I'm sure this is a well-worn topic, but I looked around and didn't see anything.
I'm planning a 7-8 day section hike in the spring, starting at Springer. I feel like preparations have been going really well.
- i'm pleased with my gear
- pleased with pack and pack wt
- pleased with my stamina (I'm not particularly fit, but I can knock out 8-12 with no problems [aside from the blisters])
- very excited about this opportunity.
But I'm struggling terribly with blisters. I can do 8-12, but inevitably, once I get 5.5-6 miles in my feet start to blister up terribly. The last 2 miles is a death march, even though cardiovascularly, I feel great, and muscles too. I've tried it with my merrill hiking boots, which have always been great, and two pair of tennis shoes. Same results. Two big blisters right on the center of the balls of the feet, and then two big ones inside the heel on both sides.
I've been told to add a sock liner. Did that, it helped some, but still the blisters are bad. I've started to stop around 5.5 and raise my feet and let me feet breath (bad foot sweater), and that helps, but still significant issues.
I'm willing to shell out the money to get the right shoe, but I can't afford to do that and still have the same problems.
I would have thought even if I was making the most heinous mistakes, and I'm not, my feet would have developed calluses by now.
Any suggestions?
::nogray