The Alternate Stitch

It’s a new year, and that means it is time to think about summer outdoor objectives! It is also time to put in for those tough to get lotteries. To help with your planning, below is a list of 8 of these lotteries with dates, some lottery tips and, of course, the perfect sock for when you win.

If you're wondering how to pack for a thru hike, we've got you covered. Darn Tough employee Ryan Shamy, trail name Buzz, has thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and Vermont's Long Trail. Ryan walked us through his thru hiking gear list and turned it into a downloadable checklist you can print and follow along. Happy hiking! 

In this post I’m going to get into the pros and cons of liner socks to help you determine your best footwear system. Spoiler: I truly don’t think you need liners if you have the right sock and shoe combo. So let’s get into it…

We have officially walked through two states so far on our journey on the Continental Divide Trail! Our southbound hike started at the Canadian border in Glacier National Park mid-June and has since taken us 1,200 miles through Montana and Wyoming to the Colorado state line.

We invented a holiday. On September 19th, join us in celebrating 1466 Day, a holiday honoring our best-selling Hiker Micro Crew. This sock is Darn Tough’s bestseller, and for several darn good reasons. It’s so great we’ve deemed it worthy, if not necessary, to create a special holiday just for this sock.

People often ask me how I got my trail name, Sir Owen VanGrizzle, Duke of Beartown. It all happened at the Stratton Pond Shelter on the Appalachian Trail and Long Trail in southern Vermont, waaaay back when my best friend Ben and I hiked the Long Trail for our first time in 2010.

Inspired by the International Mountain Day theme, "Women Move Mountains," we proudly present the Darn Tough ‘Trailblazer’ sock. This design honors the incredible women who have played vital roles in the protection and stewardship of our mother earth, past and present.

Walking for exercise has many benefits for the body and the mind and is one of the most convenient activities we can do for our wellbeing. Some good, basic equipment will help ensure you get to focus on your walk and not your feet. Here’s a simple guide on how to choose the right walking socks.

In honor of National Trails Day this Saturday, we’re excited to share some history about one America's first national scenic trails and the nonprofit that is responsible for its conservation and stewardship.

We’re uncovering the top 10 small mountain towns that beckon hikers, backpackers, and nature enthusiasts alike. From beginner-friendly trails to rugged heart-pumping pursuits, these off-the-beaten-path gems offer up unforgettable natural landscapes, great local food, and splashes of unique culture.

A lot of folks call the Pacific Crest Trail a home away from home. Every year, thousands of eager hikers set their sights on the path ahead, soaking up sunshine, taking on rainstorms, enjoying the unparalleled viewsheds, and inevitably encountering a few hurdles along the way.

One of the principal rules of hiking, especially multiple-day outings, is to take care of your feet. This means keeping your feet dry, warm in cold weather, and cool in hot weather with no sock slipping or bunching. The question is, do you need hiking socks to do that?

We make a lot of men’s hiking socks. Good ones, too. With a goal to make your purchase easier — and to create some passionate responses internally — we went ahead and picked our “best hiking socks” (at least for this year).

We knit a lot of hiking socks. Specifically (at the time this post was written), we knit 48 different styles alone in women’s hiking socks. Safe to say, like any parent, we’re proud of all our socks. But today, we thought we’d lay out our buyer’s guide to the best women’s hiking socks.

To understand how to prevent blisters while hiking, you first must understand what blisters are and what causes them to form. Blisters can develop almost anywhere, but if you’re hiking, backpacking, or long-distance walking, the most likely (and perhaps most adverse) location is on your feet.

What makes Darn Tough hiking socks so good? And, with dozens of styles and designs to choose from, how do you pick the right pair for you? In this post, I’ll guide you through how to choose the best socks for your next hike, whether that’s a quick jaunt to your favorite local spot, or a several-thousand-mile-long trek.

This is everything I’m doing to get me and my dog Lassen ready to thru hike the Oregon Coast Trail. If you’re planning on doing a thru hike with your dog, I hope you find this helpful.

We recently put together a gear checklist, we made sure to ask hikers about their gear – particularly which items have helped them the most and any they thought were unique or worth sharing.

The Long Trail (LT) of Vermont is a 272-mile hiking route that follows the main ridge of the Green Mountains from the Vermont-Massachusetts border all the way to Canada. Steeped in rich history, the Long Trail is America’s oldest long-distance hiking trail, conceived in 1910 by the Green Mountain Club.

You can use only one utensil. What do you pick? Simple: Spoon. The unpretentious, effective, and appealing Spoon. While I occasionally use Forks, if I must choose, I will pick a Spoon over a Fork for most meals, assuming both have similar heft and quality (nobody needs to be using a flimsy utensil).

Last summer, I became the second fastest person in the world to complete the Appalachian Trail (AT), completing a supported Northbound faster than the famous Scott Jurek. The odyssey isn't over yet. I pursue my dream of setting a new fastest known time (FKT) on the AT.