[pct-l] Boots?

[Gary Wright]

On Sep 14, 2010, at 2:38 PM, dan kayser wrote:
>  My question is are there other boots out there that others have tried that worked or other
>  remedies to prevent or prolong the development of blisters/swelling feet?  I have a short but wide foot and I weight 150 lbs.

It is hard to generalize about foot care and especially shoes, but assuming you find the right pair of shoes for your feet here are some tips on how to keep your feet and legs happy on the trail:

- at every break take off your shoes and socks and let your feet air out
- swap your socks at every break, let your sweaty socks dry out on your
  pack while you hike and then swap them back 'in' again at the next break
- treat problematic areas of your feet with BodyGlide or something similar
  generally at *every* break and at the start of the day. DO NOT WAIT until
  you have a blister to do this.  This means stopping when something doesn't
  feel right and NOT WAITING until your next break or camp.
- use Goldbond Foot powder to keep your feet dry and ward off foot 'funk'
- if at all possible wash and clean your feet daily when you have easy access
  to water (this doesn't mean you should put your feet in springs or other
  fragile water sources)
- use gaiters to keep (some) dirt and debris out of your shoes
- stretch your calf muscles in the morning *before* walking on them to
  help avoid plantar fasciitis
- stretch your legs/feet at the end of every break
- learn how to stretch your IT band (iliotibial band) and make it part
  of your daily routine

I learned about plantar fasciitis and my iliotibial band the hard way, while
on the trail. Both problems could have been avoided had I been doing some
easily learned stretches *before* there was a problem.

Radar