How to Prevent & Treat Hiking Blisters

As a hiker, you know very well that any discomfort to your feet implies a pause or even the stop of your hike, depending on where you find yourself.

Naturally, by discomfort, we refer mainly to hiking blisters. This is because, although we know how to choose hiking shoes, sometimes the unexpected happens, and we end up having to deal with foot pain, blisters, and so on.

Luckily, in the following lines, we’ll show you what to do to prevent annoying blisters, as well as the best ways to treat them so that you don’t have to cancel your hike!

Preventing Hiking Blisters

First, let’s take a look at the prevention part – because it is just as important as the treatment. If you packed up terrible shoes for your feet, for example, treatment won’t do much good if you’ll still walk in the shoes that caused blisters!

• The Right Fit – when it comes to hiking, you have to spend a lot of time to find the pair of shoes that fits you perfectly. There are no excuses here – you know very well that you’ll walk a lot, so make sure to get a pair that will cause you no discomfort.
• Proper Socks – socks may contribute to the apparition of blisters if they don’t keep sweat under control. Wool socks usually allow your feet to breathe properly, keep warm, but also dry – making for an ideal, blister-free, and comfortable hike.
• Feet Attention – don’t expect that only your shoes and socks will keep blisters away from your feet. You must care for your feet as well. Namely, make sure to keep your shoes free of debris and rocks, soak your feet in warm water or let them breathe while you’re not hiking, and so on.

Treating Hiking Blisters

Now, let’s move on to the essential part – specifically, how to treat a blister and prevent it from ruining your hike!

• Blister Bandages – even if you know you’re not prone to blisters, it is wise to pack some blister-specific bandages, preferably some that feature gels and pads. These keep pressure off the blisters as well as a cool feet area.
• Doughnut Hole Molefoam – blisters don’t hurt when they’re not rubbing against your socks or shoes. As such, pack some molefoam that, if you get a blister, you’ll shape as a doughnut with a hole in the middle. The hole will keep pressure off the blister.
• Pain Relief – speaking of blisters and pain, you know that they’ll hurt really bad if they pop or rub too hard against the shoe. In this case, you may also want to rely on some CBD oil for pain, as CBD itself is well-known in the industry to help with almost any kind of pain.
• Blister Drain – last but not least, there may be cases when you are forced to drain the blister. Usually, you should not do this unless it gets really painful. To properly drain a blister, you’ll need antibiotic soap, means of sterilization such as heat and alcohol, then a needle to puncture the blister.

The Bottom Line

As all hikers know, blisters are the worst when we find out about them, because that’s when they become really annoying. This is why you must have the right tools with you, so to say.

You shouldn’t leave for a hike without an extra pair of breathable socks, bandages, essential oils that help with pain, molefoam – as well as the usual first-aid kit, just in case you decide to drain the annoying blister!