VANGUARD EXPLORER 250 - Camel-hair wool sock for professional use

From the harshest climate zone in the world. For the toughest demands.

The Explorer 250 was developed for soldiers, hunters, mountain athletes and trekkers - for everyone who has to rely on their gear. When the march is 30 kilometres or more, when the nights drop below zero, when the boot doesn't come off for three days, the material decides more than anything else. Ideal for escape-and-evasion exercises, selection courses and the like!

70% Mongolian camel hair. 15% Mongolian sheep's wool. Untreated.

Anyone who knows wool socks knows merino. Merino is the standard - and a good one. Mongolian camel hair is the step above.

The catch: in Mongolia, everyone knows this. Outside Mongolia, almost no one. What has been standard there for thousands of years is niche knowledge in Central Europe - even though camel hair outperforms merino wool in thermoregulation.

While the rest of the world upgraded to merino, nomads in the Gobi have worn camel-hair clothing for generations. The fibre grows on camels that have to survive +40 °C in summer and −40 °C in winter.

What Mongolian camel hair does that merino can't:

• Better temperature regulation - the fibre is hollow, insulates more per gram and releases heat more evenly
• Higher moisture absorption - takes up to a third of its own weight in moisture and wicks it outward before the skin feels wet
• Naturally odour-resistant - more so than conventional merino, because the fibre is not chemically treated
• Less itch — camel hair is finer than common sheep's wools and stays soft even after washing

No Central European outdoor brand uses camel hair, let alone sources it directly from where it comes from. Vanguard does. We hope to shake up the tactical-sock market and set a new standard.

No chemical treatments, no coatings. What the sock can do, it does straight from the fibre.

The Explorer 250 is reinforced at the heel and toe with Mongolian sheep's wool. The terry knit on the sole guarantees more cushioning on impact and roll-off.

Across the top of the foot runs a knitted-in ventilation system. More finely knitted zones let heat and moisture escape in a targeted way, before sweat and warmth build up in the shoe.

What the sock delivers:

• Keeps you warm without overheating
• Keeps the foot dry - which means: no blisters
• Reduces odour even after multi-day operations
• Low wear under high mechanical load

Details:

• Material: 70% Mongolian camel hair, 15% Mongolian sheep's wool, 15% functional support weave
• Reinforcement: heel and toe with Mongolian sheep's wool
• Ventilation: integrated ventilation zone on the top of the foot
• Fit: knitted-in fixation zone at the midfoot
• Use: military, hunting, trekking, expedition, outdoor
• Care: colour wash at 30°C, no tumble dryer, no fabric softener