Taking Care of Your Feet Backpacking

TAKING CARE OF YOUR FEET DURING A HIKE

In this video, you will learn how to take care of your feet during a hike. Blisters aren't fatal but they can easily be avoided.

To take care of your feet during a hike, keep the following three points in mind: keep your feet clean and dry and act quickly if you feel any friction.

First of all ,keep your feet clean. Take breaks to take off your shoes and socks and remove any grit or small stones which could have slid in.

Any dirt increases the chance of friction and therefore the risk of blisters.

If you are hiking for a several days, wash your feet thoroughly every evening.

Second step: keep your feet dry. This is the golden rule for avoiding blisters. Remove your shoes and socks during breaks to let your feet breathe, cool down and dry out.

If your socks are damp. change them for a dry pair. Remember it's better to change them for a dirty, dry pair than to continue walking with a damp pair.

If you are hiking for several days, dry your socks out at night and put on a pair of sandals at lunchtime or in the evening as soon as you reach each stage in your trail.

Thirdly, act quickly if you feel any friction.

Stop and try to figure out what is causing the friction. Sometimes the problem is very easy to fix: you just need to change your socks or adjust your laces.

Check that you don't have any debris in your shoes and that your socks aren't creased.

If you notice any red patches, use a blister bandage to protect the area. Don't forget to take it off as soon as you reach the next stage in the trail so your skin can breathe and heal.

In short, in order to take care of your feet during a hike, remember to keep your feet clean and dry and act quickly if you feel any friction.