Blister Taping Revisited

[W I S N E R !]

The gold standard has always been Leukotape P and tincture of benzoin.  I’ve run entire 50k’s with wet feet and it never budged.

But that’s when it’s fresh.

Problem is, it doesn’t seem to last in my first aid kit very long.  Nor does the main roll at home; I’ll use a tiny fraction before the entire roll goes bad.  Given it can only be found online, this is annoying.

Does the stuff only last a month or two?  I needed some the other day and found my roll was useless.  Granted, it was over a year old…

Am I being a knucklehead by not storing it properly?  Or does it just expire fast?

Or is anyone using anything else, preferably something that can be found more readily over the counter.  I see Kt tape everywhere…how does this hold up?

 

 

 

 

[Matthew / BPL]

KT is marvelous stuff for it’s intended usage but looses its sticky in storage and I have not found it to be good at all for blister issues.

I had no idea Luekotape loses its sticky but I’m not surprised. I’ll have to do a quick test from my kit. My roll must be more than a year old…

[W I S N E R !]

Good to know on the KT as I’ve never used it.

Taking Leukotape off the roll and attaching it in strips to sticker backings is a great way to store it in your kit, but I’ve found it doesn’t last for beans like this.  Go to use it a month or two later and it’s totally dried up.

Unfortunately I’m realizing that this is likely a regular maintenance sort of thing, restocking/checking tape before every trip and buying new rolls every few months…

Would be handy to figure out the life expectancy of this stuff so I know when to restock.

[Art …]

duct tape

cheap, easy to get, stays fresh for quite a while.

just be careful when removing it …

[BlackHatGuy]

I haven’t found my roll of leukotape losing its stickiness with age. I’ve got a roll that must be somewhere between 3-6 years old and I still use it with no problems. No special storage either.

I’ve used it within the last few months for covering my nipples during longer runs, and I can say emphatically it’s still sticky as all get out. :-)

As far as duct tape, I’ve found the Gorilla tape brand to be some damn sticky stuff as well, and also lasts me in the ‘years’ range.

[W I S N E R !]

Thanks guys.  I found a local medical supply that sells leukotape, so that makes things easier.

As for duct tape, I hear you Art.  Sometimes I wonder if this leukotape thing is overrated, though duct tape can be difficult to use between toes due to thickness.  I’ve had success with it on heels and balls of feet though.

@Doug…weird, maybe mine was bad or something.  It’s less than two years old for certain.  When I peel it, as much adhesive is now on the top of each strip as on the bottom and it’s less tacky than masking tape.

[jscott]

Interesting…if anything my roll of leukotape can be a pain because it’s so very sticky and difficult to unroll. I also place strips on a coated sheet for trips because carrying the whole roll is ridiculous, until, after a year or two, it’s whittled down to a manageable size. I wonder if you got a bum or ancient roll, or if the humidity is different where you live? I store mine in a small zip lock bag.

 

Leukotape rules and I don’t go backpacking without it. No way I’m putting it on my nipples, however…

[Diane Pinkers]

Maybe it’s a heat/humidity thing?  Or, maybe more properly, a cycling between heat/cold, with alternate humidity from the ocean, dry from the desert? I’ve got rolls that I purchased years ago that are still very sticky.  I routinely carry strips in my first aid kit that are on release paper, and have never had an issue with use, although now that I think of it, I had better check; I don’t use my first aid kit that often, so who knows, maybe what I’ve got is crap.  thanks for the heads up.

I think duct tape is overrated.  I have never gotten duct tape to stick worth a crap to my feet for blister treatment; leukotape is the only thing that works, and I’ve hiked for 3-4 days with the same pieces of tape on my feet if needed.  It also makes a helluva mess of your socks, that adhesive gets through the tape and into the sock, so that you have to be careful changing socks. I’ve raised a blood blister by trying to peel off a sock too fast that was stuck to my feet.

Probably different body chemistries/skin types and a YMMV thing.

[Jerry Adams]

cut Leukotape into strips and stick them together, the sticky side of one to the back side of another.

that’s the same as when it was on the roll

[Amy Lauterbach]

My Leukotape has not degraded with age. I roll about 2 feet of it around lip balm tubes. I carry that in my pocket all the time. When the lip balm runs out, I start over with a new tube of lip balm with Leukotape rolled around it. It’s hard to unroll the Leukotape, but it’s darn sticky even after this process.

[Matthew / BPL]

I just used a couple pieces that have been in my FAK since February of 2016 and it worked great. I keep it stuck to a piece of silicone sticker release paper and folded in a Ziplock with benzoin.

[Sean Staplin]

The key with duct tape is to get the cheap thin stuff. It forms and sticks better than the quality duct tape. Thin enough to wrap around toes and wide enough for a long strip to go from under the heel to up the Achilles for heels and the back of the foot. Worked really well on my CDT thru.

[Ian]

I’m fortunate that I rarely get blisters and when I do, I usually just pop them and carry on, so I’m not overly proficient in treating them.  However, my daughter got several when we hiked a section of the Wonderland so I would like to be more proficient here.

I’ve tried everything on her feet from military issued 100mph tape to generic duct tape to Gorilla tape, and I’ve never had good luck with the tape staying on for a full day.  I’ve personally used it in a few grueling military courses and thought there was some benefit but wasn’t getting a full 24 hours from the tape.  How are y’all making this work?

[Diane Pinkers]

Ian, when I hiked the Wonderland trail, I couldn’t make duct tape work either. Leukotape was the ticket. I like to put a hydrocolloid bandage on first, then Leukotape on top to protect it. Leave it for several days. Leukotape adhesive is very strong, and will leach through to the sock.

[Ian]

Thanks Dianne.  I keep misplacing my roll of Leukotape but will buy another roll before Em and I hike again.

[Katherine .]

Wish I had seen this thread earlier! Went to cut a piece for my son this weekend and the mailer backing wouldn’t come unstuck – part would come away but another part would stay adhered to the tape. On the fourth try I got a serviceable piece.

I’ve got a whole big roll. Wonder if it’s done. Had it maybe three years.

[Author]

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