Other Products we like--Alpaca Socks, Wool Felt Liners

	Extreme Alpaca Socks Boot Socks Code: 620 Price: $24.00 Quantity in Basket: none
These Alpaca socks are the best winter socks that we have found. They are lighter than sheep's wool with better insulating value. The U.S. alpaca cooperative has teamed up with a domestic knitting factory and the result is a thick, modern sport sock with plenty of elastic and shape/reinforcement in the proper places. All this and they are made in USA of yarn made of the sheared wool from domestic alpacas. We tested these in our usual rigorous way last season in our dogsledding operation and they did better than any other socks that we have tried. Three sizes, Small (Women's 9-11, Men's 7-9), Medium (Women's 11-13, Men's 9-11) and Large (Women's 13-15, Mens 11-13). Tip for warm feet: Keeping our dogsledding customers feet warm is a top priority on our Wolfsong Adventures in Mushing trips. We have found what works best is wearing one pair of thick socks, either wool or alpaca, plus a pair of loose fitting boots with removable wool felt liners (real wool felt, if you can find it.) Wearing two pairs of socks restricts air flow between your ankles and toes, so toes get colder faster. Also, boots with foam liners or hiking type boots tend to restrict air flow and we believe they are not as warm as felt liners--like the standard pac-boots (like Sorels) or mukluks.
	Wool Felt Insoles Code: 632 Price: $12.00 Quantity in Basket: none
Insoles only (see below for liners) in 13mm(1/2") thick or 9mm (3/8") thick. Real wool pressed felt. Sizes 6-13. Makes any boot warmer and replaces synthetic insoles. Picture shows liners, insoles go inside beneathe your foot and are made of wool felt.
	Wool Felt Liners Code: 631 Price: $26.00 Quantity in Basket: none
Cold Feet? Replace your liners in any boot with real wool felt liners. Real pressed wool felt liners and insoles are far superior to what the major boot companies put in their boots these days. They also last much longer. Sizes 6-13 mens, thin and thicker, 10" or 13". Call or email to get the correct liner for your boots. Standard boots are 10", 9mm (3/8"). We also have 6mm in yellow that make nice slippers. They are made in the U.S.A. or Canada. Content is either 100% wool or 75% wool (more durable with a little nylon, just like fabric). See below for John's ranting and raving story of why we now provide these to our customers. Read this only if you enjoy ranting and raving: This winter, my feet were cold one day and when I removed my liners from my Sorel boots, I found they were not even made of wool anymore. Moisture from condensation had permeated the liners and they were not insulating anymore. They were actually frozen! I thought I was just getting old and my feet couldn't keep warm anymore. Since we know a lot about wool and how well it works, I knew that my feet would stay warmer longer with real wool felt liners. Wool absorbs moisture and keeps insulating with up to 40% of its volume wet. Plastic fibers, even the ones that claim to "wick" repel water droplets. They may move it away from your skin, but they destroy the insulating properties of the fibers and will freeze in cold temperatures. Thick wool insoles help even more. The wool felt liners and insoles we found are still being made in Canada like they always have been. They use the pressed wool felt process, which is the traditional method of felting where the wool fibers are steamed and pressed together so they form a tangled web. It is a little like putting a wool sweater in the washer and dryer, making it into something that might fit the poodle or a doll. Modern synthetic felt, which is found in all the modern boots that are sold, is needle felted, which means they take a wad of fibers and use needles to mat them together, tearing them in the process. This is cheap and easy, but the product is far less durable. If I was smart, I would have just found a pair of real wool felt liners, bought it and been done. It was not easy to find and I spent most of the day talking to companies about their processes and wool content. I finally found a company in Canada that made what I wanted. They used to produce the good liners back in the day, so they still knew how and had the machines. While they now make mostly industrial felt and synthetics, the owner of the company for the last 40 years was happy to make liners for us. He told me all about how much better the pressed wool felt works and lasts and was happy to be making them again. So my search for a single pair of liners ended up in a wholesale order, enough to provide all of you with a pair! The owner of the company told me stories of back in the day when they made the liners for the original Sorels. Some of the modern boot improvements, like arch support, are good, but this is another example of how mass offshore production does not serve the consumer. A large boot company can make a couple dollars more per pair of boots and it adds up to a lot for them. The consumer gets cold feet and boots that wear out faster. A dog musher's advice for warm feet: Buy a boot with a removable liner, throw out the liner, put in a pressed wool felt liner. Wear one pair of good wool or alpaca socks and make sure your boots are not too tight. Mary thinks I am over here working, so I better get back to something productive. John