Steven H. McGarthwaite,

You made me cold just reading of the places you've been to but ...

... I must have went to a completely different school for dressing warm I was born and raised in Sunny Florida. With that said, I do go snow skiing and I say that cotton is the LAST thing you want next to the skin of your feet, the "inner layer" as you put it.

The "inner layer" shouldn't be anything that absorbs the moisture.

I've always done as oldfrat says and put a sock "liner" on first then the wool socks over that. Silk is good but there are other sock liners that do a very good job as well.

But cotton?? I've been skiing a few years now and have never heard of that. I would think if cotton is the first thing you put on that is where the moisture will stay and result in cold feet for sure. That may be why you're having to change socks every 4 hours.

Someone else please correct me if I'm wrong.

Gil