[pct-l] Keeping athlete's foot at bay

[Gary Wright]

On Apr 14, 2011, at 11:55 AM, Jeffrey Olson wrote:
> Interesting thread.  One of the recommendations Colin Fletcher made was 
> to remove boots once an hour and let the feet breathe.  I used to get 
> athletes foot as a matter of course, but never when hiking.  I think 
> this is because I let my feet dry out (from sweat) six or seven times a 
> day.  It sure is a lot easier with trail runners than clunky leather 
> boots!  Jungle rot is another matter perhaps??

Keeping your feet happy is pretty important on the trail.  Here is my approach:

At every 'pack off' break and when reaching camp
	-- take off shoes and socks ASAP
	-- relax
	-- check feet for any problems
	-- apply body glide to problematic spots
	-- apply Goldbond powder to feet
	-- apply Goldbond powder to shoes
	-- put on alternate pair of socks before leaving
	-- tuck recently worn socks on outside of pack to dry out

Having a pair of flip-flops or crocks is quite nice so that you can get up and
walk around if you need to during break time without putting your shoes and
socks back on.

I try to wash my feet once a day at least, generally when in camp via water
or wet wipes.  I try not to wear socks until I go to bed and then I have a separate
pair of 'camp socks' that I never hike in so that they don't get sweaty and dirty.

A quick spray of lysol in town helps keep you shoes from getting too nasty
as does changing out your shoes every 500 to 700 miles.  Some people go
for 1000+ miles on a pair but that just seems like too much to me.

The lysol is a good idea for your pack also on areas that soak up sweat.
Washing your pack every few weeks in town is a good idea also.

Radar