Taking Care of Your Feet During Hiking

Posted by Camp Trainer on Jan 11, 2009 in Featured, Tips and Strategies • No comments • 334 views

Your feet bear both your weight and the weight of your pack. Carrying this weight, wearing new boots, and ignoring hot spots all contribute to blisters. Keep you feet clean and dry, make sure your boots fit comfortably, and stop at the first sign of a blister. The key to an enjoyable hike is prevention.

Get into the habit of taking care of your feet. A few simple routines can help keep them blister-free.

A thin moisture-wicking liner sock should be worn next to the skin, with a thicker cushioning sock made of wool or a wool blend over the top. If your boots feel too tight, try a lighter-weight sock.

Boots come with liners already in place, but you can add to or replace them with thicker, stronger insoles to improve the fit of your boots.

Experiment with different ways of lacing your boots to give more room or to keep the boot more firmly in place.

Sharp toenails can rub against adjacent toes, causing blisters, so trim your nails regularly.

If you know that a certain part of your foot is prone to blistering, pre-treat the area by covering it with a piece of moleskin or an adhesive bandage.

Keep you feet and socks as clean as possible. Hikers often reuse the thick cushioning socks for two (or more) days but rinse out the lighter, liner socks, which are worn next to the skin. This removes dirt that can contribute to blistering.

Even if you do not feel any problems, you should check your feet during at least some of your rest stops. Do this this until you are confident that you will be aware of a blister in the early stages. Taking off your socks and shoes during rest stops gives your feet a chance to dry and air, which in turn helps to prevent blisters.