Blister Prevention

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Blacktail

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 12, 2006
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549
I have a pair of meindl perfects and a pair of the denalis for whatever reason i wear a 9.5 in the perfects and a 9 in the denalis. both have well over 20 miles on them. I love the perfects but on a september elk hunt go too hot and blistered so i went to the unins. For whatever reason I seem to still have blister issues. I have never experienced this till now. For example went on a 2 mile hike today in the denalis after not wearing for awhile and blistered my heals. You guys have any tricks for preventing blisters. thnx
 
Have you tried sock liners? They can help with blister alot. They help wick away moisture so they keep your feet dry. Also one extra layer to keep them warmer if need be. They work great for me.
 
I will have to try a pair. For whatever reason i am getting them just on my heels. I have to be the only person from what i have read anyway that has problems with these boots.
 
With 12+ years of wearing work boots 10 to 16 hours a day, if your getting blisters on your heels, then your foot is moving up and down in the boot. At least your heel is anyway. Different ways to combat the problem: get a different size boot, wear extra socks to take up the extra room, last and least favorite, wear blisters until calluses are formed.
 
you can get a band aid that normaly would fit on your elbow and wrap yo'ur heel with it. also after it blisters and you pop it and rip the old skin off use preperation H to dry them up really fast and keep the from getting infected and from hanging around.
 
I have the same problem, and what works for me is using as an inner lining girls pantyhose, that I cut to the length of your feet up to the ankle(it sounds funny but it works great). That way your feet will be able to slide in the boot and you wont rip the epidermis out from the dermis which is what a blister is. If your feet cant slide inside the boot then you will keep on getting blisters. Another way of solving the problem is trying to develop calluses, which will be a stronger lining of cells there which will be harder to break. Good luck.
 
for me i have just used tape i like to tape them just as they are forming or before i use medical tape but hockey tape also works and if i dont get tape on right away i will cut small stripes of mole skin to go around the blister and tape over
 
I have put in several thousand miles hiking in the Rockies and Appalachian mountains, and spent several years buying timber in western VA and southern WV. My answer is simple but not necessarily cheap.

I wear a set of polypropolene liner socks under a paid of Thorlo either Mountaineering or Hiking Socks. The Thorlo socks are stupid expensive for socks but they can not be beat. The liner socks keep any movement of your feet inside your boots from rubbing on your foot. They also wick moisture away from your feet.

The other thing is to carry along enough socks to change them frequently. Ideally enough to change to anew pair at least once a day. If the trip is to long then at least enough to wash them out and let them dry and still be able to change them every day. If you do get a hot spot stop immediately and put some moleskin on it.

Good Boots, Good Socks, Dry Feet, if that does not prevent blisters nothing will.
 
I usually blister after 4 days constant hiking and hunting. It may be a natural thing. Best thing is to be prepared and have those lil blister med sticky things avaiable and use them. Good luck.
 
walk walk walk and did i mention walk, blisters suck if it were me i'd find boots that didn't give me blisters::) but if your sticking with those boots and u already have blisters, mole skin can save the day.
 
Blacktail,

I too often have blister problems. I elk hunt and guide down in southern NM and in bow season it is often hot, 85 - 90 degrees during the day. My feet sweat a lot and stay wet which makes the skin soft. One thing I do is use a good anti-perspirent on my feet.

Liner socks also help, and I am going to have to try the panty hose feet that someone mentioned.

Be careful about lacing your boots too tight. I used to really tighten my laces and that seems to put more pressure on the heel area when climbing or walking uphill. I still like my laces pretty tight, but loosen up on them a little and it may help you.

I learned a tip from Backpacker magazine a few years ago that has worked for me when I begin to or have gotten a blister. Carry some pre-cut pieces of chamois (the stuff you use to dry your car) or other thin leather. Use gel type super glue and run a bead of glue around the edge of the leather and zigzag back and forth across the rest of the patch and glue it over the blister or beginning of a blister. This does the same thing as moleskin or a band-aid but won't come off in your boot. My feet sweat so much that I have trouble getting moleskin or band-aids to stay on. The leather patch will peel off in a few days with no ill effects. Be sure to use GEL super glue. The regular runny kind is too thin and will soak up in the leather and will not stick to your heel.
 
this may be to simple but it works for me , i carry a small jar of vasline in my pack, if i feel a blister coming on i , coat the area with vasaline , it works for me , make sure your boots fit.lightbulb
 
We use Duct Tape in our camp. A couple of years ago I got blisterd pretty bad, after a layer of duct tape I was good to go again. I now tape up before I even start hiking, its like a super tough second layer of skin. It works AWSOME!!! I totally advocate it. Good Luck.

BS1
 
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