back from a week in Virginia

**Miguel** · 09-12-2007, 11:15

Originally Posted by Rapt

Nice pics.... Great scenery.

Ouch on the blisters... My vote is always to try and not get them in the first place. There's a number of things you can do to help with this.

1) Make sure your boots really DO fit, and break them in well at home. I wear mine around the house when new for quite awhile. Clean them well and repeat a couple weeks before a major trip if you don't hike in them at least once a week
2)Wear a good sock or sock combo. I like a thin liner and good heavy outers. Like a coolmax ski liner and Smartwool outer. This puts most of the slip between the layers of socks rather than your foot and the sock.
3)Wash your feet and socks lots. Change them often. If you have really "moist" (sweaty!!) feet do this at lunch too. I know its a lot of hassle but its better than crippling blisters, or ending it early. Try a good foot powder if that works for you.
4)Have this all figured out BEFORE you get out there!!! I didn't one trip and lost the toenails on both my little toes before the end of it. Never again!!!

I'm sure others have their own things they do to prevent blisters. Remember an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure... or some cliche like that....

In Marine Corps bootcamp (eons ago) we were required to wear our socks inside out inside out. The theory was that the outside of the sock is much smoother than the inside and should thus be against your skin. You still retain the cushioning of the sock but not the abrasiveness of the inner sock. I don't recall anyone having blister issues in bootcamp. I've been wearing mine like that ever since and have never experienced a blister.

I think the sock liner also makes sense. Both are worth a try.

Good luck, Miguel

**RockStar** · 09-12-2007, 20:21

Originally Posted by Rapt

Basically you changed the fit of your boot after arriving!!!!.... Yikes!

Why did you mess with what had worked for you previously? Were you having other problems?

Well...The 2 smartwools are HOT and my feet sweet a lot. I get insanely itchy feet easily. SO I figured sock liners would help. So many ppl swear by them. And so I found not so much in this case with this boot and these foot beds. I wanted a nice insole before but, didn't have the money. I didn't think an insole would cause so much of a problem. NOW I have been schooled by someone who knows and will learn from this horrible mistake.