Foot salve?

[W I S N E R !]

Curios about a few products, mainly in the interest of preventing maceration and maintaining foot health during long, wet walking when dry socks/feet aren’t an option.

I know Hydropel used to be the standard for many, but it’s not made anymore.  Andrew Skurka currently seems enamored with Bonnie’s Healing Salve and sells it on his site.

I’ve seen others, including Skurka, also mention Aquaphor.  I like this option as it’s not a special order and can be found at any drug store.

Any thoughts?

 

[Link .]

. VIABLE SUBSTITUTE FOR HYDROPEL? .

[Steven Paris]

Craig,

You can zoom in on the Bonnie’s ingredients in a photo on Skurka’s site. I found similar products in most specialty/alternative grocery stores (our excellent and local “New Seasons” here in Portland, but anything similar to Whole Foods in your area). The primary ingredients usually are some combination of oil and beeswax.

[d k]

Aquaphor is sort of a lanolinated Vaseline – it’s the absolute best for my lips, which get chapped a lot (I’m a woodwind player).  But seems like something with a bit of waxiness to it would be better for preventing macerated feet.

[Jonathon Self]

I really like Honest Amish Beard Balm. Weird suggestion, I know, but I use it all the time, especially in the winter.

[Roger Caffin]

Eh, well, you can probably guess my reply.

We very often have wet feet – it happens when you walk through rivers. But we never use anything on our feet. Loose shoes and thick wool socks seem to handle everything.

The whole ‘wet feet’ thing is a bit strange. Underneath a ‘dry’ layer of dead skin cells on the surface of your skin, everything is wet. You only have to scrape or cut your skin to see that. So all you are doing is keeping the very thin layer of dead skin cells dry – and of course they are not really dry anyhow. The wet layer underneath sees to that.

Some people worry about ‘trench foot’ and fungus and tinea and so on. In my experience, the cure for all of that is to wash your feet every day – thoroughly. We get the tent up, the packs inside and then its off to the creek (if there is one) for a wash. The upper part of the body might get a rather perfunctory wash if its cold – you try washing in melt water! But our feet go IN the water for a good wash. Kinda numb on the outside for a moment sometimes, but they feel pretty refreshed 5 minutes later.

It works for both of us, and that includes trips of 1 -2 months.

Cheers

[Rex Sanders]

On 2-3 week long river trips, Vaseline on the feet at night works, inside cotton socks to keep the goop away from sleeping bags. Without that, painful skin problems.

I think the water’s different in other countries :-)

— Rex

[Justin Baker]

I use this stuff: https://www.etsy.com/listing/250998547/all-natural-unflavored-beeswax?ref=shop_home_active_13

Not sure if its better or worse than anything else, but it’s convenient being in a tiny lip balm tube. I find that anything greasy works. I have even rubbed clarified butter on my feet and baked them by a fire (in grizzly country!!)

[Roger Caffin]

Yeah, keeping my feet OFF the quilt is a priority too.
Cheers

[Andrew Srna]

If you want a hydropel type product, trail toes makes a good product,  but for wet feet,  bonnies healing salve works better, i have used both but prefer to just wear injinji socks when wearing trailrunners and have found the foot creams not necessary.

[W I S N E R !]

Thanks everyone.

I haven’t found foot creams necessary yet either.  I don’t shy away from wet feet and haven’t had any issues…yet.  When I did the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim in a day in 2012 I had wet feet the entire ~45 miles with no issues.  Injinji toe socks and light, fast draining/drying shoes, and leukotape/benzoin for hot spots has always worked well so far.

My concern arises as I look to doing some multiday 20-40 mile per day trips in the near future that will likely involve constantly wet feet and I’m concerned about maceration.  I do not want to learn a maceration lesson the hard way mid-trip, so looking at preventative measures, namely salves applied at night in combination with drying feet and wearing clean sleep socks.

I’m starting to suspect that there’s a little magic ju-ju going on when I hear testimonials swearing by a particular salve, that many of these products essentially have the same result if used the same.

I figure going with Bonnie’s can’t hurt for $15, especially considering Skurka’s endorsement, but I’ve got a jar of Aquaphor sitting right here at home….

[Roger Caffin]

Wet feet all day?

No where else to walk but IN the river. The stick (‘Snake’) was for getting out of the quicksand. There was a lot of that.

Cheers

[James Marco]

Yeah, I agree with Roger. I tramped through a stream all day (the trail had turned into a stream in most places,) and spent 11 days with wet feet due to the rains. I needed to wash out my shoes where mud had infiltrated into them. I wrung out my socks three sometimes four times a day and slipped them back on. Thick wool socks really worked well. No problems with my feet. But everyone’s feet are different.

Normally, your feet are at least damp due to sweat. Even in winter, my feet get damp due to sweating. Just make sure you rinse them off at the end of a day and sleeping (usually dry) will take care of problems before they start.

[Mike M]

I still have a small stash of Hydropel, never was sure why they quit making it- certain chemical???

I’ve had pretty good luck with the Bodyglide that comes in a tube (I use their stick for chafing elsewhere)

[Bob K]

Hydropel worked as a moisture barrier due to its 30% dimethicone content.  100 % dimethicone gel is sold as LiceMD. A 4 oz bottle is $10 at Wallyworld.

[Mike M]

^ interesting :)

[Roger Caffin]

Hydropel worked as a moisture barrier due
It’s a silicone oil, which means it is just as likely to keep your sweat IN and make your skin a bit soggy.

Cheers

[Link .]

. BONNIES BALM , here is what others have thought of it, I do own some but have never used it for a Hydropel substitute.

[Owen M]

I’ve found that a tiny spray bottle with lavender and tea tree essential oils (mixed with a little water) is excellent for cleaning feet at night after a long day of wet hiking.  You get a full foot wash and de-fungalization without having to leave your tent or find a water source.  I sometimes notice my feet looking gross and beginning to get macerated when I pull into camp, but they look much better in the morning after a spritz and some time to dry out.  It really works magic, and it feels so good before cozying into possum down sleep socks and a fluffy down quilt :-)

[Owen M]

Oh, and you can use it on other body parts where “funk” might start to develop as well.  Really works great.

[Bill S]

Hey hikers,

My trail name is B3.

Why is that?

Well I’m WHS lll and they caught me putting bee’s wax on my feet…well not exatly bee’s wax…actually it’s Sno Seal boot grease ‘all season leather protection’.

OK first off I’m a nurse, a RN and I’ve looked at a lot of feet. Sno Seal is a bees wax waterproofing. It lubes and slicks up your feet, it also fights fungus and bacteria(bees keep a clean hive).

Thousands of miles and no blisters.

Kills sock stink too.

Just try it.

 

[John S.]

Does it cure cancer?

[Window walker]

+1 Owen for natural remedies =) Essential oils are amazing.

I don’t usually have foot issues but the first thing that came to mind is shea butter.  Might get a bit messy/greasy though.

[Bill S]

Think it thru bro.

Or suffer.

 

b

 

 

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