recovery Hierarchy — Merino vs. Synthetic

Sock material can have a huge impact on recovery and your ability to quickly adjust and keep going. Fast drying hiking socks will have a positive impact on your trip, and that brings the discussion down to two types of socks: Merino Wool socks and synthetic socks.

Merino Wool and synthetics both have their strengths. Merino socks that also layer in synthetic materials can do a great job of balancing wool’s warm while wet ability with the quick dry capabilities from synthetics.

Synthetic socks tend to be the quickest to dry but can hang onto odor and lose their insulating abilities when wet. But a lot of sock drying speed when they’re on your feet is really dependent on your shoes.

Ultimately avoid cotton socks, because these socks retain moisture and bunch worse than other solutions. We’ve put together deep dive on materials elsewhere.

Merino is really a great material for outdoor pursuits; its ability to help regulate temperature (stay warm when it’s cold, stay cool when it’s warm) sets it apart from most other materials.

In addition Merino’s moisture wicking ability helps draw sweat and water away from your skin, helping prevent the hot spots and foot swelling that can cause worse issues.

The Footwear Factor

Socks are just one part of keeping your feet dry, and if you are looking for the best socks for hiking in wet weather, I would tell you to consider both your socks and shoes. Different footwear will also impact how well water drains.

Generally (each shoe is different) trail runners will have more mesh/help drain water faster, while many boots are more waterproof, but if they get wet (like having water go over the top of your boot) they will not drain as well.

For hikes that have a lot of water I would typically pair a lightweight hiking sock with trail runners. The lightweight socks will retain less moisture and dry out a bit faster. Be conscious of your shoe/boot height and try to make sure your sock is at least a small bit higher (this can help move moisture away from your feet).

Last year, we got a permit for the Zion narrows, and I combined a pair of Micro Crew Light Hikers with my whitewater paddling shoes for the 16 mile hike.

Ultimately the question is: do wool socks dry faster?

The answer is, it depends. They will absolutely dry faster than cotton, but they won’t dry faster than pure synthetic socks. The tradeoff is that while they might not be totally dry, they will perform for you while they are still damp. This is because wool is amazing at managing moisture - it can hold up to 30% of its weight in water before even feeling damp.

Wringing out a pair of Merino socks will give you a dryer feel faster, and they can continue to combat a wet boot upper to protect your feet. I had a spring ski tour where the start was crossing a frozen lake and, with the fresh snow, I didn’t know there was a layer of water on top of the ice. Shortly after starting the tour, my ski boot was in water ankle deep and my foot was soaked.

Once I made it across, I quickly kicked off my skis, sat down, and pulled off my boots. Flipping a boot upside down and watching water pour out of it is not an ideal scenario while skiing, but I was able to wring out my socks and continue the tour.

Were my feet wet? Yes, but the skiing was still great, and I didn’t have any blisters at the end of the day. I was quite happy to change into some dry socks and boots at the car after crossing the lake in a slightly different spot.

In-Hike Field Recovery — The "Dry on the Fly" Methods

While most of the discussion leading into it is how to set yourself up for the inevitable, this section will address how to dry your hiking socks and feet on the fly. You want to know what to do with wet socks backpacking, and we hope this article helps give you an answer.

As stated earlier, 5 minutes of effort can often have a huge impact on blister prevention and reducing friction that’s due to wet socks.

The first tip is pretty basic: if you are dealing with water crossing wet socks and have crossed the last stream but still have a fair amount of hiking remaining for the day, find a spot where you can take a break (ideally without too much debris around), then drain as much of the water out of your footwear as possible. Squeeze what you can out of the uppers of your shoes and pull out the footbeds.

Pull off your socks and squeeze them out, then let them dry for a bit. Maybe take some time and eat a snack or just use the time to check your maps and weather.

A great way to speed up drying is to use a pack towel. After you wring the socks out so you can’t get water to drip off anymore, you can put them in a dry pack towel and do an extra round of squeezing water out. This can absorb a bit more out of the socks before you put them back on.

The helicopter spin is another technique that can bring a little lightheartedness to a soggy situation: spin the wet socks above your head and use centripetal force to spin out excess water.

Another great option is to switch out the pair on your feet for a dry pair and attach the wet pair to the outside of your pack to air dry. Even on day hikes I typically bring some extra layers, and an extra pair of socks is one of the most important layers to have.

Especially in drier climates, saddlebagging the wet pair to the outside of your pack can work really quickly. Mesh side pockets, synched on tightening straps, or safety pinned to the outside can all do the trick if it isn't actively raining.

Camp Care — The Overnight Drying Manual

Getting to camp can be make or break for drying out your gear. Drying socks while camping and drying out your feet will give you a mental boost. A pair of camp sandals or warm booties can help dry your feet and recover any hot spots, and a night of rest can reset even the toughest of days.

Another solid tip is to keep the "Sacred Dry Pair." This is a common backpacking rule of never wearing your "sleep socks" while hiking, no matter how wet the trail is. I typically bring 3 pairs with me, one camp pair, and two pairs for use during the day.

On a packrafting trip in Alaska this served me well even though my dry suit had developed leaks early in the 10 day trip and my feet were soaked almost constantly when we were on the water. I was able to dry each pair for two nights between wear and still had a comfy pair helping to dry out my feet each evening.

When asked how to dry hiking socks camping, I typically say to get to camp with some daylight remaining and hang all your wet gear out either on a clothes line (paracord, bear bag line) or find a sunny tree to hang things on its branches; big rocks can work well too.

Beware of critters. In some situations, I have seen mountain goats go after sweaty clothing high in the beartooths and smaller critters chew holes in all sorts of things, so I like to hang things off the ground when there are ways to do it.

Boot recovery is another key part of camp care: Pull out footbeds, loosen your shoelaces, and tilt your shoes to drain as much water as you can. This will help reduce the amount your boots would re-wet your socks.

All of this is weather dependent, but you can do some drying under a tarp or in your tent if weather is not cooperating. Overall it is key to not let the weather offset any gains you made in drying things out.

The sleeping bag trick can work well to finish off socks that are still damp but not soaking. Use your body heat to help dry them overnight. This is also an important step if you are facing freezing temps overnight.

Drying by the fire can be a risky move; take care of your socks. Beware of melting synthetic fibers. If you are truly desperate, I would wear the socks and sit with my feet drying near the fire so you have a bit more awareness of the temperature and distance from the open flames.

The Wet Sock Recovery Checklist

To recap, wet hiking socks aren’t an if, they are a when. While there are tips to keep your feet dry once your socks get wet, be ready to manage the moisture:

• Wring early, wring often.
• Don't let water sit.
• Spare socks are worth every penny when you need a pick-me-up late in the day.
• Take the time while backpacking to dry out your skin and check for maceration (white, wrinkled skin more prone to damage).

Overall friction and moisture are the factors that will cause you the most issues with blisters, if you can’t get dry, you have to reduce friction. First aid, spare socks, and some additional effort overnight will set you up for the best chance to get through issues caused by wet socks and spend your time enjoying the trip.

And if wet hiking socks is not your crux, we've got you covered with tackling other common hiking sock problems too.

About the Author

Kevin is a climbing and rafting enthusiast and Darn Tough employee that can often be found roaming around Smugglers Notch between December and March. His favorite ice climbing areas are the South Fork (Cody, WY) and Hyalite Canyon (Bozeman, MT).