[pct-l] Blisters

[roleigh at gmail.com]

Wanda, I had a similar experience on a JMT thru hike.  When my feet were 75% coveted in open wounds I hiked in wool socks and the old style Teva (which I'd taken for river crossings) over Silver Pass to Vermillion, where I soaked my feet in Epsom Salts for 3 days and  waited for a different pair of boots that my husband sent FedEx. I finished the trail with no more trouble. Here's what I suspect happened to me, and you:
My boots were large, but not large enough, and were Goretex. When my feet began to swell about 1 1/2 weeks into the trip, the rubbing and the moisture trapped inside by the Goretex, day after day, caused huge blisters and the skin began to literally fall off my feet. Peeling off tape took the skin off too!  The solution was the large, non-Goretex boots that I'd decided not to use in favor of the lighter Goretex option. With those, sock liners and wool sox over those, I hiked the rest of the trip  with my blisters healing daily. I'm not suggesting you hike in massive backpacking boots, but your shoes were probably not large enough, or your feet did not stay dry enough. 
You can also tape up those blister-prone areas before in advance. John Vonhof's book, FIXING YOUR FEET, details taping techniques and just about every other foot fix athletes may need for long distance or endurance activities. It is well worth reading cover to cover. 
There IS a fix for you!! Good luck on your hike!

Halo

Sent from my iPhone

>> 
>> On Fri, Jan 6, 2012 at 12:50 PM, Wanda Brimmer <iamwhimpie at yahoo.com>wrote:
>> 
>>> Hi Folks,  Last September I attempted a through hike of the JMT.  Prior
>>> to my hike I had asked for some advice concerning my Morton's Neuroma and
>>> as a consequence, I bought some shoes that were a good size larger than I
>>> normally wear.  I put about four hundred miles on the shoes prior to the
>>> JMT and never had  one twinge of my neuroma.  Worked great.  On day six of
>>> my JMT hike (dropping down into Red's Meadow) I began to develope some very
>>> serious blisters.  I'm not talking about little blisters, these covered
>>> both balls of my feet.  By the time I hobbled into the campground, I was in
>>> serious trouble.  I used some cloth and made a bandage and taped my feet
>>> the best I could.  There was no way that a traditional bandage was going to
>>> cover my wounds.  For the next twelve days, I hobbled down the trail, often
>>> crying about my situation.  Eventually the skin no longer could be used as
>>> a cover for the blisters and was discarded, which left a oozing
>>> mess.  I used Preparation H  (hey, I was at least prepared for that
>>> problem) as a salve for my sores and would wrap them in tape.  People
>>> noticed my gate and would offer me what ever they had....sympathy if
>>> nothing else.  Finally on day 16 of my through hike, nearing the top of
>>> Mather Pass, I gave up.  I left my two friends with hugs and kisses and it
>>> took me another three days to backtrack and cross Bishop Pass.  My husband
>>> met me at the trailhead after a heads up from Ranger Rick and I went
>>> immediately to the emergency room.  Because of my attempts to avoid
>>> pressing down on the blisters on the balls of my feet, I had developed
>>> tendonitus and two stress fractures in my left foot.  I made one reckless
>>> mistake and paid a terrible consequence.  My mistake was not stopping to
>>> fix my foot in my eagerness to reach Red's before the barbecue was over.
>>> How can I toughen up my feet.  I am fifty eight years old and walk a lot.
>>> I wear orthotics
>>> (may have slipped and agrivated my ball) for Plantar Faciitus so can't
>>> go barefoot.  Don't forget my Morton's Neuroma....my feet need some serious
>>> swelling room in my shoes.  I will do the JMT this summer but don't want to
>>> repeat this mistake.  What do you recommend for wrapping to prevent
>>> blisters.  is there a special tape?  You thousand milers must have
>>> something that works.  Thank you so much for your suggestions.   Whimpie
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