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Anybody have a secret to removing random prickly things from your socks after an off-trail hike or through grassy or overgrown terrain?

Washing doesn't do much and sitting out on the patio trying to remove each little piece one-by-one is just a little bit tedious.

Can they be soaked in something that will break down the organic matter without hurting the sock itself?

@chumley
No, Just burn them

Great question! I currently use the tedious patio solution (with a beverage)

Here's what you do

1. Assemble a 12-18 or 30 pack of your favorite beverage, tweezers, electric razor, and reading glasses are helpful. Also a small caliber handgun.
2. Turn socks inside out, drink a beer, start pulling as it usually is better since they are embedded in that direction.
3. Drink more beer, now you'll have some pilling and loose threads from pulling those fokkers thru and most of the bigger ones are easy, it's the small ones that will drive you crazy.
4. Run electric razor along flat outer sock surface to remove the loose fibers and some of the residual stickers, do the same to the inside.
5. Drink more beer, put the socks on and feel the ones you've missed, which by now are microscopic.
6. Throw the beer cans out in the back yard, pick up the gun and get some target practice.
7. Drink more beer, your neighbors are calling the cops.
8. Empty the gun and set it down, put the socks on your head and the tweezers up your nose for a friendly greeting for the officers in blue.
9. They'll have pity on you, and leave and now you can toss the socks across the fence to the neighborhood pitbull.

10. Buy more socks, drink more beer and buy some various height of gaitors.

mazatzal wrote:I currently use the tedious patio solution

It's the only thing I know of that's truly effective. Besides, it builds character.

Well then. It seems I'm not alone!

RedRoxx44 wrote:gaitors

"We don't need no stinking gaiters"

I usually just wash them with my wife's stuff and then it ends up in her clothes. ...


Ok maybe this is why my wife and I do laundry separately and I'm not allowed to wash hiking clothes with anything else. (But it works)

@RedRoxx44
:worthy: :worthy:

Chums after you put on your socks, put on one of those grocery store plastic bags. Make sure to tuck the handles into the top of your socks and by all means make sure the bag colors don't match.

Wear gaiters.

Maybe don't wear socks? Sandals?