Anything that rubs your skin too much repeatedly can cause a blister, which is actually the layers of your skin separating and filling with fluid. Ew.
The real blister bugaboo for Scouts is getting them on the feet while hiking. (You might also get them on the hands from working with tools.)
How to avoid blisters
- Break in your shoes and boots. Do not, under any circumstances, hit the trail in a brand-new pair of boots. It’d be better to wear old, ratty sneakers. You need to get your feet used to theboots and your boots to conform better to your feet. At first, just wear new boots an hour or two every day (around the house or whatever), slowly building up to wearing them around all day.
- Keep your socks dry. Wet clothing clings to skin and makes it move, which results in blisters. Some folks wear thin, moisture wicking sock liners under their thick woolies.
Signs of blisters
- Make sure your socks are pulled taut—no wrinkles.
- A hot spot is a warning. It is what is sounds like. If a spot on your foot (or shoulders from pack straps) is feeling hot and/or rubbed raw, that’s because it is. It is a blister waining to happen. Here’s what to do:
- Cover the hot spot with Moleskin (or, in a in pinch, duct tape). This thin layer of spongy cotton foam with a sticky adhesive on one side acts as a cushion to keep your shoe/sock from rubbing your skin. Cut a piece of Moleskin large enough to fit the hotspot (plus a little bit extra on all sides; maybe 3-5mm) and apply it directly to the skin.
- There’s also a thicker version called Molefoam. I find Moleskin is bet for hotspots, Molefoam for actual blisters
- Pro tip: Round off the corners. Use your knife/multitool’s scissors to trim the corners of the Moleskin patch into nice quarter-circles rather than sharp right angles. If you leave the patch rectangular, those corners tend to catch on your sock and the action of walking starts to roll the corner down and peel off the Moleskin.
How to treat blisters
- DO NOT POP THE BLISTER. This can easily lead to infection. Jut treat it gingerly. If it pops on its own, fine. Treat it like any other wound. The one caveat: If it is extremely painful, you can use a sterilized needle to pierce it near the place where it meets the good skin to drain it. However, try to keep the loose blister skin intact. You need it for keeping out the bacteria and for faster healing.
- Moleskin/Molefoam time again. For blisters, the prep is a bit trickier than for hot spots. Ideally you won’t stick the stuff directly on top of the blister itself. You want to protect it and contain it. Cut the Molekskin/Molefoam about half an in inch larger than the blister on all sides. Then cut a hole out of the center large enough to contain the blister.
- Don’t forget to trim those Moleskin/Molefoam corners!