−40 °C to +40 °C: The Camel-Hair Sock Vanguard Spent Three Years Building

In the winter of 2012 I was in Mongolia on duty for the first time. That was just a few months after the deployment in Afghanistan. Our task was to train Mongolian soldiers tactically and on German weapons and equipment for their deployment in Afghanistan. I knew a winter in Mongolia is considerably colder than in Europe. We were also issued extra equipment and clothing, but I was still freezing. The cold somehow didn't bother the Mongolian soldiers much. They smiled at it and said winter was still to come: „It doesn't really start until January." And we already had around minus 20 to minus 25 degrees — always with wind, and noticeably colder at night.

So I started observing them to find out what they do differently. I realised several factors matter — food, clothing, body care, to name three. The first thing I looked at was the soldiers' clothing, and later the clothing of the nomads and of the population in the capital — Ulaanbaatar, by the way, is the coldest capital in the world.

I looked through the shops and markets and found that locally produced socks are very popular. There are four kinds of wool there: cashmere, sheep's wool, yak wool and camel wool. I bought socks of every kind and tried them. I was convinced by the materials, but the construction didn't satisfy me yet. So from then on I dug deep into socks, fibres, functions and construction — made contact with manufacturers, had prototypes made, kept changing and improving them, tested across different climate zones, seasons and footwear. In the end I settled on the camel fibre. The current Explorer 250 came out of it — one you can offer on the market with a clear conscience. But we're staying on it and are already working on more products, like caps.

They don't just survive — they master their lives despite these temperature swings. The Bactrian camel lives in steppe regions, semi-deserts and the Gobi Desert. On top of that comes the temperature gap between day and night. These animals — and with them their hair layers and fibre properties — evolved so that extremely high and extremely low temperatures are no problem.

These unique properties of temperature regulation and moisture management act directly on the sock and thus on the foot climate. The camel hair keeps the foot warm without overheating. It keeps the foot dry and thereby greatly reduces blistering. If the socks get wet, the fibre still retains up to 40% of its warming capacity. That makes the socks an all-rounder across seasons — perfect for people with changing exertion phases in the military, in public service or outdoors.

First, one thing up front — merino wool is good. I don't want to talk merino down. I own merino garments myself. Every fibre has pros and cons. What matters is the purpose, the workmanship, the material mix and the finishing process.

My thinking was: how can you make a sock even better and more functional for military and outdoor use, without chemical finishing processes — and always with animal welfare in mind? The camels in Mongolia aren't just kept. The nomadic way of life is built entirely around the animals. They're practically part of the family. I recommend the film „The Story of the Weeping Camel" — it's available on YouTube. The sock's fibres are left natural and therefore work almost perfectly in terms of climate. Exactly as the camels' nature intends.

Compared to cotton, wool doesn't store liquids. Cotton gets wet and stays wet — anyone can test that on long marches, though I don't recommend it. The sock's special hollow fibre absorbs the sweat and carries it to the outside of the sock. This process is additionally supported by the mesh-like knit over the top of the foot, through a vaporisation zone. The sweat arriving there evaporates and is released into the interior of the boot. Through the pumping motion during the march, this vapour is led out of the boot via membrane and ventilation openings.

A good boot acts as a „team player" here, contributing to a good foot climate. The right sock decides performance and can compensate well for a boot's poor properties.

We tested our socks thoroughly in all kinds of countries and in every season — in the mountains, in everyday life, on duty during exercises and courses, across different branches. Among others, during the single-combatant course (Einzelkämpferlehrgang) and similar courses with the French military. The feedback was consistently positive. The Explorer 250 cuts foot odour very strongly. Some test subjects even spoke of being odour-free — and we're talking three or more days under sometimes considerable peaks of strain.

Why do our socks manage that? First: the special nature of the fibre, which it can only deliver because it came from an extreme climate. Second: the fibre is left natural — the scales on the hair are intact, the fibre is not coated with polymers. Third: the special construction with various supporting zones.

The scales on the hair create a kind of self-cleaning process at the microscopic level when switching between wet and dry. They partly repel bacteria, salts and the like — which limits or prevents odour.

The vaporisation zone over the top of the foot was thought up and implemented relatively quickly. What took longer was fine-tuning the material mix and positioning the reinforcements with the somewhat more robust Mongolian sheep's wool. The socks had to be adjusted again and again and tested in different boots and shoes across different terrain. In the end it was about three years from the first prototype to the current model.

Because in our quality management we make sure the fibre is exactly as we need it for the socks. We use only the fine undercoat and not the coarse outer hair of the camel, and we insist on flawless workmanship. Camel hair also has less lanolin — wool grease — on the fibre than other wools, which leads to fewer skin irritations.

At least I currently don't know of any brand that uses camel hair for tactical applications or outdoors. I only know brands that use camel hair occasionally in everyday clothing or the luxury segment — but that's a completely different area. The first reactions are usually similar: „Oh, these are really soft." — „My feet don't stink at all anymore." — „Camel? That's interesting!" — „I'm not taking these off again." One test subject said: „These are total crap … even after a week my feet don't stink." I found that pretty funny.

A comrade who wore the socks throughout the entire single-combatant course said he was the only one without blisters. I was glad to hear it, though I couldn't verify it with the other participants. I think I gave him the second prototype back then. That sock had a small hole after the course — that's part of the truth too. That spot is of course now reinforced.

I'm not a fan of throwing away socks that aren't broken yet. Enough already gets thrown away in our society. But why the Explorer 250? Do you want a functional sock you can wear on almost any occasion, under changing loads, across different seasons? Do you want a natural product that also respects animal welfare? Do you want to finally be rid of sweaty feet and blisters? Then try the Explorer 250. It's the sock that reliably solves the old problems — and skips the unnecessary frills.