There is a famous saying called “ prevention is better than cure.” Confirming it further, avoiding is way easier than enduring unhealthy circumstances; preventing blisters while hiking will also make you feel comfortable during your hike. A small pocket of fluid that forms on your skin are the blisters, and due to the friction and pressure on feet, sweat and wetness of feet may cause blisters during a hike. It is not impossible to prevent blisters while hiking.
Here are the tips for enthusiastic hikers to prevent blisters and enjoy hiking to the fullest.
What you have to do are simple as this,
At home precautions,
- Trim your nails
- Clean your feet
- Give a good rest to your feet
- Soak your feet
- Give a good massage to your feet
- Purchase the proper hiking boots
- Wear lightweight non-waterproof hiking shoes
- Prevent blisters from choosing the correct hiking socks
- Break your boots in before the hike
- Prepare a blister kit
On the hike day,
- Make sure your feet are clean and dry
- Use a skin lubricant
- Wear gaiters
- Pre tape problem areas
- Keep the dirt away
- Lace-up your boots correctly
- Have breaks when you hike
- Give your feet some air time
- Cool your feet whenever possible
- Deal with hotspots accurately and quickly
- Be prepared to get the necessary steps done if you got a blister
Trim your nails
Doing first thing first is essential to prevent something terrible from happening. Having long nails will damage your hiking socks and even the shoes. Getting your nails trimmed is a healthy precaution to avoid blisters. After cutting, file the edges smoothly and eliminate the nails’ sharp end. This tip would make your feet comfortable with your hiking footwear and help with durability.
Clean your feet
As a healthy human being, maintaining your hygiene is a good habit. Having clean feet is also a good health habit which is very important for hiking. In hiking having clean feet will reduce the risk of getting blisters. Practicing this in your daily life will make your feet healthy and strong, which will help you get a good hiking experience. Therefore wash and clean your feet daily.
Give a good rest to your feet
Before the hike, make sure to give a good rest to your feet. They are the ones responsible for the quality of your walk. Therefore to have a fantastic hike, give them a good rest to relax. The day before your adventure, be calm, relaxed, and have a good rest.
Soak your feet
Here, this is an excellent tip to relax your feet. Soak your feet in warm water for a couple of minutes. For further comfort, you can add Epsom salt. Therefore, make sure to try this to make you feel better.
Give a good massage to your feet
To keep your feet solid and flexible, do not forget to give an excellent massage to your feet. Practicing it daily for a few minutes will bring an outstanding result before the hike. When massaging your feet, use a balm or moisturizer for further betterment.
These healthy tips will surely help you in preventing blisters while hiking. As well as that, you must have the most suitable accessories for your hike to make it a success.
Purchasing the proper hiking boots
Your whole hike depends on your hiking boots. Your hiking boots should be able to support your feet and protect them. Not only that, they must be comfortable for you. Hiking boots must be stable enough for your feet that they don’t get slipped. They must not be too big or too small, and they shouldn’t be too tight or too loose for your feet and have to be the best fit for your feet.
As we all know, hiking may reduce our weight. Losing weight also may cause getting blisters. Therefore you must be extra careful and buy the exact fitting hiking shoes for a blister-free better hike.
Wear lightweight and non-waterproofing footwear
Using lightweight shoes will reduce your exhaustion. To make your feet more comfortable light weighed quality shoes would be preferable.
Hiking is generally a summer activity. Therefore using waterproof footwear has no point. It will only cause your feet to be exhausted and more sweaty. Due to the increased temperature during summer, you’ll quickly dry your clothes during the hikes when you get wet.
Having intermediate breaks and getting dry your footwear will be more accurate than having waterproof footwear. Using this tip will also help you in preventing blisters while hiking.
Preventing blisters from choosing the right hiking socks
Not only the hiking shoes but also the socks affect getting blisters. Using good-quality hiking socks with zonal padding that gives extra comfort will help you to prevent blisters. Worn and loose fabrics make it possible for friction, and wet cloths increase it. Therefore the best preference is to use moisture-wicking, quick-drying socks. Do not use cotton socks because they quickly get wet. Wearing two pairs of socks or wearing thick socks is not suitable. Make sure to have a spare pair. It would be better to wear liner socks that act as gloves for your feet.
Break your boots before the hike
If you purchase new boots to grab your hiking experience, make sure to break the shoes in using them before the hike. If you use leather boots, breaking the shoes is essential. This tip will also be helpful to prevent getting blisters.
Prepare a blister kit
Even though you’ve got many precautions to prevent blisters, be ready with a blister kit.
Your blister kit must include,
- Tear to size paper surgeon’s tape/kinetic tape/cloth and synthetic medical tape
- Blister bandages with pads and gels
- Moleskin
- Light weighed scissors
- Antiseptic wipes
- Soap
- Safety pin
- Gauze
Make sure your feet are dry and clean
To prevent getting blisters, clean and dry your feet before wearing hiking footwear.
Use a skin lubricant
To ensure the comfort of your feet, use a skin lubricant that helps to eliminate friction. From the well-known vaseline, there are many lubricants available at shops.
Wear gaiters
To keep your feet warm and clean, wear gaiters. They keep dust and dirt away from our feet and reduce the risk of getting infections and allergies. Therefore wearing gaiters will help you to prevent blisters while hiking.
Pre tape your problem areas
Many experienced hikers know their problem areas which often suffer from blisters. Heels, toes, and balls of the feet are common areas in which hikers get blisters. Using blister prevention tape at the beginning of the hike will help you to prevent blisters.
Keep the dirt away
You may feel it funny thinking how is it possible to keep dirt away from your footwear. But try your best to keep your shoe dirt, grit, and sand-free. Your shoes may be filled with sand, dirt when you hike. Therefore make sure to get rid of them as soon as possible to prevent forming blisters.
Lace up your boots correctly
Lacing up your boots is also essential to feel comfortable with your footwear. You should tie your lace neither loose nor too much tie. You should make sure that your foot is correctly positioned in the shoe. After lacing, try walking around and check whether you are comfortable. If the boots are slippery, toughen your lace till you feel stable and if it’s too much tied and cutting your ankles, loosen till it’s comfortable.
Have breaks when you hike
After starting to hike, get some small breaks and stop by. Having 15minutes intervals will be more effective. At those breaks, let your feet rest and relax. It will also be helpful to reduce the chances of getting blisters.
Give your feet some air time
Whenever you have intervals while hiking, make sure to remove your footwear and give some air time for your feet. Providing some air time to your feet will refresh them and dry out the sweat. Therefore your feet will feel comfortable and also will prevent forming blisters.
Cool your feet whenever possible
When hiking, you will come across streams, rivers, and waterways. Taking that opportunity, you can cool down your legs. Wash your legs and get them clean and then let them dry. Even though you think that’s not important, those little things are helpful to prevent blisters.
Deal with hotspots accurately and quickly
Hotspots are the red and tender areas that arise on skin that appear before blisters formation. Check whether you’ve got a red spot whenever you feel uncomfortable while hiking. Always pay attention to your feet and make sure that they are comfortable enough for your hike.
Unfortunately, if you feel discomfort, halt your hike for a while and take the necessary precautions to prevent blisters.
First, take your boots out of your shoes. Then check whether you’ve got a red spot. If yes, clean that area and let it dry. Then apply your preferred form of protection. Then resting for a while, you can restart your journey.
Be prepared to get the necessary steps done if you got a blister
After doing all these things, is it possible to get a blister?
Yes, due to some circumstances, you may get a blister. Therefore being ready is the best thing. Because of that, always have a blister kit from the beginning of your hike.
If you got a blister, do not get frightened or panic. Get the basic first aids done and rest till the pain get decreased. Always try not to drain it, but if it’s the only way, obeying safety rules, drain it and dress it as you do with a wound.
Life is all about challenges. Overcoming them is living that life. Do not hesitate to gift yourself with a fantastic hiking challenge. Blisters are just another feature that fascinates your experience. Be brave and energetic, grab your opportunity and enjoy your time while hiking. Remember, do not forget to follow those tips. They will surely take your experience to the best level. Therefore, enthusiastic human beings, give it a go; good luck with your hiking adventure.
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