The Alternate Stitch

How & Why to Keep Running in Winter
As the temperature drops and snowflakes start to fall, many runners retreat indoors and switch to treadmill workouts for the colder months. However, with the right knowledge and preparation, winter running can be an exciting experience with unique benefits that keeps your fitness routine thriving.
How to Choose the Right Socks for Skiing and Snowboarding
From boots to helmet, by the time you get on the mountain, it could seem like you’re swimming in gear. You might be wondering; do I need ski socks? Or maybe, what are the best ski socks? Let's dive into it. 
Backcountry Skiing Tips: From Ascent to Après with Michelle Parker

Look at those lift lines! Let’s go backcountry skiing! But wait…there are some things to know before you go. Before you decide to hike up a mountain, there are a few things that can help keep you and others safe and make your adventure more enjoyable.

How to Choose the Right Running Socks
In this post, we’re going to cover how you should go about choosing the right pair of running socks. We’ll discuss the importance of running socks, what key features to look for, and what about Darn Tough Running socks make them the gold standard for every runner, from beginner level to elite professional.
How to Wrap Socks
Are you wondering the how to gift wrap socks? Whether they’re going in a stocking or under the Christmas Tree, we have all your gift-wrapping needs covered!
Easy Holiday Homemade Gift Ideas
Not sure what to get that special someone for the holidays? In addition to giving our socks, we’ve gathered some other easy homemade gift ideas that you can make yourself and give to those you love. Gifts that come from the heart reflect the thought and effort you put into them.
How to Prevent Blisters When Hiking
To understand how to prevent blisters while hiking, you first must understand what blisters are and what causes them to form. Blisters can develop almost anywhere, but if you’re hiking, backpacking, or long-distance walking, the most likely (and perhaps most adverse) location is on your feet.
How to Choose the Right Hiking Socks

What makes Darn Tough hiking socks so good? And, with dozens of styles and designs to choose from, how do you pick the right pair for you? In this post, I’ll guide you through how to choose the best socks for your next hike, whether that’s a quick jaunt to your favorite local spot, or a several-thousand-mile-long trek.

Planning a Thru Hike with a Dog: Four-Legged Trail Partners
This is everything I’m doing to get me and my dog Lassen ready to thru hike the Oregon Coast Trail. If you’re planning on doing a thru hike with your dog, I hope you find this helpful.
How to Choose the Right Lifestyle Socks
The best sock is one you want to wear every day, and we can help you find it. The secret, they say, is letting the sock choose you. But for someone with a lifestyle as adventurous and spontaneous as yours, we feel you might need a little help.
How to Wash Merino Wool Socks

If you’re standing by the laundry wondering how to wash Merino Wool socks, you’ve come to the right place. Here's detailed washing instructions for at home and in the backcountry.

Follow the White Blazes: How to Hike the Long Trail of Vermont
The Long Trail (LT) of Vermont is a 272-mile hiking route that follows the main ridge of the Green Mountains from the Vermont-Massachusetts border all the way to Canada. Steeped in rich history, the Long Trail is America’s oldest long-distance hiking trail, conceived in 1910 by the Green Mountain Club.
7 Remarkably Helpful Tips on How to Start Running
Whatever your reasons to get started running, the most important thing is that you enjoy the journey. And we mean that literally — if you’re going to keep running, you should like the actual experience between points A and B as much as you like getting to the finish line.
Q&A: What Do I Need for Winter Hiking?
Winter hiking is a truly magical experience – when being on the trail feels akin to stumbling into Narnia. That increased beauty is not without increased risk, but it’s a risk that, with some preparation, you can account for. Here’s some common winter hiking questions I hear, and my tips on how to be prepared.
Don't Get Cold Feet: Ice Climbing Foot Care Tips
Unsurprisingly, the biggest thing that can ruin your day while ice climbing is being ill prepared for the cold, especially when it comes to your extremities. Nothing ruins your day quite like frozen fingers and toes! For this post, I’ll be diving into how to protect your feet, considering socks, boots, and more.
A Smugglers’ Notch Ski Patroller Talks On-Hill Foot Care

My name is Chris, I'm a Full Senior ski patroller, and this will be my 43rd winter wearing a red jacket with the white cross. Besides a love of skiing, I’ve got some opinions about safety, my socks, and how people can take care of their feet up on the mountain. I might just tell you about my favorite place to ski, also.

How to Guarantee a Sock for Life (Unconditionally)
We get a decent stream of mail and comments asking how can we possibly offer an Unconditionally Lifetime Guarantee on our socks. So, let’s get right into the how and why behind making socks with a lifetime warranty.
How to Darn Socks, Sweaters, & More
Nobody wants holey socks, yet I’m willing to guess you’ve worn them at least once. You know the feeling of cold toes or chilled heels, maybe debated whether it was better to leave your shoes on. Darning your socks is surprisingly simple - here's how.
Sock 201: How to Design and Develop Socks

We take you on a closer look into how we design socks, from the research and development to knit-downs and fit testing. No worries, we’ll walk you those terms in a moment, but first let us show you.

Blister Prevention 101: Putting Out Those Hot Spots
We’re about to break down the most common reasons behind what causes blisters. And the key ways to make sure that tending to one of these suckers doesn’t become the most memorable part of your next outing.
How to Organize Your Sock Drawer: 5 Sock Folds, Rated
Have you ever opened your sock drawer, winced, and just closed it right back up again? Me too. Here’s my story of sock drawer organization, with tips and tutorials on how to organize socks, and my in-depth analysis of the pros and cons of different sock folding methods.