Blisters care and prevention

[Michael/Stretch]

I saw a product mentioned once for padding a trouble area within one's shoe. It wasn't "mole-skin" though. Thought I had saved the name, but apparently not. Any ideas? Obviously good fitting shoes and breaking in a new pair before hand are well known priniciples. Anyone have recommendations once a "hot spot" is noticed?

[bbanker]

Duct Tape. Good stuff, cheap and readily available. Put it on your hot spots.

[general]

i second the duct tape. good for patching you or your gear. if you start developing hot spots, take some breaks with your boots off, and change your socks as often as possible. having a pair of boots or shoes that match your foot type is more important than anything else.

[Peaks]

Try Spenco second skin

[Pickles]

When ever I get a hot spot or a blister, I cut out a donut-shaped piece of Dr Scholl's mole foam and place it around the blister. The key is to get the pressure off the spot and the donut shape is the key.

[Fiddler]

Duct Tape. Good stuff, cheap and readily available. Put it on your hot spots.

AMEN!!! Good as moleskin, sometimes better. Only one of its many, many, many uses. The most versitile multi-use item you will ever have.

[DMA, 2000]

Moleskin? Second skin? Duct tape? That's nice, if you don't mind it peeling off, moving around, &c.

Newskin is what you want. Works wonders on hot spots, blisters, cuts, burns. Maybe even as an emergency prophylactic. And it smells great too. I swear by the stuff. I've tried the rest, and I think it's crap. Nothing has worked for me anywhere close to as effectively as Newskin.

[mattydt20]

How do you apply the duct tape? I would think it might be unwise to adhere the sticky end to a blister. Do you use a small piece the size of the blister and stick THAT to the tape (which is applied to the foot)?

[Sly]

I just apply duck tape directly to the blister and let it go until it falls off. By then the blister has usually healed and toughened up. I've never had a blister become infected.

[Ridge]

Prevention: Break in the boots before thru-hike. Learn how to manage footwear and the components involved.

[Peaks]

Prevention: Break in the boots before thru-hike. Learn how to manage footwear and the components involved.

It's more like conditioning your feet to the boots. And wear good hiking socks as well.

[Zzzzdyd]

are hard to beat. When you notice a hot spot, stop hiking, clean your hot
spot area as well as possible, center and place the Compead patch over
the hot spot or blister, wait 10 minutes, put clean dry socks on if you have
them, leave the Compead on 4 or 5 days if at all possible. Stop at the first
good outfitter you can and make sure you have the correct footwear for
you !!


Good luck .....

[Michael/Stretch]

Thanks for all the great advise guys.

Stretch

[GolfHiker]

Lately, I've been placing a couple of strips of athletic tape across my heels, even before the first step of the hike. I don't know if this is considered wise prevention, or I'm just paranoid, but I've not had any blister issues, and the tape actually stays on quite well for a couple of days, then retape. From someone who's had blisters, if I can keep preventing them ( good socks, good boots, and now cloth athletic tape), I'll just keep it up.

[Longlegs]

Before you put your socks on use some rollon antiperserant Sounds crazy but sweat is a primary source of blisters. Always wear a thin liner sock (silk, poly), then your sock. Works for me.