Tags
backpacking, blister prevention, blisters, camping, emergency, fit, hike, hiking, injury, iron mountain, outdoors, prevent blisters
I should have know better! We went hiking on Sunday to Iron Mountain. The hiking is only 3.5 miles long so I thought my good ol’ running shoes would be fine. Wrong- on so many levels! Here are some quick tips to prevent blisters while hiking:
- Break in your shoes! I thought I broke my shoes in but apparently not! Be sure you have used your shoes several times and they haven’t given you trouble- if they have, this brings me to tip #2:
- If your shoes have given you problems before, maybe don’t wear them for long periods of time again. I should have known better because I got the same blisters on our last hike! But in my defense, my outfit was all black and I needed a pop of color so I wore these bright shoes. I looked cute- my heels, on the other hand, weren’t so cute!
- Invest in a good pair of hiking boots. I have yet to find a pair that is “my style” and when I do, I will let you know! But in the mean time I wear running shoes and look at where it gets me! Maybe its time to suck it up and get a pair of hiking boots!
- Be prepared for the unknown!! This is my favorite and most important rule to live by but I did not prepare for this! You should always be prepared and have an emergency kit with you at all times when hiking, camping, anything outdoors (or at any time to be safe)! I didn’t have my moleskin band-aids with me this time!
- Invest in a good pair of socks. Mine were a really thin pair of cotton socks- they kept failing down, under the heal of my shoe. My heal was rubbing directly up against my shoes almost the entire time! I asked for it…
- Don’t let it get worse! If you are in pain, take a break and air that puppy out! Just irritating it more will… irritate it more! Don’t do it! For me, we were on our way down the mountain so my clever friend pointed out that I should make “flat tires” with my shoes so it doesn’t rub! I wasn’t on an incline, hiking over rocks so it was easier this way. It changed my life! I cant imagine how they would have looked if I didn’t do that!
I know all you expert campers, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts have some secret tips for blisters! What are some good tips?
Girly Camping® 
I laughed when I read this post, because I posted almost the same situation last weekend. I even had bandaids in my pack, but just powered through. I have since bought la sportiva mountain runners from REI, I will let you know how they work next time out.
LikeLike
Oh No! Blisters stink! Please let me know if they work out!
LikeLike
What do you mean by flat tires?
LikeLike
You squish the back of your shoe down so your heal isn’t touching the heel of your shoe 🙂
LikeLike
Got it. Thanks.
LikeLike
Great tips! Blisters can stop a hiker in their tracks and quickly discourage them, but they are preventable.
LikeLike
Know your feet and follow the 50/10 rule religiously: every hour hiking should be broken down into 50 minutes moving/10 minutes resting. The 10 minutes are for your feet more than anything else, so immediately pull off shoes and socks, lay them out to dry, and allow your feet to breathe (plus treat any hotspots that may have appeared). Those look to be some seriously painful blisters and I’m sorry you had to deal with ’em!!
-Kirk
LikeLike
Great tip! I’ve never heard of the 50/10 rule- thanks!
LikeLike
Duct tape works great on really bad blisters. Cover the blister with an ointment and gauze and then duct tape. It reduces rubbing.
LikeLike
Great tip!!
LikeLike
Nothing worse than when the socks fall down below the heel of the shoe. Ugh!
LikeLike
Buy great hiking boots but do not wear them for the first time on a week long backpacking trip. Not a smart choice on my part.
LikeLike
Yes! Good tip!
LikeLike
This just happened to me about a month ago. My only pair of hiking boots at the moment are ones that have never been all that comfortable and have given me blisters in the past. I knew better, but I grabbed them for a recent 7 mile hike anyway, and was regretting it in the first mile. When my blister popped up, I loosened the laces which helped big time to reduce the friction on the back of my heel.
LikeLike
Oh no! That stinks! At least you were able to reduce the friction a bit!
LikeLike
don’t let your socks get wet. bring an extra pair.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great tips, although I take issue with number 1, you shouldn’t have to break in good hiking boots that fit properly. I have a pair of old New Balance synthetic leather hikers that I’ve had for so long that they are falling apart. But, I’ve never had a blister while wearing them, so I’m leery of replacing them.
Socks are as or more important than your shoes, I wear heavy cotton socks on short hikes of three miles or so, I dig out the Smart Wool hiking socks for anything longer than that.
Before I bought the New Balance hikers, I always carried two pairs of socks, and changed back and forth between the two every few miles whenever taking a break.
LikeLike
Interesting! I’ve never had hiking boots but I would assume you have to break them in. I’m now going to invest in a pair since I do need more of a grip! We hiked around in the snow and it was a bit slippery! And you can’t beat old sneakers! They fit like a glove!
LikeLike
Most of the time people do have to break in boots, because the boots that they buy aren’t the best fit for them. I will never buy leather boots again, the synthetics are so much lighter, truly waterproof (until they start to fall apart after thousands of miles), and don’t have to be broken in.
LikeLike
I hike in Lowa GTX Renegades. They are a light-weight (to me), mid-hiker and the most comfortable shoe I’ve ever had on my foot. Didn’t need to break them in at all. Have hiked many, many, many, many miles in them and never had a blister or hot spot. I also wear a good wool-blend hiking sock made by WigWam to wick moisture away from my skin. I lace them up very snug, or very, very snug if I’m going downhill.
The Renegades run about a half size small in men’s… not sure about the women’s. The shoe is so comfortable, I bought a second pair to wear as my every-day shoe during the winter and as a backup to my hikers. If you have an REI in your area, go down and try a pair on… you might fall in love with them.
Always carry moleskin and treat hot spots immediately. If your feet start feeling damp, take a break, air them out, change to a dry pair of socks, and tie the damp ones on your pack to dry while you hike. Repeat as necessary.
LikeLike
I only ever wear trail runners for hiking and backpacking, and I never have any trouble. I won’t even give you my rant on why waterproof boots are terrible, lol. I agree with every point except “3”, so nice post!
LikeLike
I got a tip not long ago about blister prevention and it works! I was told to get a pair of nylon knee high socks to wear under my hiking socks. When you put your boots on, pull the tops of your hiking socks down over the outside of your boots. Not too far, just enough to cover your ties. Next, do the same with the nylons. This may sound really strange, but it does several things. 1) your ties will stay tied. 2) small items like pebbles will not get inside your boots. 3) Socks will not slide down in the heel area. 4)the Nylons act like a second skin. I tried it and I am convinced. I think friction on my feet is reduced by at least 75%. Not exactly a fashion statement, but it sure beats going to work on your feet with sewing needles………. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! I would have never thought to do that! Thank you!!!
LikeLike
I say wow too. I have a problem with both ‘stuff’ getting in my shoes and hot spots on my little toes. Must try!
LikeLike
Depending on if you are going uphill or downhill you can change how you are synching up your laces (downhill you want the laces tighter across the ankle/top of your foot to keep your feet from sliding forward and getting blisters on your toes – uphill you want the laces tighter across your toes/front of your foot to keep you foot firmly back and keep your heel from rubbing and getting blisters – now that I’m writing this I’m wondering if I have them right – my hands just know what to do when I’m out on the trail and I rarely stop to diagnose what they are doing anymore, so you might want to double-check that tip before employing it.) Also, I’ve found that (as others have already said) the socks you are wearing are generally more important than the type of footwear – On one hike we ran across a go who backpacked a 50+ mile multi-day trip in flip flops… I wouldn’t recommend it, but his boots failed him on the first day and he didn’t want to hike out – having a good pair of socks allowed him to keep going.
LikeLiked by 1 person
50+ mile in flip flop?! Crazy! I would have put on flip flops on Sunday if I had them! And thanks for the lace tip 🙂
LikeLike
Would you believe a trekker doing the Camino de Santiago (800km) BAREFOOT !
LikeLike
That is crazy!!! Actually I would believe though but only because I watch Dual Survivor on Discovery Channel and the guy, Cody, does EVERYTHING barefoot! 🙂
LikeLike
I have had some serious blisters also. The use of certain socks made such a difference for me. “No show” socks look good but they do just what you mentioned Mandie…they often slip down creating the rubbing of the bare heel on the shoe. I resigned to wearing ankle socks when I walk every day (even though they don’t look as cute as “no shows”) but my blister problem has gone away! By the way….I love reading your posts Mandie. Thanks for this great web site!!
LikeLike
Thanks for the great tip! And thanks for reading my posts 🙂 Did you see my Himalayas post? 😉
LikeLike
Yes, I did read it. God is so amazingly beautiful in His creation!! Thanks for posting that and all the pictures! Is that trek something you would like to do one day??
LikeLike
Went on a month-long camping and hiking trip with 24 other people. We would consistently hike 10-hour+ days. Everyone wearing cotton socks got blisters. Luckily, I had done a bit of research and decided to take a risk and bought some Wrightsock double layer socks on the trip – they worked great and never had a complaint! I also bought a great pair of Scarpa hiking boots, which are the most comfortable I’ve ever owned. Having said that, after hundreds of hikes, I prefer to wear light-weight trail running shoes to hike in, unless talus is involved.
LikeLike
Nice!!! Smart to do your research before any trip!! Thanks for the tip!!!
LikeLike
I’m surprised no one has mentioned moleskin yet. I always carry some in my first-aid kit and use it as soon as I notice I’m getting a hotspot. It has saved me from getting nasty blisters quite a few times.
LikeLike
Poor camping girl, Are your blisters healed by now? I opened the post and said’ ouch’ out loud and made my husband laugh until he saw the photo….
yup, good pedicures,good boots and good socks, you will never have blisters again! It is true, they should be comfortable at once and you need knowledgable staff to help you. I have good experience with Bass Pro and Bench Mark. Take your time when buying, walk in the store for at least 30 minutes. It is an investment but if you handle your shoes and socks with care, they last very long.
Ha, and for fashion statements (I agree, very important!) use different color laces, Neon, reds, striped: it really shows;0) Keep on hiking! Johanna
LikeLike
I hate boots. With a passion. They’re heavy, uncomfortable, and heavy. I wear minimalist, light-weight shoes, even on long backpacking trips. With wool socks! The boots only come out when I’ll have to trudge through a lot of snow, or when I’ll be climbing a glacier.
LikeLike
Absolutely agree on the boots being too heavy for most situations. It’s like wearing a tux to an interview. There are specific situations that they are definitely well suited for, but for the average hike – not necessary. As a geologist, my older peers are in the die-hard boots everywhere camp, but I think the revolution of using the vibram 5-finger shoes for running has people opening their eyes to alternatives in more than one area. To each their own – there is no one size fits all solution.
LikeLike
Ouch! I had a similar experience a month or so ago when I decided on a whim to race walk a 4.5 mile trail in a park I happened to be in for another reason. I found out at about mile 3 of the 4.5 mile loop that the right socks DO make a difference. The following weekend, when I was rubbing on the same sore spots (while in hiking boots this time) my 11-year-old came to the rescue and whipped out some moleskin from her first aid kit. I hadn’t packed any, nor told her to bring any first aid supplies. Guess all that Girl Scout first aid training paid off!
LikeLike
Thank you for the great suggestions! I developed a blister last week while hiking in Glacier National Park. Unfortunately, I hadn’t followed tip #1.
LikeLike
Also, buy shoes that are a half size larger than your normal shoe size! Thanks for the tips 🙂
LikeLike
Oh my goodness! Those look awful! Reminds me of the battle wounds at Mount Marathon up here in Seward, Alaska. I love your blog! I’ve never seen a girl focused camping blog and I think it’s great! I love to camp, obviously, being from Alaska I do a lot of it! 🙂 I wanted to thank you for stopping by my blog, I really appreciate it! I hope you find many recipes to help keep you happy and healthy. Cheers!
LikeLike
Footfleece (aka Trampers’ Friend)
LikeLike
Great shoe wisdom. Thanks. I hate any extra wieight on my feet. When I go buy a new pair of shoes and socks for hiking this will all be helpful to me.
LikeLike
Didnt have time to read all the comments, so forgive me if someone made this suggestion already, but BANDAIDS!!! Put bandaids where the shoe rubs against foot to prevent the contact. Love this blog, as someone who very recently got into camping, rest assured I will visit often for tips and advice. Just wanted to thank you for checking out my blog which ultimately led me to your site! Hope you have a happy friday 🙂
LikeLike
Yes Bandaids! Those are great!!! Thank you for the tip and thanks for stopping by!!! 🙂 And Happy Friday as well!!
LikeLike
Similar but use duct tape instead. If you start feeling a hotspot on your foot, stop immediately and put a piece of duct tape over the area. This will stop a blister from forming in the first place. An ounce of prevention and all that. Plus, duct tape is a multiuse item that you can use for other things which will reduce weight. I don’t carry mole skin anymore as I don’t use it.
LikeLike
Some hiking boots require breaking in – the all leather ones, whilst other synthetic ones don’t.
I used to own synthetic ones and they were very comfortable – though they did start to leak a lot near the end of their life. One thing I noticed though is that I still got blisters with the synthetic boots!
It wasn’t until I invested in a pair of hiking socks that blisters became a thing of the past. I was quite sceptical about them when I bought them – I thought it was a marketing gimmick – but they do work! In fact the socks worked so well I bought another two pairs of the same kind!
LikeLike
Interesting post and comments! Hiked a few years back in Sabino Canyon (Tucson) and boots which had never given me any problems gave me a nice deep blister on the back on my heel. I had good socks on too so don’t know what happened. Didn’t have moleskin along – not real smart given that we were going into Mexico in two days and didn’t want to end up getting an infection there, especially since I hadn’t had a tetanus shot in years! It healed up without a problem but I don’t hike without moleskin.
LikeLike
Ouch! Looks painful! I hope you’ve recovered by now! I’m a hiking guide and I wear boots, not trail shoes, which I wear through too quickly. My regular guiding day pack weighs 1/4 my own weight and we’re frequently off-trail on rough rock. The red flag goes up for me when hiking guests show up with clean, new footwear–the blister kit is always packed.
LikeLike
I wear Vasque hiking boots. Likewise never had to break them in. And duct tape IS a hiker’s best friend! BTW, cute is hiking pain free, which leads to you showing off your great smile because you are not gritting your teeth with each and every step! Happy, blister-free hiking 🙂
LikeLike
Great tips! Thanks! And yes, I know that “cute” isn’t always the best, but can you blame a girl? 🙂
LikeLike
I bought a pair of Vasque boots this winter – they are heavy, but no break in time needed and they have excellent ankle support for backpacking. Cotton socks are a no-no, try Thorlo, REI, or Smartwool – have had good luck with all 3. Bring some moleskin in case you start to get a hot spot, you can fix it right away. And extra socks in case yours get wet & sweaty 🙂 Tie your boots tight around the top of your foot so it’s anchored in and can’t slide – and buy your boots 1/2 size bigger. Have fun!!!
LikeLike
That looks…just ouch. Hopefully you can avoid those blisters in the future!
I think a lot of other people have said it, but it can’t be stressed enough to get boots that are the right fit, and this doesn’t necessarily mean your usual size. When I bought my first pair of boots, I bought them at my usual size and they really killed my toes and my ankle. I took them back and bought some nice Merrell hiking shoes about two sizes larger than I normally get. I didn’t even have to break them in at all and I never got any blisters.
One thing the folks at REI recommended was lacing up your boots by tying a surgeon’s knot about where the boot starts to curve up on your leg and then continuing to lace them up. Here’s a good picture of what I mean http://www.backpacker.com/april_2003_gear_boot_lacing_tips/gear/5245.
LikeLike
I recommend “Darn Tough” socks. They are mostly (merino) wool, made in Vermont. Lifetime warranty, believe it or not. I’ve tried mine enough so far to be quite impressed. Socks are very important, and blisters are often caused by your feet overheating and the skin on your feet becomes tender when moist from sweat. If you wick moisture away from your feet with good wool socks, you are less likely to develop “hot spots” which turn into blisters.
-Ben
LikeLike
This comment comes super late in the game, but I completely swear by Wright socks! They take the ‘dual sock’ idea of preventing blisters and made it into a single (dual layer) sock to deal with. No blisters guarantee 🙂
I’ve previously tried [non-cotton] wigwam and Colombia socks, duct tape, and bandages with no luck. Wrightsocks coolmesh II [amazingly] worked for preventing my normal toe, heel, ball of foot blisters!
LikeLike
Heyy I know this is offf topic but I was wondering if you knew
of aany widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my
newest twitter updates. I’ve beeen looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hopkng maybe youu would have ssome experience with something like this.
Please let mme knoww iif you run into anything.
I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to
your new updates.
LikeLike
Pingback: Shame on Me… Blisters and why they keep coming back | Girly Camping®
Thorlo boot socks are awesome, and , if possible, actually avoid water completely. It makes the skin sticky and increases the friction when you get back to hiking.
LikeLike