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There's no doubt about it, cold feet can really ruin an outdoor experience. Standing idle during a cold day can really test your footwear, but the ultimate challenge for a sock is keeping your feet cozy while wading in frigid cold water. An introduction to Warrior Alpaca Socks has greatly increased my comfort level while fishing early in the season. 

Do a search for the warmest socks on the market and you will find the traditional wool vamps your grandmother knitted for you, while certainly warmer than cotton and many synthetic materials, do not compare to modern blends. You will find reference to bison, merino, yak and alpaca wool, all of which are highly regarded for their thermal properties, some better than others for moisture management. 

The cotton socks you might wear to work have a Thermal Overall Grade (TOG) rating of 0.33 and merino sheep wool is four times higher at 1.23 on the scale. Apparently, qiviut, the hair of a musk ox, is the warmest natural fiber we know of and is rated to be eight times as warm as sheep's wool. 

Alpaca wool is better than merino but not as warm as qiviut. Bur the musk ox socks will set you back nearly $200 for a single pair. 

I tried a number of styles of Warrior Alpaca socks, including one model they call the Ultimate. I can vouch for the comfort level of all four style I tested, but the Ultimate certainly lived up to its name. It seriously is a sock I don't want to take off and if I had a drawer full of them, I would wear them at least three season of the year. 

These properties and the natural wicking ability of the alpaca fiber enable your feet to stay dryer. That means, of course, you can wear them longer without throwing them in the wast and foot odor is less likely to drive your campmates outdoors. 

Warrior socks start in price from $10 a pair. The Ultimate sock will cost you around 30 bucks, but that will probably feel like a bargain after your first outing. For more info, check out their website: www.warrioralpacasocks.com