Advice please: blister kits?

[McIntyre]

Folks -- As I'm sure you know, there are quite a few blister kits commercially available. In your experience, is there one or two better than the others?

[Gaiter]

duct tape or bodyglide

search do a search on blisters you will find alot of info

[Appalachian Tater]

Duct tape, plus alcohol-soaked baby butt wipes to clean them up and antibiotic ointment to keep them from getting infected and a needle sterilized with a lighter to drain them. The only thing worse than a bad blister is a bad infected blister.

Consider sock liners and trail runners to prevent them in the first place.

[greentick]

Consider making your own with moleskin or duct tape (your preference) but add Tincture of Benzoin in a tiny dropper bottle. It will help your moleskin stick to you like a hobo on a ham sandwich...

I have a dropper bottle in its own little baggie and a few qtip for application. Works for me.

[Peaks]

I've been very happy with Spenco Second Skin. I don't carry moleskin anymore. Other brands don't stay on as well.

[fiddlehead]

duct tape. keep it simple.
make sure your shoes are at least an extra size bigger.

[Blissful]

duct tape or bodyglide



trail runners
one pair of good socks, but bring three pair to switch out of
skip the gaiters
air out your shoes and insoles every chance you get.

[astrogirl]

I find that *any* tape used will twist up and cause another blister, so I don't like tape.

I use Burt's Bees Res-Q ointment, which is greasy, as soon as I get a hot spot. If I get a blister, I drain it at night and neosporin it in the morning (also slippery). I also carry a pair of silk sock liners (weigh almost nothing) which can also help if things get out of hand for some reason (usually from feet swelling and making shoes fit worse on top of the friction that already occurred).

The Res-Q stuff is amazing though -- it seems to actually reverse blisters in addition to providing grease. Once in a while I get a hot spot on my collarbone and it's terrific for that too.

I've also used Bag Balm, but I think the Burt's Bees stuff is better.

[Wise Old Owl]

Duct tape, plus alcohol-soaked baby butt wipes to clean them up and antibiotic ointment to keep them from getting infected and a needle sterilized with a lighter to drain them. The only thing worse than a bad blister is a bad infected blister.

Consider sock liners and trail runners to prevent them in the first place.


Yep, MAKE YOUR OWN. even when I buy these "kits" I end up dissapointed and add to them.



Ohh my Was that wise? did I just agree with the Tater?

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

First - prevention. Sock liners or trail runners (I use boots and liners). Take shoes off and air your feet and footwear out several times a day.

Second - Duct tape with antibiotic on blister only - keeps tape from sticking to blister. Usually, by the time the duct tape wears off, the blister is gone, but reapply if needed.

[Thrasher]

I find that *any* tape used will twist up and cause another blister, so I don't like tape.

I use Burt's Bees Res-Q ointment, which is greasy, as soon as I get a hot spot. If I get a blister, I drain it at night and neosporin it in the morning (also slippery). I also carry a pair of silk sock liners (weigh almost nothing) which can also help if things get out of hand for some reason (usually from feet swelling and making shoes fit worse on top of the friction that already occurred).

The Res-Q stuff is amazing though -- it seems to actually reverse blisters in addition to providing grease. Once in a while I get a hot spot on my collarbone and it's terrific for that too.

I've also used Bag Balm, but I think the Burt's Bees stuff is better.

I'm going to take my Burt's Res-Q-Ointment with me next time and try it out, thanks for the tip.

[g8trh8tr]

I also use Spenco Second Skin and use Tincture of Benzoin prior to applying to assure adhesion. It works well for me in preventing blisters. Also I REALLY like the double layer Wright socks which keeps any friction between the sock layers and not between the sock and your foot which is the root cause of blisters.

[Wags]

Effective foot motion depends upon the shoe or boot fitting tightly enough that the shoe gear moves exactly as the foot does. The job of the sock is to provide a thin separating layer and allow some moisture to be wicked away from the skin. Problems develop when friction occurs between the foot and the footwear.
Excess repeated pressure in a concentrated area causes increased local heat build-up. This so-called "hot spot" is red and painful. The heat forces a separation in the top layers of the skin, the epidermis. Fluid rapidly fills the space. At this point the pocket of fluid is a well-formed blister. The damage is done. Like all fluids inside the body the, fluid inside the blister is sterile. If the blister breaks during activity that natural sterility is lost and infection is possible. Hopefully infection or a breakdown of deeper layers of skin does not happen, but even without such complications, it can take two days or longer until the skin inside the blister is tough enough to protect the foot and allow comfortable activity.



that's info from some blister website written by people who are smarter than me. so that article tells me that a pair of shoes that fit very well are the key to blister reduction, socks being a secondary feature.

remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Ensure that shoes fit correctly.
Protect the potential 'hot spots' by applying a second skin and / or taping
If you wear boots such as those required for mountain walking ensure all seams are flat inside the boot. Take care of the boots, do not leave them on radiators or near heaters. This may cause the leather to shrink and seams protrude.
Keep feet as dry as possible. Wet shoes, boots and socks will cause blisters far quicker than dry ones.
Wherever possible change socks regularly and use foot powder to help keep them dry

i'm hardly an expert, but it seems it would be worthwhile to carry a small baggie of foot/baby powder (if you're not doing a thru and can afford an extra ounce) and to take the 2 minutes to stop every couple of hours and change out your socks.
my 2 cents, but that was probably a long post, so make it a nickle

[Username75]

When doing an overnite make a putty of Baking soda, and clean water.
(H2O can also be used) and put over the drained blister so not to
tear the skin. it will be dry in the morning.
I carry baking soda for tooth paste also.
then bandage in the morning.