Dumb Moleskin question

[dmperkins74]

Hi gang, me again.

I've been hiking for a long time now (just crossed 500 miles, woo hoo! www.gdbdp.com/at) and haven't had any blisters since about the 5th or so hike. Yay boots! Tried out some new boots this week after breaking them in at work, and got a blister... no worries, I'm figuring the boots still need some time with my feet... they were otherwise really comfy.

My question is about moleskin... I've got some moleskin patches I got several years ago. They're small squares with adhesive backs. My dumb question is this: If I've got a blister or a hotspot, do I simply put the adhesive side of the moleskin ON my hotspot/blister? That seems odd to me. Hopefully me and my new boots will soon get along together as well as me and my old boots did and this won't be a problem, but still, this seems like something that would be good to know.

Thanks,
alphaPig

[rocketsocks]

Yes,I place the adhesive side on the skin(hot spot).Multi directional bonding strips(duct tape)also works,and is a lot cheaper.

[canoehead]

If it's just a hot spot then put it right on top of the area. If it's already formed then take the Moleskin and cut a circle / hole the size of the blister and put over it so the blister is poking thru the Moleskin. You can add layers of it to make it more comfortable.

[rocketsocks]

I have used "New Skin"to build-up skin after a pop or removal,and that stuff is great.Just throwin it out there.

[BabySue]

What has been said about moleskin so far is, of course, true. Blisters often result from moisture, for example when wearing waterproof shoes/boots. If this is the case, then the fuzzy side of the moleskin will become saturated with moisture and then start to slip around. Thus I find duct tape to be superior to moleskin when moisture is a potential problem, and I don't use moleskin when wearing Goretex boots. When applying duct tape, I find it best to do so with your toes pointed up, as if you were doing a calf stretch. The point is to put the duct tape on when your heel/achilles skin is taut; otherwise your skin will pull at the adhesive & give discomfort around the edges of the duct tape.

[Kerosene]

My feet sweat...a lot. They've been better since I went to non-waterproof trail shoes, but my feet are always damp. Fortunately, my boots fit well enough that I rarely had hot spots. However, I also found that duct tape wasn't the solution, and I found a better overall solution for me than moleskin or molefoam -- Band-Aid Advanced Blister Pads. They stick like crazy (for days), easily fit everywhere except on the toes (they're too large), and provide sufficient padding and "slickness" for all but the larger, liquid filled blisters. I do practice sanitary blister draining, so the latter has never been a problem.