[pct-l] SOCKS

[gschenk1 at roadrunner.com]

Hi Diane, a good post, as always.

---- Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes <diane at santabarbarahikes.com> wrote: 
> The dust you get through your shoes is too fine to cause any  
> problems. Seriously, it's like talcum powder.

It can also be very gritty at times.

> 
> I really think the blisters on the PCT is a combo of the heat of the  
> trail, the uniform nature of the hiking surface (any "flaws" in the  
> trail tend to go on for 10 miles at a time) and the newness of doing  
> that many miles day after day.

The newness factor might be the the main factor. Many people thruhiking the PCT don't seem to have done that much hiking. We are really lucky here in Southern California, we get to hike year round, and I think that helps to keep our feet blister free.

> 
> I have only gotten blisters on the So Cal section of the PCT and only  
> the first time I hiked it as a long distance hiker. Never again on  
> any section hike, including sections in So Cal. Never again on my  
> second long distance hike. Even though my feet continue to get just  
> as dirty.

Maybe it was the gritty dirt in the shoes? The San Felipe Hills seem particularly bad.

> 
> I believe the main mistake I made as a new hiker was goretex and not  
> wearing loose/big enough shoes. Probably was a mistake that my first  
> pair of shoes were all leather without mesh. Fixing my shoe problems  
> didn't help immediately. I didn't see a resolution of my blisters  
> until after Kennedy Meadows.

Ouch! I believe you are correct about goretex in shoes. It adds weight and heat. But goretex is hard to avoid in footwear anymore.

Again, another example of HYOH. It's important that we find out what works for ourselves, one solution does not fit all. What works is what works.

Gary