Another outdoor question - blisters (and the prevention of)

Hi

Surgical Spirit rubbed in aplenty for 7 days afor ye go.

Failing that. Feet up on the coffee table and listen to sounds.

P

Steve,

Could be a couple of things. Try lacing the boots differently to prevent the heal moving so much. One option is to tie the first loop of a knot at the instep then lace as normal. Also check the laces pass through the 'D Rings' correctly, one way allows the boot to slacken, the other holds the lace better when tightened.

Another option is to try different socks or even two pairs, one thin, under the normal sock.

Feet do change slightly over time. It may be worth getting the fitting checked again.

I hope you find the cure!!

Milan

I used to suffer chronic blisters. However, I've now got 1000 mile blister free ankle socks. They are twin layer socks, with a low friction material between the layers. They are guaranteed to result in no blisters in 1000 miles. However, I still get the ocassional one, but only when I've run 15km plus after a heavy week. Still, I am impressed enough not to return them for a refund, as they've made a huge difference. They are designed to be used without vaseline, but they are fine over compeed.

Cool socks!

I need some of those.

Walking to and fro from the deck really makes my feet ache.

Thanks

P

Blister Free my buttocks


I tried these things - they did not work for me, but having said that I was carrying around 120 lbs around sunny South Wales. Even on shorter tabs of 8-9 km with around 40-50 lbs my feet rapidly developed hot spots and then blisters.

IMO the problems are caused by feet going soft after time without the boots on. I think your feet will harden if you make a point of wearing the boots regularly, along with the socks you intend to wear when doing the Munroes.

Regards

Mike

On the Yellow Brick Road and happy

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Originally posted by P:
Hi

Surgical Spirit rubbed in aplenty for 7 days afor ye go.

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Is that a one-off exercise or necessary before each trip? I'm hillwalking pretty much every weekend at the moment (and sometimes on Saturday and Sunday) so it sounds like I might need a lot of surgical spirit.

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Failing that. Feet up on the coffee table and listen to sounds.

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Tempting, but the last time I stopped hillwalking for that I ended up putting on about 4 stone in weight!

Regards
Steve

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Originally posted by Milan:
Steve,

Could be a couple of things. Try lacing the boots differently to prevent the heal moving so much. One option is to tie the first loop of a knot at the instep then lace as normal. Also check the laces pass through the 'D Rings' correctly, one way allows the boot to slacken, the other holds the lace better when tightened.

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I'll check that out.

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Another option is to try different socks or even two pairs, one thin, under the normal sock.

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I've been experimenting recently with Smartwool liner socks so I might keep going with them.

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Feet do change slightly over time. It may be worth getting the fitting checked again.

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My Scarpa boots were bought about 14 years ago when I was a lot lighter than I am now, and my other 3-season boots (Raichle) were bought about a year ago when I was about 3.5 stone heavier than I am now. I suppose that might be a factor. I just bought a pair of lightweight North Face boots 2 weeks ago and on the trips I've done since then - the Munros of Dreish & Mayar, the Corbett Broad Law, various Pentlands hills and Cairngorm yesterday (my 7-year old sons first Munro) - I haven't had any significant blisters.

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I hope you find the cure!!

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So do I - this good weather can't last so I'll be back into 3-season boots again and blisters half way through a 20+ mile, multi-munro trip aren't fun...

Regards
Steve

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Originally posted by Mekon:
I used to suffer chronic blisters. However, I've now got http://www.bournesports.com/~sa_webapp/run.asp?page=2895. They are twin layer socks, with a low friction material between the layers.

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Cheers - sounds interesting. If I can find hillwalking equivalents I'll give them a go.

Regards
Steve

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Originally posted by mike lacey:
IMO the problems are caused by feet going soft after time without the boots on. I think your feet will harden if you make a point of wearing the boots regularly, along with the socks you intend to wear when doing the Munroes.

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That was my initial thought when I started hillwalking again but in the last 3-4 months I've been hillwalking most weekends plus 2 or 3 days each week I'll go up a near 300m hill near the office at lunchtime with my boots on. I'm wondering if I've been getting so many blisters that my heels haven't been able to harden at all, so perhaps these last few blister free trips with lightweight boots on will help?

Regards
Steve

Steve,

I don't know how much I can help as I seem to be somewhat immune to blisters when wearing boots, the last three pairs haven't given any.

But, I do wear hard shoes (leather soles) for work and am partial to walking bear foot around home when it is warm enough. This I guess keeps my feet toughened up despite the fact that my boots don't get out very often. That being said I did get a blister on the way down form Mont Blanc last month, it properly didn't help that I did the last 1000m descent in 45 minutes!

Hope you find a solution, you might find getting a bespoke instep helps reduce foot movement in the boot as well.

Matthew

The more your socks smell, the better

Special walking socks make indeed a huge difference. But one of the few good things about the (in Switzerland compulsory) army is that they taught us to wear used socks for long walks, worn 2-3 days in a row.

Definitely not recommended if you go for a mountain walk with a business partner or a would-be girlfriend but it's indeed very effective.

Cheese

I've found that with the 1000mile socks, whilst I still get hotspots, these have turned into hard patches of skin. Previously, they'd blister and come away. Admittedly, I only run 40-odd km a week.

Trail version

Well first Munro of 2004 (Beinn Bhuidhe) and of course the first blisters.

I think I'll need to give these twin layer socks a go before my next trip. Are the 1000-mile ones the only option as I can't find anywhere nearby that seem to stock them.

The sell loads of different types in my local running shop. I see that Snowlines in Edinburgh do 1000mile, and a load of others. Are they near you?

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Originally posted by Mekon:
The sell loads of different types in my local running shop. I see that http://www.snowlines.co.uk/acatalog/Snowlines_Online-RUNNING-SOCKS.html do 1000mile, and a load of others. Are they near you?

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I've never heard of them but they appear to be near the centre of Edinburgh. They only appear to do the 1000 mile running sock range, not the hiking ones.

Tom,

I've gone from Scarpa Mantas and Thorlos to Reiche or North Face boots and Bridgedale socks.

Sunday was my first outing using 2 poles instead of one and I'm definitely a convert for steep ground.

I also used the MTB for the approach (cutting 8 miles off the walk) and use a fairly lightly loaded running pack.

Doing most of what you suggest already, although I didn't get Compeeded up until half way up the hill, otherwise I'd have probably been fine. I've plans for some fairly big days this year, plus a few multi-day trips, so I'm anxious to get a solution. I'm definitely going to give the two-layer socks a go plus I think I might try talc on my feet as well.

Regards
Steve
P.S. We should try and arrange a Naim forum Ben Chonzie trip in the summer.

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Originally posted by Tom Alves:
Are you volunteering to carry your system to the top so we can play Rammstein?

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I'll carry my minidisc player and we can have an earphone each.