Blisters

IntrepidXJ

IntrepidXJ

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Jan 17, 2012
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OK, looking for some advice for Diane. I've never had a blister on my feet before, so I have no help to offer her.

She's been having issues with blisters on her feet/toes since she started hiking with me. She has tried different boots, moleskin and none of it seems to work well. The moleskin seems to help when it stays put, but that frequently doesn't happen.

Anyone out there have any suggestions for her? What do you do to prevent blisters?

Thanks
 
I haven't had many problems with blisters, but when I have, it's helped to loosen up my shoes a bit. Luekotape is an awesome thing to have around for prevention and treatment. It's the only kind of tape that will actually stay on me through a day of hiking. Kind of expensive but very worth it.
 
Duct tape works for me. If she knows where she is susceptible to getting blisters then she can put the tape on for preventative measures before the blisters occur. Since I have sweaty feet, I've found that if I take a break every hour and change my socks with a dry pair, I seldom get blisters. Of course if you are continuously hiking in the rain that advice won't work.

@Nick I need to give Luekotape a try.
 
Ok, as a Fireline EMT I fix a lot of blisters through the summer for Wildland firefighters. Wet feet, dry feet, bad boots, sidehill walking , rocks, heat from fire, etc. .......... I think I know blisters. Here is what we do....
First blisters are caused by heat, friction and moisture.....get rid of one and you don't get blisters.

Use wicking socks and a good Merino wool over. Take your boots off at lunch and breaks if can, let feet air dry....gets rid of moisture.
You say if toes get blisters...I'd suggest the toe box is too small or you aren't lacing boots to keep your feet from sliding forward, smashing your toes. Do a double lock lace on center of the boot (google this for pics). Get better fitting boots (hard to do sometimes). Trim the footbed back to just behind the toes (gives more room). Try a better footbed, I like Superfeet, you can get differing thickness, they keep feet from sliding around.

BEST: Pre plan........tape your feet BEFORE the hike or as soon as you feel a hotspot starting. Duct tape works but there are better tapes that aren't gummy or that thick.....Hypafix is my go to. Athletic tape is second.

Now, you have a blister...... now what? There are two types, wet, raw or dry, bubbled.

For the dry, bubbled: pop it on the edge, drain it out. Use MOLESKIN, not the thick stuff. Cut it a little larger than the blister, round the edges, dry the area and stick it on. You need to tape it as well about 1/2" larger than the moleskin. I think Hypafix tape works the best, it is thin and flexes. Firefighters report it will stay on all day. Second choice would be plain white athletic tape, duct tape last. If it's on a heel cut the moleskin and tape like a butterfly, making round corner cuts, then athletic tape if needed. You DO NOT want doubled or bunched layers of either. Important: MAKE IT SMOOTH. Toes are the hardest. Cut U-shaped strips of moleskin to fit completely around the the toe covering the blister area. Tape two toes together to hold it. I have done all five toes like this. Ball of foot, use moleskin, hypafix tape over the moleskin, then athletic tape around the ENTIRE foot covering the moleskin area.

For wet, raw blisters: Procedure is the same as above with one added item. First use 2nd skin dressing. It's pliable and medicated. Cut the 2nd skin a little larger than the raw area, put it on. Then cut a piece of moleskin a little larger, put it on. The use hypafix tape covering everything.

Bandaid makes blister ampoules which are good for everything but toes....still need to hypafix tape them.
 
I second the socks. If she's not already wearing liner socks and wool socks, then give that a shot.
 
try the sock liners. It made a big difference for me years ago when I still used hiking boots.
With ultralight trailrunning shoes I do not have this problem any more as my feet do not sweat so much as in these way too warm boots.
 
Everyone's feet to boot fit are different, even from left to right foot.

I have used midweight hikers (scarpa) desert to mountians. No blisters (7 years). But I also can wear just cotton socks in them. Others, cotton socks would tear there feet up. With a lighter weight of boot I feel all the rocks through the sole and that I don't get as much sidewall protection. Ankle support, for me, seems the same in a high top or regular top boot/shoe. Superfeet inserts have cured that, but I still like the slightly heavier boot.

I am get a pro deal on a newer sock, Drymax. They seem to combine the wicking liner, a moisture attracting outside layer, a slightly compression layer and odor control into a one layer sock. At the OR show they had them in a jar of water and the inner side of the sock was dry. I am trying them out. They are all syn which I have doubts (my feet usually don't like full syn socks). So far really comfy around town, no stink.....have to get on trail though.
 
In WFR teaching they say treat with moleskin donuts.

In my practical experience my go to is taping with athletic tape. Moleskin never stays on my feet for long. Most importantly, taping before a blister forms is critical. It is far nicer to stop a hot spot than to treat a blister.

For longer experiences I find the drying out technique helpful. The first thing I do after stopping for the day while backpacking is change into sandals so that my feet can dry out (and relax.)

Hiking often can cause the blisters to build a callus if you want to push a different prevention method. The first summer I spent doing trail maintenance resulted in this. I had blisters the first couple weeks until my feet hardened up.
 
I rarely get blisters, but I treat hotspots with a bit of tape, and that has always worked better than moleskin for me.
 
I too used to have terrible toe blister problems! 450 miles' worth, in fact!

Prevention -

1) Liner socks are wonderful. If she has blister problems, in general, she should try wearing them. they're lightweight, wicking, and generally last for 500-800 miles per pair.
2) TOE SOCKS, however, were my golden ticket to blister-free happiness. The problem with normal wool or liner socks is that there's still skin rubbing against fabric, no matter how slippery the fabric is. However, if you're wearing toe socks, the fabric conforms to the shape of your toe, so it's toe sock rubbing against sock-sock. Seriously, if she suffers from toe blisters, I can't describe how magical toe socks are. Two years I walked into Damascus, Virginia, with oozing blisters on every single one of my ten toes. I bought a couple pairs of SmartWool toe socks at the outfitters, and have never had another toe blister since. Not one.
3) If she has persistent blister problem, she can try the LarryBoy extremely excessive and laughable solution - I only would recommend it if she's has consistent issues with toe blisters - Wear toe socks, inside of synthetic nylon socks, inside of normal hiking socks. Note, you'll look and feel like a goof wearing three pairs of socks (it's more like wearing slippers, actually). But I do it, and it makes all the difference.
4) Wash your socks after every day, even if it's just rinsing them out in a crick. Helps them last longer too.
5) Trail runners are generally kinder to blister-prone feet than boots are, as they move with your foot more.

Cure -

1) When you take your socks off at the end of the day, rather than shoving them into your camp socks immediately, let them air out for 15-20 minutes. Allows them to de-prune and keeps the skin in better condition. As others have suggested, this can/should also be done during breaks in the hiking day
2) Ditch moleskin; as she's found out, it's useless. Some folks use fancier tapes, and I have no doubt they work very well. However, I've always found good ol duct tape to do just fine. The key is in the application. Cut a long strip of tape, about 1/4 inche wide, and wrap it all the way around the toe several times in an overlapping spiral pattern. tape all the way to the end of the toe, so you don't get another blister in the place where your toe curls around the tape and pinches. Similarly, if you have blisters on your heel, wrap the tape all the way around the foot. This will the tape in place no matter how wet/sweaty/wiggle your foot is.
3) Cut the tape off every night and allow the foot to breath, aiding quicker recovery. It might be anecdotal, but keeping that foot out of the sleeping bag seems to help me, at least psychologically.

I've subjected my feet to some truly horrid conditions (walking through rain and knee-high mud continuously for several weeks, and with the above techniques, I've beat my blister problems. Hopefully your wife can find something that works for her! :)
 
Moleskin is not useless........you have to use it correctly. Stick a piece of tape on a bare blister and try and get it off and leave the skin.
I guarantee you won't find any more beat up feet than on wildland firefighters... believe me, they and I have seen it all. What I posted works very well.

Good you found a system you like though, albeit all those socks are a little extreme ..................... :)
 
Bob said:
Moleskin is not useless........you have to use it correctly. Stick a piece of tape on a bare blister and try and get it off and leave the skin.
I guarantee you won't find any more beat up feet than on wildland firefighters... believe me, they and I have seen it all. What I posted works very well.

Good you found a system you like though, albeit all those socks are a little extreme ..................... :)
Click to expand...
Oh absolutely haha. I'm prety minimalist - I don't carry a stove, use a frameless pack, and wipe with natural TP... but darned if I don't carry seven pairs of socks! Two systems (alternate by days, wash the socks I'm not wearing and hang them on the pack to dry), and sleeping socks. I carry the better part of a pound of socks. No regrets! :D
 
Haha.... natural paper :confused: not here..
I carry 3 pairs socks......wear one, wash one, sleep in one...
 
I went through blister hell a few years ago that took me two summers to figure out. My feet had grown, but I kept buying the same size shoe I had been for the past 10 years. As soon as I went up a 1/2 size the blisters stopped (exact same shoe model, only changed the size).
 
is she wearing waterproof boots? Perhaps switching to a more breathable, less clammy boot will make a big difference.
 
Seconding toe socks under regular socks. Injinji (spelling?) makes pretty light liner socks.
 
I'm interested in these liner socks. Are these the ankle cut ones I've seen for people who want to appear as if they aren't wearing socks or are these something differnt that come in a higher cut?
 
Randy, In my younger, more athletic years I was a serious distance runner. As a runner I learned to rub Vaseline around my toes and other areas of possible friction. I do the same as a backpacker and it still works for me. Blisters come from heat and friction. Vaseline prevents both.
 
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