What to use for cracking, bleeding hands in the field.

[Undrgrndprdcts]

My hands are always dry when the humidity gets low, and if I don't keep up with something like Okeefes working hands they will crack and bleed. This year in Colorado for a week, my hands started cracking and bleeding really bad. I didn't have anything with me to put on them. Towards the end they actually kept me from sleeping from throbbing pain. Does anyone suffer from the same issue and have something that really works well to keep on them when in the field for weeks at a time?

 

[flathead#2]

Vaseline.

 

[roadrunner]

Udderly Smooth cream or Burts Beeswax hand balm.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Bag balm is what all the masons I know use.

 

[Danny Hoey]

Hawk Tuah on that thang!

 

[yfarm]

Lather the bag balm on at night and wear cotton gloves over to reduce drying, generally 2 nights and you see a difference

 

[MTPipeliner]

My hands usually aren’t bad but sometimes when I ice fish a lot I need something. I’ve had good luck with neutrogena lotion and I also like mushers secret (meant for dogs paws in the winter)- use it for my dog when we hunt a bunch in crusty snow.

 

[doc holiday13]

kill ungulate or bear. take fat and render it into lard. mix some liquid lard and yarrow leaves. Apply to skin and wound. tape it up and thank me later

 

[Milestone522]

Bring a 1 oz container of OKeefes on the next hunt. About a third of the size of the normal tube.

 

[TaperPin]

My hands are always dry when the humidity gets low, and if I don't keep up with something like Okeefes working hands they will crack and bleed. This year in Colorado for a week, my hands started cracking and bleeding really bad. I didn't have anything with me to put on them. Towards the end they actually kept me from sleeping from throbbing pain. Does anyone suffer from the same issue and have something that really works well to keep on them when in the field for weeks at a time?

I have the same problem and once it starts those cracks take forever to heal.

I have been open to trying special bag balms, but found a way to get Walmart scent free lotion to work. It’s the heavy duty lotion very similar to brand names, but $3 cheaper. Unlike products that are just oil or wax, lotion is also a great hand cleaner, so if I’m working in dusty/dirty or even oily conditions, just using lotion as a waterless hand cleaner and wiping it off with a paper towel is easy. I keep a roll of paper towels in the work truck next to a bottle of this stuff, and use it right before a job and a couple times during the day.

I can see how something else might be better in the winter, or for jobs that aren’t regularly as close to the work truck.

 

[isItFallYet]

Have you tried corn huskers?

 

[isItFallYet]

Gojo hand medic is pretty good too.

 

[longspeak74]

Another vote for corn huskers

 

[E.Shell]

We used Corn Husker's Lotion as kids and I didn't see it as all that effective. I went to Bag Balm and used it for years, until discovering 'Working Hands'.

 

[renagde]

Duke Cannon Bloody Knuckles

 

[intunegp]

Best lotion I have ever used is First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream.

My wife got some in a monthly makeup subscription box one time and it is magic. Absorbs easily, doesn't leave any residue/greasy feeling, a little goes a long way, and it truly does moisturize the skin. It's not cheap but a big tube or tub lasts forever because it doesn't take much.

 

[kpk]

The O'keeffes is the best we've used. Their night treatment stuff works really well too. My finger tips usually split throughout the winter and my daughters hands usually like she's been bare knuckle fighting. O'Keeffes usually has them healed up in a day and prevents them ever getting that bad if you get on it right away.

 

[koppertop]

I’ve tried almost all of the products listed……my favorite hasn’t been mentioned.

If you can find it, I highly recommend a product called Climb On Lotion Bar. Unfortunately it sounds like the Climb On company recently went out of business but was acquired by Black Diamond Equipment who is now making climb on bar but is currently out of stock. Some climbing shops might have stock. I’m hoping BD continues production but have heard that Burt’s bees has a similar product. I will likely check out Burt’s when I run out of climb on.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I’ve tried almost all of the products listed……my favorite hasn’t been mentioned.

If you can find it, I highly recommend a product called Climb On Lotion Bar. Unfortunately it sounds like the Climb On company recently went out of business but was acquired by Black Diamond Equipment who is now making climb on bar but is currently out of stock. Some climbing shops might have stock. I’m hoping BD continues production but have heard that Burt’s bees has a similar product. I will likely check out Burt’s when I run out of climb on.

Climb on lotion bar? Come on…you’re just effing with us right?

 

[koppertop]

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Stuff works well enough that I prefer it over neosporin type stuff for cuts. I’ll shave off a small slice, heat it up between my fingers, shove it in a cut, and put a band aid over it (after washing the cut of course).