how can you get rid of blisters... fast?

[Ex Ranger Instructor]

The original poster is on his BMQ at the moment. Such pers do not receive the new kit. The issued liner socks will come to him in time, but for now he is SOL unless he buys his own. They aren‘t expensive anyway.

Masterful_Marksman: I don‘t think that is a good idea at all. While it is certainly a good policy to cover blisters up as soon as they start to form, duct tape is not the best product to use. The band aid blister dressings are good, as is moleskin. These are products that are designed for treating blisters. Unless there is nothing else available, I think you‘re asking for problems and infections by using crap like duct tape.

 

[combat_medic]

Masterful_Marksman: When the filthy-arsed duct tape glue gets into your skin and gives you an infection so bad you wind up in a hospital on antibiotics, remember me. Unless you were out in the back woods with feet shredded to hamburger and had to walk out to save your own life, putting duct tape over skin is just DUMB. Even if you‘re doing professional athletic taping, you still don‘t put it over bare skin. It won‘t stick properly, will sweat off, and will leave chunks of sticky crap to your feet which will get into a blister and infect faster than you can blink.

Stupid stuff like that is what gets kids punted off courses - they think they can fix themselves and end up making things a hundred times worse.

As for the issue poly-pro socks, most troops don‘t get them until after they‘re qualified, and they only cost about $5 a pop. Heck, I HAVE the issue socks and still carry a couple extra pairs for good measure.

 

[AlphaCharlie]

Originally posted by spenco:
[qb] These are on the clothe the soldier website, the army version of the liner socks. Why would you have to buy them on you‘re own? Don‘t you get issued these?

http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/Chief_Land_Staff/Clothe_the_soldier/hab/2/2621_e.asp [/qb]

wow. those look spiffy. Can‘t wait to get those!

edit: also, im going down to MEC in about 5 mins to pick up a few pairs of these spiffy socks.

why am I saying "spiffy" so much? ahaahah

 

[D-n-A]

I got a pair of the USGI(Us Military issue) polypro socks, good kit, just need to pick up a few more pairs(either USGI or civvie made ones)

 

[homerjsimpson]

Stick a sterile pin in em, squeeze ALL the water out.
Air feet out and keep dry, drink beer and get ready for the next days 16 km march.


I mean drink lots of "WATER"....

 

[scm77]

I suppose these socks would help as well.

http://www.lightfighter.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=16

 

[lostgrenadier]

Go to the Canex or local drugstore and look in the foot care aisle for something called moleskin. After you have popped your blister, put this over the area and it will absorb the friction which causes or aggravates blisters.Also, if you don‘t already, wear two pairs of socks. Wear a thin athletic inner sock with the issue wool sock over top. This will also help absorb the friction that causes blisters. Now suck it up and march on!

 

[AlphaCharlie]

Originally posted by lostgrenadier:
[qb] Go to the Canex or local drugstore and look in the foot care aisle for something called moleskin. After you have popped your blister, put this over the area and it will absorb the friction which causes or aggravates blisters.Also, if you don‘t already, wear two pairs of socks. Wear a thin athletic inner sock with the issue wool sock over top. This will also help absorb the friction that causes blisters. Now suck it up and march on! [/qb]

That‘s what do normally (cotton sock and then wool) but I bought some of the special socks reccomended above, plus moleskin and, AND some goldbond foot powder. I WILL be blister-free ****it.

 

[D-n-A]

dont use cotton socks as a liner

 

[Ex Ranger Instructor]

I know a lot of people think it‘s pure heresy to wear cottons socks, but I actually find them better than anything else for use as a liner sock when marching. I wouldn‘t suggest wearing them in the field, but I swear by them if I‘m going to march.

 

[combat_medic]

Cotton socks are nowhere near as good as Poly-pro, as they take forever to dry out, keep a lot of moisture against your skin, and don‘t do much to reduce friction. It‘s better than wearing a single sock, but not a lot better. As for moleskin, it‘s not always good to apply a huge chunk right over a blister. If the blister has popped and is draining, the fluid will either peel off the dressing, or grow in pressure underneath it. Second skin underneath moleskin is far preferred. If you have an unpopped blister, it often better to pad around the area, as it helps distribute the pressure on your foot better. Adding another layer on top of a blister just adds more thickness, and will increase the pressure and discomfort.

 

[Ex Ranger Instructor]

My feet don‘t really sweat that much, and when I get blisters it‘s almost always because of friction alone. I find that the cotton socks prevent friction better than the polypros, as if I wear the polypros my feet just slide around inside my boots like crazy, even though my boots do fit properly. I think everyone has a different sock/boot/voodoo magic trick that works for them, and it‘s just a matter of trial and error to find it.

 

[quebecrunner]

If possible, put the moleskins before. it help me finishing a marathon a few years ago... And blisters free!!!!

If you want advices, you can also go to a running store near your home. They have plenty of types of socks and also know what a blister feel, which is probably not the case of mountain coop counsellors.

p.s. sorry for my poor english.

jfg

 

[Spr.Earl]

I wear a tube sock plus issue sock‘s.
If you do get blisters,drain them,then Friers balsom OUCH!!,then mole skin.

Wearing two pairs of sock‘s stop‘s your feet from sliding in your boots and adds an extra layer between feet and boots and also put loads of foot powder in your socks and boots!!

 

[AlphaCharlie]

Thanks for the advice everyone (I hope it helped others too).

I‘m going on my ftx tomorrow and I hope I come back with some foot left...

 

[Armymedic]

I pre-tape with elastoplast, moleskin, or other thin weaved tape before long marches or anything else that would cause me blisters. I went for 5 days with the same taping with no problems...

AC after this, learn what works for you and you‘ll be GTG for life.

 

[Cooper]

I just pop them with a pin (or failing that some kind of sharp poking device), put powder on them, and put on a new pair of socks it stops hurting and the old skin makes a layer of protection for the new skin.

 

[AlphaCharlie]

Well it seems that no matter what socks I wear and no matter how much foot powder I put on, my feet ALWAYS end up soaked in sweat...

It‘s getting kinda better though... I still get blisters but not as bad... I‘m worried for SQ, doing all the marching...

 

[Jarnhamar]

Spray your feet with anti-persprant before a march, you feet won‘t sweat as much.

Poping blisters with gerbers pins or knives are great until you get an infection in them and have to wear an IV bag with a little computer and battery in a fanny pack

LCF goes way down.

 

[Tebo]

For blister removal I will drain all the liquid with a needle then apply a liberal wash of hyrdogen peroxide which is available in any drug store and costs next to nothing.

My feet sweat a great deal and polypropelene socks become sandpaper for me. I have met at least three other people with the same condition. So do a trial run before you head out for a long haul.

My personal snivel kit from Mountain Equipment Co-Op are these super Thorlo socks.