Mountain climbing Blister Prevention & Therapy [2025]


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The mountain climbing and backpacking ideas under offers you recommendation on easy methods to forestall blisters and easy methods to deal with blisters when it’s too late. I may also offer you recommendation on what issues it’s essential to add to your backpacking first assist equipment.

Once I was younger and went on my first multi day hike I needed to abandon the journey because of very dangerous blisters. Don’t be like me and study from my early errors.


What Is A Blister?

A blister is a pocket of liquid produced by the physique which is caught within the higher layers of your pores and skin. The liquid might be lymph, serum, plasma, blood, or pus. They’re usually attributable to forceful friction, being burnt, freezing, chemical publicity, or infections.

Most blisters are attributable to friction and are crammed with clear liquid. The clear liquid is both serum or plasma; nevertheless, it isn’t unusual for blisters to be crammed with blood if the realm has been pressed or crammed with pus if the location has been contaminated.

When stopping for an extended period, take off the shoes and let the feet air out.When stopping for an extended period, take off the shoes and let the feet air out.
Cease and put tape on the hotspot earlier than it turns into a blister.

How To Stop A Blister

Blisters might be discovered wherever in your physique, however hikers, cyclists and runners usually see them on their ft. Some of these blisters are usually created from a mix of friction, warmth, and moisture. Luckily, you possibly can forestall all this stuff from occurring!

In relation to blister prevention when mountain climbing, it’s essential to take note of your physique.

Is there an space of your physique feeling tight? Are you able to see a crimson patch forming? Is the location tender? Or mostly, Does it really feel like there’s a small grain of sand in your socks rubbing in opposition to your pores and skin?

In the event you discover these minor adjustments occurring to your physique, you might expertise a blister. At this stage, the blister can nonetheless be prevented.

Listed below are 6 recommendations to stop chafing from making a blister:

  1. Put on Acceptable Footwear. It doesn’t matter for those who use among the finest Mountain climbing Boots or the very best Path Working Footwear for Via Mountain climbing you need to guarantee they match correctly. Typically, they need to be both half a measurement or a full measurement bigger than you’d usually put on, ft will swell when strolling all day. Additionally be certain that they’re the right width in your ft the finest broad becoming mountain climbing sneakers aren’t going to work when you have slim ft. Additionally, be sure you break them in earlier than going in your subsequent lengthy hike.
  2. Apply Powder to the realm. These supplies will scale back the quantity of friction in opposition to your pores and skin. Some folks will inform you that Vaseline also referred to as petroleum jelly will forestall blisters. Sure, vaseline can forestall blisters in your ft, however you might destroy your socks as it is going to be a nightmare to get out. It’s your alternative to make use of Vaseline, however I might suggest powder reminiscent of Gold Bond Powder.
  3. Put on a Good Pair Mountain climbing Socks. Carrying good high quality mountain climbing socks will go an extended method to stopping foot blisters. Typically it’s essential to put on a number of socks and even double layer socks, so the friction is in opposition to the 2 supplies and never in opposition to one materials and your pores and skin. You also needs to make sure that your sneakers match appropriately; they shouldn’t be too tight or unfastened.
  4. Put on Gentle Bandages reminiscent of Moleskin. When you have constant areas of your ft that endure from blisters, you might need to put money into Moleskin and Leukotape. You may put the Moleskin on the blister space and canopy it with Leukotape.
  5. Cease Your Exercise. In case you are experiencing ache or discomfort, persevering with your hike may produce a blister. Cease mountain climbing, give your ft a relaxation, and add moleskin and tape if it’s essential to.
  6. Toughen up your ft. Chances are you’ll not need to hear it, however tender metropolis ft that by no means go mountain climbing is not going to be as powerful because the ft of a daily hiker. So go mountain climbing extra usually and your ft will toughen up over time.

What Can I Purchase To Stop A Blister?

In my beneficial prevention record above, now we have added some merchandise which you could purchase that will help you shield your self; nevertheless, in order for you a fast product to whip out whenever you really feel a blister approaching, we recommend these two merchandise.

KT Tape

KT tape is designed to stop blisters, chafing, and sizzling spots from forming. The tape can final for 2 days as soon as it has been utilized, so when you have a weekend mountain climbing journey deliberate, you don’t want to make use of a number of strips.

BodyGlide

BodyGlide is an anti-blister balm that you just apply earlier than placing your sneakers on. They need to be used each day for long-lasting safety, however you possibly can coat your ft earlier than beginning your bodily exercise for those who don’t want safety usually. It’s higher than vaseline.

The balm permits your pores to breathe and your sweat to flee whereas holding a layer of safety between your pores and skin and different supplies. 

Gold Bond

You Can use Gold Bond Powder to dry out your ft and forestall blisters. Put it in your ft simply earlier than you might be about to place in your boots and go mountain climbing.

Leukotape

Leukotape is my private favourite and the one sort of tape I significantly suggest you utilize in your ft. I carry this on all my mountain climbing journey with the hope that I by no means want to make use of it. This tape is tremendous sticky however simple to make use of and straightforward to chop. In case you are a hiker then you definitely already know that is the very best stuff on the market. Severely, Purchase Leukotape, it’s that good.

Moleskin

A sift model of a bandaid that may be positioned over the blister space. Beware that they are going to be destroyed after about 10 seconds of strolling. To forestall this cowl the Moleskin with a layer of Leukotape.

This is what feet look like when they have been treated for blistersThis is what feet look like when they have been treated for blisters

The way to Deal with A Blister

Most blisters will heal on their very own after two or three weeks, so though it could be tempting to choose on the wound, it’s best to go away the bubble alone.

If the situation of the blister is inflicting you ache or discomfort, or in case you are planning on performing some bodily exercise whereas affected by a blister, listed here are some strategies to deal with the realm.

  1. Use an antiseptic cream. My favourite antiseptic cream is Betadine broad spectrum cream. I’ve been utilizing it for years. Another choice is rubbing alcohol to wash the realm, specifically of it has burst.
  2. Cowl the Blister With a Moleskin or a Gentle BandAid. The world needs to be loosely lined to keep away from aggravating the blister.
  3. Cowl the Blister With a Leukotape. A strip of Leukotape will maintain the Moleskin in place.
  4. Wash Your Arms. Wash your arms earlier than you contact the blister to decrease the chance of an infection. Hand sanitiser works okay too.

Here’s a record of issues to keep away from doing so that you don’t worsen or worsen your blister:

  1. Don’t Burst Your Blister
  2. Don’t Peel Your Blister
  3. Don’t Decide At The Edges Round The Blister
  4. Don’t Put on Footwear Or Use Tools That Brought about The Blister In The First Place. This final remark is just related till the realm heals. Then you need to use this stuff once more. 

What Can I Purchase To Deal with A Blister?

Take a rest and air out the feet when you start to get a blisterTake a rest and air out the feet when you start to get a blister

There are some strategies to deal with your blister within the record above, however if you wish to preserve some remedies in your cabinet or your mountain climbing bag, take a look at these decisions.

Moleskine

Moleskin is a tender padded bandaid to place over the blister.

Leukotape

As talked about earlier than, Leukotape is the very best tape on the market for placing excessive of moleskine or on a hotspot earlier than it turns into a blister.

Betadine Cream

That is my go-to antiseptic cream, which isn’t solely an antibacterial cream however anti-fungal and antiviral cream. It really works on all kinds of infections. An contaminated blister can flip into blood poisoning so higher to make use of this as an alternative. It simply works, so be sure you get some Betadine Antibacterial Cream.


What to hold in your first assist equipment to stop and deal with blisters

  • Leukotape – for those who use trekking poles, you possibly can wrap some strips across the trekking poles.
  • Betadine antiseptic – The very best on the market for Hikers and Backpackers.
  • Gold Bond – Add a small quantity to a small container reasonably than take the whole thing.
  • Moleskin – Take them out of the packaging and put them with the remainder of your first assist provides.

Conclusion

Comply with and use the plan listed above to stop and deal with blisters. Over time, you’ll learn to cease and deal with a blister earlier than it types and ruins your subsequent mountain climbing or backpacking journey.



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The writer, Brad McCartney from BikeHikeSafari is a small unbiased adventurer and out of doors gear tester who owns and runs BikeHikeSafari.com.

BikeHikeSafari shouldn’t be half of a giant weblog community and is proudly unbiased. All critiques on this web site are unbiased and sincere gear critiques of outside merchandise by the writer.

The writer, Brad McCartney is a really skilled triple crown thru-hiker, adventurer, and bike tourer having spent 1000s of nights sleeping in a tent and sleeping bag (Learn extra). He was a supervisor of an outside retail retailer and could be very skilled in what’s vital when utilizing and testing gear for critiques like this.

BikeHikeSafari won’t ever obtain any cash for critiques and they don’t settle for sponsored critiques on this web site. All of the feedback in regards to the gear critiques are from the writer based mostly on his years of expertise. Hope this unbiased evaluation was useful for you.

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