Light nail clippers?

The scissors on a small Victorinox classic knife work decently as nail clippers and don't add any additional weight. Some models have a nail file as well. That's what I use.

The Wenger brand has a nail clipper thats about .5 ounce heavier then the small knives most carry by them or victronix(sp?).

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=39226685

I see nail clippers as a very specialized cutting tool. They do what they do really well, but I don't bring a pair with me. I keep a pair in my car and check over my hands and feet before I start my journey.

For removing dead skin, and reshaping or repairing nail damage on the move, I pick up a rock and use it like a file. For lancing blisters I have used my blade, a sewing needle, or my hands / fingernails in the past.

Yes but I simply don't like using a knife to lance blisters or using my fingernails for removing dead skin. I've tried that over the years and found that when I'm pulling off dead skin by hand, I often will inadvertently pull off live skin and cause more harm than good. Same goes for lancing blisters. A knife is good to release some pressure, but only gets me halfway. If a blister has simply been cut and is left with any dead flaps of skin, that's a possible source of infection. So my weapon of choice is a nail clippers for their surgical cutting precision and ability to clip fingernails and toenails.

I was mainly wondering if there was any particular nail clipper product out there that people know about and use a lot, like if someone totally unfamiliar with backpacking stoves were to ask some question about stoves and get a bunch of answers to look at alcohol stoves. But I guess nail clippers probably aren't really heavy enough in the first place to warrant a special product (titanium nail clippers even exist?).

I like my clippers from Gerber. The blade and scissors are not very good, though. That said, they work if you keep the knife sharpened, and as for this thread's purpose, the clippers work great.

Caveat: I've only found them on ebay in recent years. When you search for them you'll also get Gerber – the baby brand!!!! Don't get those.

For draining blisters you need a medium diameter sewing needle, NOT clippers or a knife.

STEP 1> Insert the needle into the skin JUST BEYOND the edge of the blister but angling up into the blister.

STEP 2> After withdrawing the needle, gently press the blister, working from the side away from the needle hole toward the hole to drain as much fluid as possible. This will permit fluid to drain W/O tearing the blister itself, thus avoiding a large, raw area if the blister tears completely away.

STEP 3> Cover the blister with SPENCO 2nd SKIN and a bandage. Change dressing daily, if possible.

Eric

That's great and all but it's not how I do it. I'm just not fond of poking holes in my skin with needles. I don't mind clippers, though. In fact, using nail clippers to drain them and to trim away the dead skin is my preferred way for treating blisters. I've tried the way you describe and letting the dead skin stay in place, but what always seems to happen is that the dead skin on top of the blister stays, well, dead. The healing always seems to take place in the new layer of skin underneath the original blister. Leaving the dead skin in place over that new layer creates a little pocket for moisture to accumulate and wherever there is moisture (particularly on a foot), there can be fungus and other infective organisms growing. In the field, you can be as careful as possible with bandaging and sterile technique but the bottom line is there is that even if you flame-sterilize your needle and heavily clean the area around the blister with soap and alcohol (something most hikers probably wouldn't do) there's still a layer of moisture next to an immature layer of skin and that foot is going right back into a shoe the next day (assuming treatment occurs at night in camp). Since the new, wet layer of skin has a little less of a physical barrier to infection than a mature layer of skin, I think it's important to minimize moisture near it by trimming away all the dead skin from the original blister, let the new layer of skin dry out and harden as much as possible overnight, and then dress the area with a bandaid the next morning, if needed, stopping periodically through the day to air it out. …hence why I was asking about lightweight nail clippers, not needles.

Art, using nail clippers that are not sterilized is putting yourself at risk of infection, IMO.

Eric, you left out the most important steps of 1. applying alcohol pad to dirt-free skin, 2. sterilizing the needle in a flame, and 3. applying antibiotic cream before covering the wound.

I lance blisters too, but if /when the skin rips anyway I trim it off to keep it from ripping further.

I find the tiny scissors on the 2 1/4" long swiss army knife (SAK classic) to be MORE precise than fingernail clippers (although I've only tried the Revlon & Trim brands). The 1 1/2" knife blade is also handy for scraping the dead skin until it "stands up" (making cutting it flush easier), or scraping it back to where it joins healthy skin – so I don't have to trim a new piece of the dead blister skin every few hours. The scissors and file are also great for fixing hangnails or trimming fingernails. The scissors are a little underpowered for trimming toenails, but they do OK, and you can always just use the file if you have a few minutes to spare. (Soaking your feet in water for 10 minutes makes trimming the toenails easy though).

The SAK Classic (Scissors, knife, file, tweezers) is only about $6 at Malmart. Try it. You'll like it.

ps: The only thing I've found that is more precise than the small scissors is Revlon's mini-cuticle nippers. But the blades get dull VERY fast if you trim your fingernails, and they don't have a file…

hi just wanted to add my 2 cents…i usually lance my blisters with my sterilized needle. i found i only cut my fingernails every 10 days so anything shorter than that i dont bring nail clippers and i always cut my nails the night before i go out.

i did find some revlon pair that have a piece of rubber on them, i took the rubber off and it isnt too heavy. i dont use a scale so i cant give the exact weight but its comparable to a full bottle of potable aqua (tabs with/ bottle)

also i like to use duct tape on my blisters. but i always find prevention the best cure. i always air out my feet every chance i get and i also use sportslick in my "trouble" areas, and keep a small amount with me. also a change of socks helps (i double my extra socks as padding for my waist belt on my gg mariposa). aloha!

Art. I did some research on blister care after the start of this thread. I like your approach to removing skin with the nail clippers. Great food for thought on a new technique(to me) when Most times any blisters ive had where plain suffering experiences. In my experience Moleskin just rubs loose and causes more problems. Though with knowledge I have now, maybe not as big of a deal to fix. In any rate I think I might try this out if I have anymore blister problems.

On another note for dual purpose. I fly fish and use nippers with my kit(non backpacking). Replacing those with the wenger tool seams like a no-brainer now. I dont think cutting monofilemant line is going to effect the cutting properties of the nail clippers??? but I could be wrong.

Don't know the weight, but these are the slimmest nail clippers I've seen:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ND1TKE
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/2879502.shtml

I add the Nordstrom link as well in case you (or anyone else) wants to go find them in the store and put them on a pocket scale. ;)

Not worth the weight savings at $29, but it might make a nice gift.

As far as infection goes, nail clippers would be biologically dirty— your fingernails capture all kinds of crud. I would clean them with some alcohol gel before going after a wound with them. Likewise the scissors on a multi-tool or knife, as they collect dirt in the slots.

I would elect to use the scissors on a Swiss Army knife or Leatherman Micra for personal grooming chores.

The Zwilling clippers are a neat bit of UL "jewelry." I would prefer something with a lanyard/keyring hole. I'm sure I would lose them otherwise.

Check this one out:

http://www.zamberg.com/zb/inox-folding-stainless-steel-clipper-in-matte-finish-2432_3374_24_1_0_1i.ashx

Baby ones! They are tiny and very UL. They work excellent at getting hang nails as well.
Go to a baby section and take a look.

Far to small of a knife for me but I know alot of you guys like the Vic. Classics and Wenger Esquires. This multi-tool is similar, it has the file, scissors, and pen blade with the addition of the clippers. You could replace your Vic. Classic with the Swiss Clipper and it should only weight a little more. I only know about these becasue my fiancee wants one in pink. Here is a link: http://www.wengerna.com/swiss-clipper-red

You guys got me interested in blisters and what comes out of them. I found this page about the liquid (called serum) in a blister: http://www.worsleyschool.net/science/files/blister/page.html. One of the proteins in the serum is Globulins, it is a antibody. Antibodies fight viruses and bacteria!!!!!! Awesome! I wonder if it is still able to fight infection once it is in the blister?………. Any dermatologist around?

I'm with Matthew. After getting absolutely phenomenol blisters on my heels many years ago, I decided I never wanted to go through that again. So I followed Collin Fletcher's prevention advice, which basically is to manage the very thing that causes blisters, i.e., friction. So I use talcum (Anti Monkey Butt Powder works great) to absorb moisture and prevent friction, rotate to dry socks periodically throughout the day (the sweat dampened ones hang on the outside of the pack to dry for the next rotation), and slap on some moleskin at the first hint of a "hot spot" so that it won't turn into a blister. And of course, some boots are going to be more prone to producing blisters than others. If yours are one of these then get rid of them, it's just not worth it.

As for blister RX, I've always used a sterilized needle to drain, left the skin intact, and it regenerated or reattached or whatever you want to call it. This was at an early stage; at a later, 3rd degree burn type stage, the skin would be shreaded and would need to be removed. For this I'd use the sterilized scissors on my Victorinox.

Any thoughts as to why you're getting blisters in the first place? I guess everyone's feet are different… but personally… in 7 years of backpacking and lots of 4-5 day treks… I've never once had a blister… or even the beginnings of a blister. I give credit to my light pack, hiking socks and the use of light weight trail runners… but maybe I'm just lucky.

Best socks ever for preventing nearly all hot spots and blisters:
http://www.injinji.com./tetratsok/outdoor_c.htm
REI is their distributor in the US it appears.

I suffered from really bad blisters for as long as I have hiked – and it isn't the shoes, the weight of the pack or anything else – what it took for me to stop getting them was to remove friction from sweat, dirt and who knows what else. I could get a blister from a 1 mile hike if it was hot enough out!

I hike with people who have never had a blister and then are people like me who just have over-sensitive feet. I went to Injinji socks this year and had no blisters or hot spots – except for one time when I wore a pair of regular Smartwools instead. Lesson learned. I proudly wear my monkey-toe socks – with them I had some very awesome hikes this past year that were painless. (Such as breaking a 20 mile day with no pain).

So David…feel blessed with your feet! Be glad for them! ;-) You are not the norm though sadly – most trips I encounter people with really bad ones – I carry a big wad of high end blister care to hand out.

David, you have the right combo for your feet. It is the combination of feet, shoes, socks, and sometimes outside factors that all must mesh to have no blisters. Socks are only one part of that.

I am getting no blisters in my combo now even when wet from multiple water crossings over several days, but Montrail Hardrocks will ruin my heels in short order, and that is wearing injinji toe socks.

New Balance 805, liner/oversock: GOOD

Salomon x-a pro, liner/oversock: GOOD

Montrail vitesse, liner/oversock: TOE BLISTERS (shoe undersized)

Montrail vitesse, injinji toe sock: GOOD

Montrail hardrock, injinji toe socks: HEEL BLISTERS

Adidas gel, injinji toe socks: GOOD

Stumbled upon an even cheaper slim nail clipper at $4.14 with free shipping.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16281

Dimensions: 2.36 in x 0.46 in x 0.19 in
Weight: 0.71 oz

Edit: Found an even cheaper one for $2, free shipping.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15898

Dimensions: 1.97 in x 0.39 in x 0.27 in
Weight: 0.78 oz

If someone buys one, please post a review here and on the item page. DealExtreme is known for cheap no-brand stuff from China. Not exactly top quality, but some great deals. Good place for cheap LED lights.

I always carry a small nail clipper with me on long distance hikes. I have had the same pair for the last couple of seasons.

http://www.walgreens.com/beauty/product.jsp?CATID=306873&navAction=jump&navCount=0&id=prod358531#

They come in at 20g on my scale (.70oz) and are reliable.

I guess I am fortunate to have tough feet, I just finished 110 miles in 5 days with wet feet all day every day and no ill effects.