Talked to a thru-hiker on the JMT who said most people quit by mile 30 because of blisters, and it made me rethink packing two pairs of socks instead of one.

She showed me the duct tape and moleskin she wraps around her heels before even starting, and now I wonder how many trips I could have saved if I'd just done that from the beginning instead of waiting until I was already bleeding - has anyone else got a pre-hike foot prep routine they swear by?

2 comments

2 Comments

elizabeth_ramirez6d ago

Prepping feet before hiking is overthinking it since breaking in boots naturally builds tougher skin anyway.

julia_jones725d ago

Oh man, you get it! I used to think the same thing about just letting my feet get tough, but that philosophy left me hobbling on day two of a weekend trip with a blister the size of a quarter on each heel... ugh. I started doing the pre-taping thing a couple years ago after a buddy showed me how to use Leukotape instead of duct tape, and it's a total game changer. Now I wrap my hot spots before I even put my boots on - toes, heels, anywhere a seam might rub - and I honestly can't remember the last time I had a blister that actually stopped me. It feels silly sitting there with all that tape on before I've even walked a mile, but it's worth it when everyone else is limping by the end of the day.