How many socks should you pack for a hike?
Plan which pair to wear each day and when to wash it. Keep a dry pair aside for camp, sleep or a change of plans.
Example assumptions: 5 days, 3 carried pairs, 1 reserved, washing after days 2 and 4, 12-hour drying. No walking-pair shortfall.
Your example rotation
| Day | Wear | Wash that evening | Morning availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pair A | No wash | 2 ready · 0 damp |
| 2 | Pair B | A, B | 1 ready · 0 damp |
| 3 | Pair A | No wash | 2 ready · 0 damp |
| 4 | Pair B | A, B | 1 ready · 0 damp |
| 5 | Pair A | No wash | 2 ready · 0 damp |
What the calendar assumes
Walking starts at 08:00 and a planned wash finishes at 18:00. A washed pair becomes available only after your entered drying time. The tool washes every used walking pair at a listed wash opportunity. Reserved pairs are never used to hide a shortfall.
If you want to rotate liners and outer socks differently, run a separate calendar for each. A download includes the assumptions you entered; keep it private if that matters to you. Nothing is sent to a server or included in the page address.
What if your socks dry more slowly?
Raise drying time to 16 hours in the example. Both walking pairs remain damp at the start of day 3, so the calendar shows the gap. Change the wash timing, carried pairs or wear preference to find a plan that works under your own assumptions.
Read the backpacking rotation guide, the exact care instructions and the liner-system checks before relying on a plan.