[pct-l] feet

[Brian Lewis]

Len wrote:
"This book may be of some interest, wrt feet:
http://www.amazon.com/Fixing-Your-Feet-Prevention-Treatments/dp/0899974171/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1235233501&sr=8-1
"

I recommend this book too.  I used it as sort of "homework" for a
couple of months before hiking last year, I think I read something
like halfway through it in that time.

It's way too much information to internalize (i.e., remember all the
details when you need them), but I think it's nevertheless helpful to
work through. The author explicitly mentions very long distance hikers
among the people he wrote the book for.    I don't see it as realistic
to read through this and then be somehow prepared for anything that
arises, but at the least it would be good to read while doing training
hikes, perhaps trying out different shoes, socks, terrain, pack
weights, training hike distances, etc.   And perhaps a person could
memorize a few basic things about dealing with blisters and hotspots
(pre-blisters).     When I was off for a week due to Morton's Neuroma
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morton%27s_neuroma) I noted in the book
that it has a couple of pages covering this condition, including a
picture, specific suggestions and a reference to where a person can go
online to order a particular kind of pad to alleviate the condition.

Good book.   I bought it on sale at a PCT Trail Fest, in fact, but the
price at Amazon.com looks good too.

BTW, I think the one trick to dealing with blisters that I learned on
trail was one I found very helpful for back-of-heel blisters.  You
sterilize a needle, pierce the blister with the needle and pull a
small amount of thread through (I had dental floss, so I used that).
Leave the thread in the blister, with a little of it coming out on
both sides.   It keeps the blister draining, so it doesn't just puff
back up again.   I noted at least a few other people doing this, and
it worked well for me.  I worried a little about infection, but had no
problem there, despite how filthy my feet so often were, and the
little threads were in the heel blisters on both feet for a few weeks.


Brian Lewis / Gadget '08
http://postholer.com/brianle