Today is a fantastic day for a hike, Hope to see you on the trails !

Friday, December 31, 2010

Darn Tough Socks of Northfield, Vermont

Part 8 in an ongoing series highlighting Northeast-based gear companies. Darn Tough Socks have been making socks in Northfield, Vermont for 30 years. Family owned and operated, the company produces a full line of heavy-duty, and yes, darn tough socks for the full range of outdoor activities.

The company touts its credibility by proclaiming Vermont to be "the most unforgiving climate in the lower 48" and "the perfect testing ground to make the finest All Weather Performance Sock." Hyperbole aside, the company does offer some nice products.

For maximum winter warmth, check out the Mountaineering Extra Cushion, which matches the standby Smartwool Mountaineering sock both in terms of price ($20-$24, depending where you buy) and construction (80% merino wool, 20% nylon). They also offer a range of socks for running and biking, available in both merino wool and Coolmax versions; and a fun line of casual socks.

You can find Darn Tough Socks at a wide range of retailers, including City Sports and EMS. Browse the full list of dealers, which allows you to sort them by state to find your closest source.

Support your Northeast gear companies! Here are the seven others I've profiled to date:

Delorme (Yarmouth, Maine)
Ibex Outdoor Clothing (White River Junction, Vt.)
Jetboil (Manchester, N.H.)
New England Ropes (Fall River, Mass.)
Nemo Equipment (Manchester, N.H.)
Orion Signal and Survival Products (Easton, Md.)
Dermatone Sunscreen (Windsor, Ct.)

Have a suggestion for a Northeast-based gear company to profile? Please let me know!

“Equipped” is an AMC Outdoors blog, written by Matt Heid.