How to prevent blistered feet!

[HappyGill]

My daughter is doing the five-day trek across Dartmoor for her Duke of Edinburgh Gold at the end of October. For a one night practice she came home with holes her heels, the blisters were so bad. However, she had been to Peru in the summer for three weeks' climbing with no problems at all. Cotswolds has recommended some oil but I'm not very confident. Any ideas?

[throckenholt]

She needs to break in her walking boots. Maybe start wearing them two hours per day and then build up to longer.

I also heard a quick way is to get them soaking wet and then wear them until they are dry - but that maybe only worked for old fashioned leather ones.

[HappyGill]

Thanks - but these are the boots she wore in Peru with no problem and has used them on other DofE treks. Someone said thinner socks might help? She used to do a lot of rowing and put white spirit on her hands for the same reason. Maybe we'll give that a go too!

[throckenholt]

maybe they have work out ! Or maybe her feet have grown and they don't fit well now. I hope you sort something out.

[zanuda]

Pack "Compeed" plasters of all suitable shape. It's a little bit expansive but works wonders. Could be used on the place where blister about to appear (red and painful area) or on already developed blister. You don't have to remove it soon, so it will stay for several days (depends on how much it exposed to water). There is a small trick, the plaster a little bit stretchabe (at list fresh ones), so when you put it on stretch to the shape of the area.

And don't buy any other company. I tried them all (have thin sensitive skin and wanted to find something cheaper), they all have rough edge ("compeed" one - getting thinner on the edge and you practically don't fill where it starts) as a result the shoe "rub off" the plaster withing the several hours ("boots" one doesn't survive a half an hour)

[KateDavis]

When I was at school and did hiking I was advised to put Vaseline on my feet and then the sock. It creates a layer between the sock and foot to reduce the rubbing on the foot.

Another less icky method that my husband has taught me is to wear a thin pair of liner socks and then a normal pair of walking shocks over the top. Again this reduces the rubbing on the foot by allowing the socks to rub against each other.