PurelyAlpaca.com is a family owned alpaca products web store in the USA which since 2002 has promoted the cute, lovable and ultimately useful alpaca with 100s of products, ranging from little trinkets for alpaca gift lovers to ultimate luxury garments costing thousands of dollars. We are also avid motorcyclists and as such do "adventure touring" all over the USA, Canada, Mexico and in the spring of 2013, Ecuador. We have well over 200,000 miles of adventure riding behind us and look forward to many more adventures. Next year, perhaps riding in India or a trip across the USA, and back.
As any seasoned rider with tell you, having the right "gear" is paramount to enjoying the adventures of the open road. Nothing ruins a trip more than being too cold, too wet, too hot or just not prepared. There's an old saying we go by, credited to Norway, "There's no bad weather, just bad clothing!"
Recently, we discovered the wisdom of that phrase with great solutions in our own product line. One of the superior features of alpaca socks over other materials is its natural ability to wick moisture (sweat) from the skin while providing comfortable warmth. We discovered this recently on a long trip to Reno, NV. The main road to Reno from San Diego, US HWY 395 is a long, quite easy highway with generally low traffic, beautiful vistas and quiet serenity. There are multiple natural stops along the way to enjoy, old mom-n-pop businesses, little quaint towns, open desert beauty and magestic mountains to admire.
On the Reno trip we tested our Superwarm Alpaca Socks from www.ChoiceAlpacaFootwear.com and the new OutdoorAdventure Alpaca Socks in varying conditions of cold and hot. On the way up from San Diego, it got pretty COLD! The high mountains South of Reno reach over 6000 ft high and temperatures can drop significantly. After hours in "the saddle", your exposure to cold temperatures can really seep in and start to take their toll. Riding cold is NOT fun! Even if everything else is good, if you're feet get cold, you're COLD! The cold runs up from your feet and taunts the rest of your body. But we were good... the Superwarm Alpaca socks did a great job! They kept the otherwise cold leather boots from seeping cold through to our feet while at the same time, "breathing" out any foot moisture.
On a previous trip under similar conditions we had forgotten the alpaca socks. You pack minimally on a multi-day motorcycle trip and can almost unconsciously leave something out if we think it won't be needed. On this trip we found ourselves without our alpaca socks and thereby "stuck" with cotton. Two layes of cotton socks didn't do much. Our feet froze and to make matters worse, the foot started getting damp too... then the dampness got cold! Not fun! Our alpaca socks would have avoided this problem with their natural ability to wick away moisture, keeping feet fresh, dry, warm and comfortable.
On our way back from the Reno trip it was significantly warmer. We decided to test the new OutdoorAdventure socks. These are significantly less bulky than the Superwarms yet are made from the same yarn. They offer comfort and wicking as well. Though the weather back from Reno was likey too warm for these socks, we found an interesting result... by mid afternoon our feet were very warm but as the moisure came off our skin, it was being wicked away, and our feet, which would have been wet with now HOT sweat were comfortable and dry. When we finally arrived home and with the boots off, our socks were dry and odor free. Try that with wet sweaty STINKY cotton socks! As a matter of fact... I'll admit this here... I once did a 5-day "odor endurance" riding test in alpaca socks. No washing... and no sticking after 5 days riding. Cotton socks would have started to really "grow" under those conditions!
While on the road we like to "motel camp" as it were. Long, long days of riding then a nice cool motel room is camping enough! Once we're off the bike the boots come off and stay off! We find our new SlipperBootie alpaca socks work great as easy comfy cushioned slippers for around the motel room or walks to the ice machine. The compact size is important because of our limited storage space and the comfort and warmth of the SlipperBooties are just what is needed to relax.
As we say, bad clothing can ruin an adventure. No matter what your adventures, the proper gear can make a difference. With these alpaca socks from Choice Alpaca Footwear you'll enjoy natural comfort that will keep you enjoying all those adventures!
To your journey!-Brian
