Blisters: A Disabling Problem

We are not always prepared for blisters, especially before going for a walk or during a prolonged excursion. But when they appear, they can almost be disabling. Blisters can ruin an outing in just a few minutes. The best thing to do with blisters is... not to have any! But that's often easier said than done. However, there are simple ways to reduce the likelihood of getting blisters.

Blister Formation

Blisters are caused by a number of adverse circumstances working against you. Temperature, wet socks and/or shoes, a tactical shoe that is too loose or too tight and not properly worn are perfect examples.

When the temperature is high, the foot tends to swell and blood flows to this area. The more you walk, the hotter your foot gets. Sometimes, even without wearing inadequate shoes, you can get a good blister. A blister is the first stage of a blister. As soon as a blister appears, you should stop and treat it immediately. You can do this with many items you should always have with you, such as cotton, adhesive tape, dry socks, a bandage, and antiseptic lotions.

Treating a Blister

First, you need to wipe the skin, if possible, and apply an antiseptic lotion. Then cover with a bandage or plaster and apply a compress or adhesive tape. In some cases, you can even put cotton directly on the blister or freshly formed blister, as long as it doesn't look infected or isn't bleeding yet. If you apply a bandage or plaster, try to put the tape around the edges of the ankle or foot. This is to reduce the risk of it coming off a few hours or minutes after applying it. At this point, you need to change the bandage, put on a new pair of dry socks, and remove the old socks. Then attach the old socks to your bag while walking (if it's not raining). This is a good habit to get into because when the new socks are also wet, they can be changed again and again until the end of the walk. If you don't have first aid with you, you should consider stopping the walk and thus extending the excursion time. Or even camping at the rest spot for a while. If this is not an option, use the dry sock method mentioned above and tighten the laces to keep the rangers as close to the foot as possible.

Choosing and Wearing Your Shoes

An rangers shoe that doesn't fit can also cause a blister. Even if it seems obvious, you can never be sure that the shoe doesn't fit your foot until you've tried it on! So before starting any type of walk, make sure you've already worn your shoes. Going out with new and never-worn shoes is a very bad idea. You should wear your new shoes for at least 24 to 48 hours in total (or more) and take a few walks around your home. Indeed, this can help identify areas that may affect your own foot and allows you to plan ahead for compresses, plasters, tape, or bandages by wearing them right away or at least knowing that at any moment they can be useful during the excursion. Once the right shoe is found, make sure your shoes are tight and comfortable. But not too tight because your toes need to be able to move.

You should also make sure there are no small bits that are annoying in the shoe. The appearance of a blister can be due to a seed from a plant or a small pebble that has entered. Always make sure your shoes are well done before an excursion. Another solution is anti-blister socks. They are very useful for keeping feet dry as they wick moisture away from the skin and expel it to the surface.

We hope these tips will be useful to you. Never forget that your feet are an important tool and your performance depends on them. Never neglect them!