Foot care kit, need help.

Daniel, take a look at this website:

http://www.fixingyourfeet.com/

Several people here have his book, but there's a lot of information on the site and blog.

Compound Tincture of Benzoin and a tiny hypodermic syringe. Drain a watery blister, squirt in some CTB (it burns like the Dickens) to help keep the damaged skin together, and swab a bit of CTB on the skin surface before you tape over the blister.

I use Body Glide where the inside of my upper arms rub against my sides. My girlfriend uses it to prevent 'chub-rub' on her inner thighs. Never used it on my feet.

I've never used SportSlick.

I turned my feet into hamburger meat hiking in cotton socks and new boots one time. Ever since then, I've had problems with blisters. Good socks, a light pack, and frequent breaks while hiking prevent most foot issues for me.

Will be watching this thread for info. Struggling with this myself.

So far, doing much better with a single lightweight wool sock (smartwool), than my previous setup of a polypro liner inside a thick synthetic hiking sock. Although I generally tape across the balls of my feet before walking, and that acts something like a "liner."

Always curious why Leukotape is the hands-down (or is that 'foot-down') favorite? It has a rough surface, does not glide or slip across its surface. 3M Transpore is much more slippery, readily available at most any drug store, breathes well with all its little holes, and much less expensive.

I've been using Blistershield powder rather than any of the glide sticks. Lighter…can put a little powder in a small bag, and good to go.

My foot care kit consists of the following:

sportslick in a clear plastic balm jar (0.25 oz capacity – good for 5-6 days of daily use on my feet and nethers)

8 strips of leukotape (5" x 1.5") on sticker backing paper

2 sheets of moleskin

A little more info, or way too much for some …..
I have unusually deformed feet so I am very scared of blisters.
My second toes overlap my big toes due to my feet being clamped to a metal bar when I was an infant. Whatever contraption it was is hopefully banned by now.
But it caused my toes to be crushed together in that way and they have been that way ever since. My arches are normal as far as I know.
I work in Underarmour Valsetz mid height boots with Superfeet green inserts and feel no problems. I walk a couple or three miles a day on concrete hangar floors at work.

I read everything on John Vonhof's web site last night, but of course have not read his book. Thanks for that link btw. A few things I have picked up:

I will be getting some Kinesio-Tex tape to try instead of the Leuko Tape.
I ordered some Benzoin swabs before I had posted this, so I will be after the bottled variety now.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VQ0VCM/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So after reading through the info I found no mention of the Spenco 2nd Skin, and he is very non-specific about which creme to use.
So Sportslick or Body Glide ?

I don't have any chaffing issues elsewhere that I know of – footcare only for now.

I'm wearing my new hikers around the house now to see how they feel and may wear them to work for a few miles also. They are Saucony Adventerra GTX light hikers, 2 lbs total, and they feel very good.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006N0KBIC/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If they cause issues I will try the trail runners.

I don't know where I will get a hypodermic needle but I will start looking.

Thanks everyone for the responses so far and please keep the info /feedback coming.

Now, if someone would please design some titanium toenail clippers …….

I started carrying a bottle of "NewSkin" in my FAK last year. It's the heaviest item in the kit but it works better for treating hot spots, blisters, etc. than anything else I've ever tried. I don't even use moleskin or duct tape on my feet anymore. Can't get Leukotape at a local store in Alaska and the shipping to order it is outrageous so I can't comment on that. The NewSkin works for me.

" I found no mention of the Spenco 2nd Skin"

I used ALWAYS bring Spenco Second Skin on all the hikes I led (operative word being "led). On my own hikes, or with my family members, our shoes fit better than that, they aren't heavy clod-hoppers, and no one ever rubs their hot spots raw. But with men (it's always men) along, they'll hike with a hot spot, past the blister stage and rub all the skin off. Then what you really need is a product like Second Skin.

Dena: I feel your pain (not your foot pain, but your shopping pain). Just in the last few months, I've realized Amazon sells more than books and have ordered all sorts of odd-ball items that I could find in Kenai/Soldotna or sometimes even Anchorage. The brand of sunscreen the kids don't complain about. Filter bags for the vacuum cleaner. Titanium tent stakes. Odd sized batteries. Etc. I just add items one at a time to my "shopping cart" until there's enough for free shipping or I need something more urgently. Anyway, they have Leukotape:

http://www.amazon.com/BSN-Medical-Leukotape-Sports-Tape/dp/B008FNHF8O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380128923&sr=8-1&keywords=leuko+tape

Or PM me and I'll send you a few feet by snail mail.

90% of you know this, but here's a UL tape tip: A full roll of any tape you bring (Leukotape, duct tape, Gorilla tape, etc) is too much. Wrap a few feet around your water bottle or a tube of sunscreen, film canister of FA supplies, etc. My knife sheath is a folded piece of heavy HDPE cut from a roll-up kid's sled. With multiple layers of Gorilla tape and blister tape wrapped around it for storage.

Toe socks did it for me. Still looking for a good all-over balm for longer hikes. Might order the climber's balm stuff from Andrew Skurka.

I don't know if any of you have tried these for burns, but there is NOTHING better at treating burns. I once had to treat a large boiling water burn and I didn't have enough (only had one pad). I treated the middle of the burn which was, of course, the worst. The rest of the burn blistered, and there was a clear rectangle in the middle that was fine. This is a must for backpacking med kits.

The strange thing is that many of us carry nothing at all, which is obviously both lighter and far more comfortable.

How do we manage this? By making sure we have shoes of large enough size, sufficient width, and (roughly at least) a suitable last which matches our feet. Thick wool socks also help for many.

Buying a particular model of shoe just because someone else recommended them – a fool's game.

Cheers

'cause it's the only thing that stuck to my feet. Duct tape peeled right off, so did several special purpose blister pads. Leukotape stuck on, and could be left on for a day or two. It does also stick to the sock, which causes gummy socks. Maybe duct tape on top of Leukotape? I hope never to have to experiment to find out, as so far I haven't had the bad blister issues I once had–toe socks!

If SportSlick contains Triclosan, then avoid it! Triclosan has been found to alter hormone regulation, contributes to the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria, and might be harmful to the immune system. At one time deodorant soaps and hand sanitizers all contained Triclosan, but most manufacturers have since removed that ingredient from their product.

Happy trails!

Daniel: no moleskin or similar in your kit? Once a blister develops, a donut pad around it really helps.

Diane: Bingo re Leukotape — it's good because it sticks in place. Tried duct tape as a preventive in problem areas, it would unstick and ball up, causing more blisters than it prevented. Leukotape molds well to your skin and stays in place, works great for me at preventing blisters on known problem spots.

Mike: +1 on transferring Leukotape to backing/release paper. Trim weight by bringing only what you need. Note: do NOT try it on kitchen wax paper, the Leukotape will stick to it in warm temps. Backing/release paper is silicone treated for non-stick.

Roger: proper footwear fit and socks doesn't solve the problem for all of us. My feet point outward a bit ("duck" feet) and so with every step my feet "twist" a bit laterally, creating a lot of extra friction (and in a direction most shoes are not designed to deal with).

I have an assortment of moleskin pre-cut donuts etc and I will throw a few of them in the kit.
On the Triclosan issue – I'm not sure I will use ANY lubricant but I will have some on hand in a small (1/2 film can sized) pill container just in case. If I think the Sportslick would be a regular use item then I might reconsider in favor of BodyGlide instead. And it also depends on what folks here have to say about the two.

So far I know I will be wearing single layer Smartwool socks, most likely the Mid hikers.

Still tying to find that syringe …….

Thanks for the input so far.

List so far:
Anti-chafe creme (must decide which to use)
Spenco 2nd skin tape
Kinesio Tape
Leuko Tape
Benzoin tincture (Swabs here, liquid on order)
Moleskin patches.
Alcohol wipes
Provodone Iodine vials
Triple Antibiotic packets.
That dang syringe (not found yet)
Toenail clippers (too heavy, looking for options)

I sometimes carry a set of baby nail clippers. They are enough for touching up rough spots, but I would not like to do a full toenail clipping session with them. Definitely smaller and lighter than full size clippers. Most of them seem to come with some sort of plastic monstrosity attached to them to give you better grip. Those things are easily removed.

"Daniel: no moleskin or similar in your kit? Once a blister develops, a donut pad around it really helps."

I used to use moleskin, but now I just focus really hard on prevention. Any small watery blisters get the Benzoin treatment now. Knowing that my treatment options are limited and painful keeps me motivated to take my breaks, clean my feet and change socks on the regular.

i found this gem during research on foot tapes. it is, in my humble op, the fullest and best resource avail on caring for feets.

http://fellrnr.com/wiki/Taping

tape? technique ? comparisons of products ? KT vs Leukeo vs Kinesio … it's all there. (leukeo = less stretch in the long way dept)
poke around in his site, this man's done a hellofajob and a service to society.
i owe this fellow a beer. perhaps several.

i remain confused on the relationship to Tincture of Benzoin vs Compound of Benzoin, and worse yet, it's labeling vs the description in wikepedia. i KNOW what works great, but it is labeled in disagreement with internet wisdom.

" Always curious why Leukotape is the hands-down (or is that 'foot-down') favorite? "

well … because it sticks great. and since it stretches far less in the long direction (compared to other premium tapes), it is handy to immobilize most common heel blister situations.
you can get away with bi-directional stretchy Kinesio for bunion problems.

note :
in researching tapes, i have too often found that the reviews go like so :
" i first tried abc tape, and it fell off in a day. THEN i tried xyz tape, which (after abc had stripped the oils, dead skin, and perfume off my leg) stayed on vastly better. in my opinion, abc is trash, and xyz tape is the bomb. "

so, keep a look out for that sort of issue when reading tape comments.

cheers,
v.

we all on occasion find a need to patch our or somebody else's feets.
a bit of Tincture of Benzion comes much handy to help expensive tapes adhere. how to carry it is a question, and i have found what i think is a sweet solution.
all other methods sucked in comparison to the …
1oz nalgene bottle with about 10 to 12" of taper cut open cell foam rolled real real tight shoved into it, technique. (and that's about 2 weeks of effort and wisdom to figure that out right there)

if you really need to figure that out .. you will. and it's head and shoulders above the rest the best way to carry benzoin and be able to use it in the bush.

ok.. i'm done for now.
ya'll have a nice night.

cheers,
v.

Peter, thanks for posting that excellent site about foot care.

Question: why the rolled up foam?

Daniel,
I use both leukotape and BodyGlide.

A lot of people, including other posters on this thread, precut their leukotape and stick it on silicone release paper.

I find that I don't really want to try and guess the exact size of the patch of tape that I'm going to need so I don't bother cutting it beforehand. Instead, I wrap leukotape around the lightest plastic gift certificate card that I can find in a slight spiraling pattern, going up and down the length of the card to get a relatively flat end result. You can custom tailor the amount of tape you put on to fit your needs.

I then cut pieces off of that with my Leatherman Micra scissors, but a sharp knife would work too, albeit not quite as well.

My leukotape wrapped card weighs a bit less than 0.5 ounces, and I have tons of leukotape on there. You could certainly get by with less.

I haven't yet found the ideal container to store the BodyGlide in though. A little plastic tub would be perfect.

I am with you in that I think it's worth separating your foot care kit from your general first aid. I rarely need first aid items other than the foot care specific ones, so to me it makes sense to make a smaller foot care kit that is more readily available at a moment's notice.

I keep reading that BodyGlide Liquified Powder is pretty much the same stuff as Hydropel. I'm waiting to have someone bring a tube to Costa Rica.

I carry a contact lens case with Benadryl itch cream and hydrocortizone cream. The case works well for creams like that. Ants can be a problem, that's why I carry them.

the very tightly rolled up foam keeps the liquid from spilling when it gets knocked over in the tent.

if you spray benzoin on your foot, goodness but it goes all over, and thence onto a very expensive sleeping bag. yuck.
deodorant roll bottles drool and what fun is it rubbing a hard ball of plastic into an open heel wound. they also tend to not seal very well (poor cap integrity)
swabs leave you to deal with a dead .. swab. (and it's wrapper)
some folks even swab from a bottle, and that looks like a DISASTER about to happen.

thusly : we went on the prowl for a way to dispense sticky liquid sans the danger of messing the tent, and consider that there is a limited amount of this precious fluid on the trip too.
this was the whole bpl dogma .. a long line of possible bottles set on the counter, notes, tests .. all the anal bpl'ish routine.
they all failed in on way or another, except the foamy thing. which just kept working better as it developed over several iterations.

if one rolls enough foam and thrusts it into the nalgene bottle, it dispenses benzoin optimally nice. and yet, when knocked over, gives you a few seconds before it (slowly) begins to drool. the foam (which sticks out the top a little bit) is nice and soft on open wounds ( plus, the alcohol cleans as it goes), and you have good control over covering the area you're aiming at. the nalgne cap is substantial enough to generate a reliable seal.

when making a foam bottle for benzoin, DO NOT try it out first with water, and then add benzoin. water and benzoin will not happily co-exist in there. if you pre-run your device with water, remove the foam and dry it out 100% totally before reinsertion.
i suspect the service life of the rig is about 3 years, as the benzoin does seem to marginally attack the nalgene material over time.
1oz looks to be plenty enough, even for a thru hike.
i am using the Smith-Nephrew benzoin, and it seems optimal. there apparently exist stronger adhesives such as Mastisol and H-Tac, but i'm quite satisfied with the adhesion of the Leuko-P / Benzoin combination. it's right where i want it to be as far as durability when wet, and still be removable.

peter has had quite a few demons with foot blisters and they have cost me not only tens of thousands of dollars in ruined trip costs, but far worse, Several Years of lost opportunities (when trips end early).
in 2010 i stupidly changed insoles and developed an issue where the heel bone actually "came out" the back of my foot. you could see stuff moving in there it was such a nice wound. (it cost me a year, and i'm already 60. so see, i don't have years to lose ). since then i have taken the foot care – tape- benzoin situation MUCH more seriously. thusly, the foam filled bottle !

thank you for your question. i hope all that puts an end to any blisters you have, as it has for mine.

cheers,
v.

I find easiest way to use this is to put it into a 2mL NUNC tube, and apply with a small paint brush.