wildernessmaster
Lil-Rokslider
During my time as a Special Forces medic, I probably fixed more than 10,000+ cases of blisters. Blisters are the most common injury one will encounter in the field. Equally they are one of the more preventable injuries as well. Due to the fact blisters are just seen as, "blisters", this injury is often ignored or discounted when it occurs. Don't! I have seen 100's become a serious health risk up to including near fatal . That's right you can die from them!
In this post I want to give you some guidance, tips, and absolute super squirrel secrets for both preventing them and dealing with them when they occur.
But wait, did you say you can die from them? BS!
No BS... I have personally witnessed scenarios where blisters became septic (that is a generalized bacterial infection which shuts down major organ systems); lead to hypo and hyper thermia due to the individual not being able to move, and near loss of limbs from infections.
So take these puppies seriously!
Prevention
------------
Generally speaking most blisters can be prevented by three simple things:
1. Good footwear
2. Footwear that fits proper
3. Footwear that is broken in properly.
It's really that simple. But wait you say... I still get blisters from time-to-time EVEN though you do that. Why?
The principal reason this happens is you change some element of your "foot system". It could be something simple like you go from those 10 y/o nearly worn out DarnTuf socks to new ones and hit the field. But something changes. The "mold" you broke the footwear in with has changed - thus the system now may rub where it didn't. Plan ahead. Even if you have decade old perfectly broken in boots - you can still get blisters if you change the system.
Prevention Rule 1 - If you change something in your footwear system break it back in to make sure it isn't creating hot spots.
The secondary reason a broken in boot may "bite you" is you have changed its usage. If I break in a pair of boots on the east coast "flatlands" and then head out to the mountains of the west - guess what? I am probably going to get some blisters. Why? My foot is moving differently in the boot.
Prevention Rule 2 - Break in your boots in all ways you are going to use them.
There are all sorts of snake oil out there about "no blister" socks, sock combos (thin + wool), etc that are suppose to help - and for some it might. In the end, though, the true prevention is in the preparation of the footwear system and feet. Except...
Prevention Super Squirrel Secret - Now before I share this secret I want to say, I was a total disbeliever. However about 2 years into my years humping rucksacks, though, I adopted this secret and never looked back. Some can do this, some can't. I will say everyone I have had adopt it also never looked back. And yes you can do variations of this even in super duper cold weather...
Wait for it....
Wait for it....
Prevention Super Squirrel Secret - Foot Commando! Yep, I stopped wearing socks and rarely (if ever) ever had a blister again. The science behind it has 3 parts:
a) you remove a variable in the system (socks) and one that is often a rogue variable (socks droop and bunch up as they get abused, socks thin, socks material saturates with sweat...)
b) my foot became tougher. When you break in boots sans socks you will have micro blisters in the process. Those stay with you through the life of the usage.
c) sweat becomes an ally versus an enemy. sweat serves three purposes: a) cooling b) toxin reduction (minority role to kidneys) c) lubrication. When we use socks we remove the lubrication aspect of our sweating.
Additional Super Squirrel Secret Prevention - (sorry Goretex you do some really good stuff but stay out of my boots) Goretex sucks gonads for blister creation. Use non Goretex containing boots. Boots need to vent and breath and when they don't, they become swamps - even if your feet sweat very little. I avoid Goretex in my footwear at all costs. If I am going to add Goretex to my footwear system I do it via a Goretex sock so I can take it off when I need to (like during long treks).
"I am a great guy" Super Squirrel Secret Prevention - Antiperspirant
To minimize swamp boot (Goretex or not) you can coat your feet in Antiperspirant to reduce the amount of sweating. If you have good breathing, non goretex boots, and especially if you go foot commando you may not need this - but it is still an option.
Oh and using it (unscented) also reduces the scent you put down.
Ok... I see I am being wordy and posts have to be under 10,000 words. So read on in part 2 for Treatment!!
Luke Stephens aka Wilderness Master
In this post I want to give you some guidance, tips, and absolute super squirrel secrets for both preventing them and dealing with them when they occur.
But wait, did you say you can die from them? BS!
No BS... I have personally witnessed scenarios where blisters became septic (that is a generalized bacterial infection which shuts down major organ systems); lead to hypo and hyper thermia due to the individual not being able to move, and near loss of limbs from infections.
So take these puppies seriously!
Prevention
------------
Generally speaking most blisters can be prevented by three simple things:
1. Good footwear
2. Footwear that fits proper
3. Footwear that is broken in properly.
It's really that simple. But wait you say... I still get blisters from time-to-time EVEN though you do that. Why?
The principal reason this happens is you change some element of your "foot system". It could be something simple like you go from those 10 y/o nearly worn out DarnTuf socks to new ones and hit the field. But something changes. The "mold" you broke the footwear in with has changed - thus the system now may rub where it didn't. Plan ahead. Even if you have decade old perfectly broken in boots - you can still get blisters if you change the system.
Prevention Rule 1 - If you change something in your footwear system break it back in to make sure it isn't creating hot spots.
The secondary reason a broken in boot may "bite you" is you have changed its usage. If I break in a pair of boots on the east coast "flatlands" and then head out to the mountains of the west - guess what? I am probably going to get some blisters. Why? My foot is moving differently in the boot.
Prevention Rule 2 - Break in your boots in all ways you are going to use them.
There are all sorts of snake oil out there about "no blister" socks, sock combos (thin + wool), etc that are suppose to help - and for some it might. In the end, though, the true prevention is in the preparation of the footwear system and feet. Except...
Prevention Super Squirrel Secret - Now before I share this secret I want to say, I was a total disbeliever. However about 2 years into my years humping rucksacks, though, I adopted this secret and never looked back. Some can do this, some can't. I will say everyone I have had adopt it also never looked back. And yes you can do variations of this even in super duper cold weather...
Wait for it....
Wait for it....
Prevention Super Squirrel Secret - Foot Commando! Yep, I stopped wearing socks and rarely (if ever) ever had a blister again. The science behind it has 3 parts:
a) you remove a variable in the system (socks) and one that is often a rogue variable (socks droop and bunch up as they get abused, socks thin, socks material saturates with sweat...)
b) my foot became tougher. When you break in boots sans socks you will have micro blisters in the process. Those stay with you through the life of the usage.
c) sweat becomes an ally versus an enemy. sweat serves three purposes: a) cooling b) toxin reduction (minority role to kidneys) c) lubrication. When we use socks we remove the lubrication aspect of our sweating.
Additional Super Squirrel Secret Prevention - (sorry Goretex you do some really good stuff but stay out of my boots) Goretex sucks gonads for blister creation. Use non Goretex containing boots. Boots need to vent and breath and when they don't, they become swamps - even if your feet sweat very little. I avoid Goretex in my footwear at all costs. If I am going to add Goretex to my footwear system I do it via a Goretex sock so I can take it off when I need to (like during long treks).
"I am a great guy" Super Squirrel Secret Prevention - Antiperspirant
To minimize swamp boot (Goretex or not) you can coat your feet in Antiperspirant to reduce the amount of sweating. If you have good breathing, non goretex boots, and especially if you go foot commando you may not need this - but it is still an option.
Oh and using it (unscented) also reduces the scent you put down.
Ok... I see I am being wordy and posts have to be under 10,000 words. So read on in part 2 for Treatment!!
Luke Stephens aka Wilderness Master
