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Treating Blisters

By Carl Street, Pupbrothers.com

You're over the hump and are on the return leg of a hike. You've still got a couple miles to trek and you just felt blisters on your feet. Unfortunately, that turns this enjoyable hike into torment.

Friction between your sock and skin cause blisters, and therefore also from the side of your boot. Even terrific boots and socks still permit slippage of your foot. That opens up the potential for agonizing friction.

Good hiking socks can minimize the issue. Silk, cotton, and wool are the most usual materials, but hikers in this day and age have many more choices. Lycra, different types of polyester, and many others - particularly when united with traditional materials - do a nice job.

Helping those materials along are new manufacturing means. The lack of ridges, thick sections, and other rudiments keep socks effectively reducing friction between boot and foot. Their thermal managing properties and moisture-wicking work to enhance the environment inside the hiking boot.

You can minimize possible problems furthermore with your choice of boots. Find a pair that fits well and feels good from day one. Unlike shoes, most hiking boots remain stiff through their existence. If they aren't comfortable, try another pair. Find some that keep rocks and water out.

Whenever you remove your boots on the hiking trail, for instance to soak your feet into a stream or just to give them a little air, be careful when booting back up. Make sure your feet are dry, there aren't any rocks in your hiking footwear, and no ridges have formed on your socks when you boot up again.

But, despite the protection, blisters can still occur. So, what do you do in that case?

Upon feeling a starting blister, remove your boot and do an inspection of your foot. Use water to clean the blistered area and, if available, sterilize the area with anti-bacterial cream or alcohol.

Pierce the blister horizontally near the bottom with a sterilized needle. Extricate the fluid, which is mostly salt water, by moderately squeezing. Don't, however, tear off the skin covering the blister. Wrap the area instead with a band-aid or moleskin, which is a type of artificial 'skin' resembling a band-aid.

Once back in civilization again, you can better treat the area using anti-bacterial cream such as Benzoin. In some situations, you will need to tenderly remove the skin flap. Normally this is only needed if a large portion of the skin becomes loose from your foot. Otherwise, leaving it alone will let it drop off or decay naturally.

Common sense and good hiking gear choices will help keep you hiking and backpacking for long distances without incident. Don't let a little water and heat destroy your day. Be prepared, as the Boy Scouts say.