Goosefeet Gear Down Socks Review

A backpacking Truth I’ve come to realize is that good sleep on the trail is extremely important. And this looks different for every hiker. It’s all about striking a perfect personal combination of gear that doesn’t break the back during the day but still helps recover it at night. And as much as I love counting ounces, my sleep system is definitely my splurge zone. I’m already team inflatable pillow, and as my circulation seems to worsen as the years and miles pass, I’m really warming up to team down socks. Goosefeet Gear is one of the brands I’d perceived to be at the top, so I snagged a pair of their down socks and found some cold weather to sleep in.

Goosefeet Gear Down Socks At-a-Glance

• MSRP: $69
• Weight: 2.1-2.7 Ounces (Men’s L, fabric choice dependent)
• 850 Fill Power
• Highly Customizable

Circumstance of Review

I tested these out in late fall/early winter, mostly in the North Carolina mountains. My coldest nights were in the low 20’s (Fahrenheit). I slept in a Katabatic Flex 30 Ultralight Quilt on a Therm-a-Rest Neo Air XLite inside a Gossamer Gear The DCF One Tent. Most nights camped were around 6,000 feet of elevation. For maximum warmth, I got the 100% overfill option in XL for my size 13 feet, which put their temperature rating all the way down to 15 degrees. I also opted for 8D on both fabrics. This put the total weight of my down socks at 3.3 ounces.

It should also definitely be noted that I have rather poor circulation in my feet. They stay warm as long as I’m moving, but after an hour or so in camp on a chilly night, I’m typically putting numb feet in my quilt.

Features

• Elastic Cuffs – At the top of each sock is a light elastic cuff to keep the sock in place. It is not adjustable and has a slightly loose fit.
• Customizable Fabrics – Both socks have both a shell and liner fabric. Each fabric sheet can come in either 8D or 20D and both pieces are available in a variety of colors.

 

• Overfill Options Available – The down socks come with a choice of five different varieties of overfill. The standard option has none and is rated for 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Each of the subsequent options increases fill by 25% and adds five degrees of warmth.
• Can be Waterproofed – The down socks are treated with DownTek, which provides some initial water resistance. An additional accessory is available in the Goosefeet Gear Waterproof Over-Booties. These are also highly customizable, and the lightest versions add less than two ounces of weight and turn the socks into full-blown camp shoes.

Goosefeet Gear Down Socks Performance

So, how’d they do? To cut right to it, they’re a game-changer, at least for me. Numb cold feet have plagued me for the last couple years, and I just can’t fall asleep that way. Eventually, they’ll always get warm enough and I’m able to drift off, but they are typically the thing that keeps me awake. These down socks quickly turned my numb toes to warm ones. I just slipped my feet into these socks as soon as I got into my tent and by the time I was fully tucked in and ready to sleep, no more numb toes. It really was that simple.

Moisture Management

My biggest concern going into my test of these down socks was how they’d fair with condensation. And so far, it’s gone better than I’d hoped. I have been mostly using these with a pair of the cheapest thinnest ankle socks I could find, just to keep my grimy feet from dirtying the down socks. Even with this trick a bit of condensation is typically left at the end of the night, but fortunately, they’re easy to flip inside out. This makes them super easy to dry out and clean.

Goosefeet Gear Down Socks Pros

• Customizable – SO many great options here. Great colors to pick from and down stuffing options.
• Cuff Comfort – Bit of a double-edged sword here, but I think for me this was mostly a plus. Definitely a fan of the simplicity here.
• Excellent Moisture Management – The treated down and reversibility make these easy to take care of.

Goosefeet Gear Down Socks Cons

• Much More Expensive Than Regular Socks – Pretty obvious, but still worth stating. In consistently cold weather, I can see these being worth it, but in the standard hiking season, an extra pair of merino wool socks should do the trick.
• No Cuff Cinch – On one of my testing nights, I managed to slip out of my down sock in the middle of the night. It only happened once and was easy to fix, sure, but it did happen.
• Not Viable Camp Shoes – These down socks are excellent for keeping feet warm at night, but really don’t do much else. I could see wearing them around one of the cleaner hostels, but I wouldn’t risk walking around outside.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, I think these down socks perfectly fit a specific niche: they make sleep better and easier in consistent cold weather camping. I will be bringing these with me on longer hikes with temperatures consistently below freezing. However, I think they may be a bit too much of a luxury for me to be an “always” item. I can handle a few extra minutes of numb toes if I need to. But when things get chilly, you can absolutely put me down for a pair of Goosefeet Gear Down Socks.

Shop Goosefeet Gear Down Socks

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These Goosefeet Gear down socks were donated for purpose of review