Don't Let Issues with Your Feet Ruin Your Adventure

Don't Let Issues with Your Feet Ruin Your Adventure. The most important item you need to protect and maintain during mountaineering, hiking, or backpacking is your feet. Without them, your adventure is over and worse of all you can damage your feet permanently.

Items that can affect your feet;

• Trench Foot

• Blisters

• Lose of toenails

• Frostbite

• Cracking of the skin

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There are usually only a handful of items that cause issues with your feet and with the right conditions you can be out of commission fairly quickly.

• Exposure to snow/ice

• Wet socks/shoes

• Improperly fitted shoes

• Inferior socks (Especially socks made from Cotton)

• Infection

Things you can do to prevent or minimize issues with your feet while hiking

• Purchase properly fitted shoes, not too tight and not too loose. Usually, people purchase a half-size larger to accommodate foot swelling and extra thick socks.

• If you feel hot spots on your feet while hiking stop and treat them before they become blisters. Take your shoes off and place moleskin or Leuko tape on the area you think is getting a blister. If you already have a blister, treat the blister and place moleskin or Leuko tape over it.

• If your shoes or socks are wet, dry your feet and shoes the best you can and replace your socks with dry ones.

• As soon as you get to your destination or camp take your shoes and socks off and dry them the best you can. If you can have a campfire, use this to dry everything. Some backpackers bring a pair of camp shoes that allow their feet to air out while in camp.

• Once your feet are clean and dry give them a good massage to help with the blood flow which helps with healing.

• Buy quality socks that are made from Wool. Wool will keep your feet warm even when the socks are wet and are naturally resistant to bacteria that can cause odor. A Good brand is Darn Tough Socks. They are 100% Merino Wool and have a Lifetime Warranty.

Tips & Tricks

• Always have a clean pair of socks that you only use for sleeping in. This will help keep your sleeping bag a little cleaner, and it adds a little bit of comfort.

• Before you put on your clean socks to go to sleep, give your feet a quick massage with a small amount of vaseline. This will help moisturize your feet to prevent cracking and blisters the next day.

• If you are backpacking and have limited time in one place, hang your wet gear from your pack and it can dry as you walk if conditions permit.

• Certain conditions demand the use of waterproof "boots". Like hiking in the snow. But if you are buying trail runner shoes for hiking don't waste your money on the waterproof versions. The waterproof version takes forever to dry when wet compared to the non-waterproof version.