LEECH PROOF SOCKS FOR BORNEO: THE BEST ONES TO BUY & WHY YOU NEED THEM!

LOOKING FOR THE BEST LEECH PROOF SOCKS FOR BORNEO?

When planning your incredible Borneo travel itinerary, one item that should be at the very top of your packing list is a pair of leech proof socks!

This blog Includes: The best leech socks to buy that we personally used, why you need them, how to wear them, 5 top tips to stop leeches from biting you and all about the types of Borneo leeches.

THE BEST LEECH PROOF SOCKS FOR BORNEO

The leech proof socks that Liam and I purchased for our trip to Borneo were made by a reputable company called Purple Turtle.

They come in two colour ways, Sandstone or Silver Grey. Both colours are available in Short, Medium and Large lengths too.

A photo of us about to walk through a Danum Valley rainforest walk in Borneo - wearing our leech proof socks for protection! — Pictured: Liam and I setting off on our Danum Valley walking trail in Sabah, Borneo. Liam is wearing the “Silver Grey” leech socks, and Jordie is wearing the “Sandstone” colour option.

Don’t have time to read in full? See quick links below:

Our recommended leech socks in colour “Sandstone”:
Length option: Short. For children to adults below 5″6.
Length option: Medium. For adults between 5″6 and 5″10.
Length option: Large. For adults above 5″10.

Our recommended leech socks in colour “Silver Grey”:
Length option: Short. For children to adults below 5″6.
Length option: Medium. For adults between 5″6 and 5″10.
Length option: Large. For adults above 5″10.

From our personal experience, we can confirm that these leech socks were brilliant in protecting us from those pesky Borneo leeches, especially when out on Borneo rainforest trails!

Why should you buy these leech socks?

They are made from extremely tough synthetic fabric to prevent leech penetration, though also lightweight and breathable from your comfort.
They come in two colour-ways: Sandstone or Silver Grey. Both are purposefully light colours, enabling you to spot any climbing leeches much more easily!

Pictured: A photograph of me wearing my leech proof socks in Borneo just before a rainforest walking trail! — Pictured: Jordie modelling the “Sandstone” colour way of our recommended leech socks, that we brought with us for our **2 weeks in Borneo itinerary**!

They have two draw cord points: one at the knees, one at the top, creating an effective leech proof barrier and most importantly, keeps your leech proof socks firmly in place!
The socks stretch all the way up to your lower thigh, creating a greater barrier and distance for leeches to climb (Some other leech proof socks only come to your knees)!

Can you buy leech socks in Borneo?

Yes, however they cannot be found everywhere and are quite expensive when purchased directly from the Lodges in Borneo.

To make sure you definitely have great quality leech socks at a good price, we recommend buying your leech proof socks before your Borneo trip. This will eliminate all of your leech-related worries and make for a seamless trip!

Shop the leech socks: 🪱🧦

LEECH PROOF SOCKS:
WHAT ARE THEY AND HOW TO WEAR THEM

WHAT ARE LEECH PROOF SOCKS?

Leech proof socks are effectively knee-high socks (they look kind of like Christmas stockings)! They are made from an impenetrable fabric and have adjustable toggles at the knees and top to tighten them securely to your legs.

Pictured: Out on a Borneo rainforest walking trail with our trusty leech proof socks! Pictured: Jordie and Liam. — Everyone embraces the ‘leech sock’ look when in the forests of Borneo! Pictured: Jordie and Liam.

HOW DO LEECH PROOF SOCKS PROTECT YOU FROM LEECHES?

Leech proof socks are made from an incredibly tight knit fabric. This makes it very hard and almost impossible for leeches to penetrate.

This usually results in the leech getting trapped between your walking boot and leech sock, meaning you can easily spot and remove them after a trail, with no bites in sight.

Pictured: Out on a Borneo rainforest walking trail with our trusty leech proof socks! — Pictured: Liam modelling his ‘Silver Grey’ leech socks in the Danum Valley!

HOW TO WEAR LEECH PROOF SOCKS CORRECTLY

You wear the leech proof socks directly over your usual trousers and socks, effectively like a second pair of socks before putting on your walking boots.

Pictured: A photograph of me wearing my leech proof socks at Borneo Rainforest Lodge just before a rainforest walking trail! Photograph by Jordie. — Pictured: The “Sandstone” colour option of our recommended leech socks. Shown worn correctly with our hiking boots added over the top. Photograph by Jordie.

DO LEECH PROOF SOCKS WORK?

From our own personal experience, trudging through a leech-invested Borneo rainforest trail in the dark of night, leech proof socks absolutely work if worn correctly.

The only possible way a leech could get into a brand new pair of leech socks is if they somehow made their way all the way up to your knee undetected and get in from the top – only if you haven’t tightened the top toggle up enough. If the toggle is tightened, this should not be a problem.

Despite the fact we ended up having 4 to 5 leeches in our boots from that said trail, all of them were thankfully stuck between our boot and leech sock layer and unable to get any further.

Shop the leech socks: 🪱🧦

ABOUT LEECHES IN BORNEO:
“KNOW BEFORE YOU GO” FAQ’S

ARE THERE LEECHES IN BORNEO?

Yes! There are two types of leech that live in Borneo. Most leech encounters in Borneo are with the much more prominent and active Tiger leech – who reside all over the leaves of the Borneo rainforest – also known as the “forest leech”!

There is also the lesser seen Brown Leech, who dwells on the ground under fallen rainforest leaves.

WHERE CAN YOU FIND LEECHES IN BORNEO?

Please do not panic about visiting Borneo purely because of the leeches. Both types of leech are only found within the Borneo rainforests, and will predominantly stay in their ideal habitat of damp foliage and shaded forest canopies.

A leech cannot exist in dry, sunny places, so we can assure you will not see them in your lodges or anywhere else in Borneo. It is only when you trek into the forest that your chance of an encounter is much higher!

WHY AND HOW DO LEECHES IN BORNEO BITE HUMANS?

Leeches by nature are predatory and blood-sucking creatures, so when we wander into the idyllic Borneo rainforest, we are effectively meals on wheels.

Sitting motionless on leaves most of the day, watch these strange alien-like creatures spring to life, flailing their bodies in the air as they detect your body heat and then subsequently hop in your direction.

This scene however is if you have already spotted a leech, 90% of the time they end up latching on without you realising!

If this is the case, the leech will shimmy its way up until it finds a “soft spot” of skin to feed from. The leech will inject you with a harmless anticoagulant (to prevent your blood from clotting) and grow fatter as it sips away on your blood.

This process usually takes around 30 minutes, and once finished, they will simply drop off you.

Pictured: A dormant tiger leech in Borneo in the Danum Valley — Pictured: A dormant Tiger leech that we spotted in Danum Valley, Borneo. This is what they look like when they are resting or sucking blood.

Pictured: An active Tiger leech spotted in Borneo, searching out its next blood source! — Pictured: The SAME Tiger leech minutes later, now actively searching me out after it detected my heat source close by!

WHAT DOES A LEECH BITE LOOK LIKE?

The bite from a leech simply looks like a round surface-wound. However, the wound may continuously bleed for a lot longer than a usual cut.

This gruesome sight panics a lot of people, but it is purely because of the anticoagulant the leech has injected, preventing your blood from clotting properly. This may take a few hours to get back to normal, but it is nothing to worry about.

ARE LEECHES HARMFUL TO HUMANS?
IS A LEECH BITE DANGEROUS?

No! Though as described above it can look pretty gruesome, leech bites are totally harmless to humans. Unlike other parasites (such as mosquitos), Borneo leeches do not carry any diseases.

If you do get bitten, just make sure to keep the wound clean and use an antihistamine cream initially and an antiseptic cream to avoid infection, as you would with any other cut.

5 TOP TIPS TO STOP LEECHES FROM BITING YOU IN BORNEO

It is likely that your trip to Borneo will require you at some point to venture into its ancient rainforests in search of its incredible wildlife and plants.

Of course, this means entering the domain of Borneo’s leeches. Though it is impossible to fully guarantee you will not get a leech on you, here are 5 top tips to help prevent a leech bite:

Top Tip 1:
Cover as much of your skin up as possible.

Wearing long-sleeved shirts, full trousers and long socks make it much harder for the leeches. Firmly tucking your top into your trousers ensures no area bare skin is easily accessible.

Top Tip 2:
Apply DEET based insect repellent on exposed skin and leech hotspots.

There are two main hotspots where leeches can latch onto you, from the forest floor up your leg or the “forest leech” will hitch a ride as you brush past the leaves, usually around the middle of you.

Though already fully clothed in these areas, also spray a DEET-based insect repellent onto your clothes for an added deterrent measure.

Top Tip 3:
Avoid brushing past hanging leaves.

Though this seems counter-productive in the Borneo rainforest, where possible just have it engrained in your mind to tuck yourself in and away from hanging leaves to avoid touching them on your guided forest trails.

I (Jordie) imagined this as a kind of “the floor is lava” game on one of our night guided forest trails, and miraculously I didn’t get any leeches on my mid-area, while the others in the group had loads! Coincidence? I think not!

Top Tip 4:
Avoid standing still for too long on the forest floor.

Of course, there is the other leech type to think about too – the ground dwelling Brown leech! It is almost impossible to stop them latching onto your walking boots due to the direct contact with the forest floor, though walking with quick, light steps may make it harder for them to latch.

If you must stand still (i.e. your guide pointing out wildlife, for example), try to stand in a dry, sunny area where possible. Leeches hate direct sunlight and thrive in moist areas.

If it is a night guided tour, or there are no dry areas around, simply try to keep your feet moving and lightly step on the spot to avoid pro-longed contact with the forest floor.

Top Tip 5:
Buy leech proof socks.

Our last and, of course, most important tip for any trip of Borneo is to purchase leech proof socks. Leech socks are specialised socks that provide a much needed barrier of protection against those ravenous little leeches!

Shop the leech socks: 🪱🧦

IT’S NOT ALL BAD…

If you do take extreme care and still end up getting bitten by a leech, it’s not all bad!

If you stay at Borneo Rainforest Lodge in Danum Valley, let the Reception know that you received a bite and they will give you a certificate!

This certificate congratulates and thanks you for being a Donor to the leeches of Danum Valley! A quirky souvenir to frame which is almost worth getting a bite for… right? 😉

should the leech proof socks fail to prevent a bite - you always get a certificate from the Borneo Rainforest Lodge at Danum Valley! — The humorous “Blood donor to the Tiger leeches” certificate by **Borneo Rainforest Lodge**!

A photo of Jordie, the author of this specific blog post and owner of the wesbite.

This blog post was written by Jordie Flain!

Founder of TheFlainsTravel.com

A travel-obsessed Sagittarius creating honest, easy-to-follow guides. Powered by tea, chocolate and a slightly concerning amount of tomato ketchup.