Blisters

Can you get ahold of a product called moleskin? Ive used it in the past with good results... That and a really good cushion sock...

Thanks I’ll look!

Moleskin works great when you have a blister. Better then a bandaid cause is doesn’t shift or come off. I always bring it with me on a trip.

Or just medical tape. I have a pair of hiking shoes that always rubs 1 toe even wearing socks. One little piece of tape over it and I'm fine. Stats in place better than a bandaid.

I also travel with moleskin too.

There is also a product you can find call Compeed. It's made for blisters. And to help treat them.

I've had some good experiences with Band-Aid Hydroseal Blister bandages that come in various sizes.

https://www.amazon.com/Band-Aid-Adhesive-Bandages-Blisters-Waterproof/dp/B077TKLJ8T/ref=asc_df_B077TKLJ8T/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309750225098&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10000316252323052580&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9016908&hvtargid=pla-569065666270&th=1

Where do people find moleskin? I never seem to find it in local stores.

I like these blister bandages that amazon sells. I carry these and some moleskin. So, far, have only used the blister bandages.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LCRX2M7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have had good luck with Bandaid Blister bandaids. They stick better than moleskin. Come in heel and toe sizes.
Be sure your socks are anti-blister too. Also Body Glide Foot helps prevent blisters. (links below)

https://www.amazon.com/Band-Aid-Adhesive-Bandages-Blisters-Waterproof/dp/B077TKLJ8T/ref=mp_s_a_1_17?crid=BNO0S9LONB1P&keywords=blister+prevention&qid=1653054627&sprefix=blister%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-17

And

https://www.amazon.com/BodyGlide-Foot-Anti-Blister-Balm/dp/B00115UN9Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_19_sspa?crid=BNO0S9LONB1P&keywords=blister+prevention&qid=1653054627&sprefix=blister,aps,136&sr=8-19-spons&psc=1

Moleskin is usually in the foot products area of the pharmacy but I would NEVER put it on a current blister! When you peel it off the skin will come off too! I agree with the Compeed or other blister bandaid product for treatment of a blister.

Once it heals, I do agree with the paper medical tape for prevention. It will stay on thru a few showers and is easy to tear off the roll whereas with moleskin you need scissors. I used to have difficulty with getting blisters on the heel from hiking boots. I would tape up my heels ahead of time with paper tape and never had a problem after I started with that. My brother was a forester as his career and he could never get boots to fit right so used miles of paper tape during his career in the N. Idaho woods.

I have found wearing good fitting shoes, socks that reduce moisture, eg. wool socks. In the past I have tried paper tape & moleskin (as a preventative). I tended to develop blisters between toes. A number of years ago I found Compeed in Europe and applied the pad when I felt a blister starting. Within a couple days it was healed. Now I take Compeed when I travel. They come in different sizes. At home I find the product at Walgreens for about $9.99.

Tending a blister is secondary to preventing a blister. So you want to never let that happen again. Avoiding blisters is easily researched.

Depending on the diameter and depth of tissue damage, you might recover in a few days or it can take two weeks for a scab to form and new skin to grow. During that time, you must avoid further damage or your recovery can be set back repeatedly. Keep it surrounded by a cushion, clean, and use any prophylactic ointment of your choice to avoid infection.

I'm blister prone and always travel with the Compeed product mentioned above. I have pretty much avoided most blisters in recent years by finding shoes that fit just right, and wool socks.

My only remaining blister problem is the outside edge of my big toes, but have that almost solved with this thin, sticks to itself tape.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B06XX95RC3?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Ditto what Pam said. You want Compeed patches, not moleskin. There are products similar to Compeed that may be as good, but I stick with the Compeed brand. They are made for application on an open blister and provide instant relief. One patch will stay on for several days, and allows the skin to heal underneath.

I was introduced to them 20 years ago in Switzerland. I was on a hiking trip,with my Seattle hiking club, and developed a bad heel blister the first day. ( I blame my synthetic “wicking” socks, and have since switched to merino wool for blister-free hiking). I consulted a pharmacist in the small village where we were lodging, and the first thing he asked was “Is it open?” When I answered in the affirmative, he handed my a package of Compeeds. They were expensive, but well worth it. Now I them for Amazon. Look carefully at the package as they come in different sizes, including ones for heels, and one shaped for use on toes.

https://www.amazon.com/compeed/s?k=compeed

I am a Compeed user too and highly recommend those over moleskin if you already have a blister. But I was so excited after just finishing the month of April in Italy just now on 2 RS tours, I didn’t use a single Compeed bandage! Brooks Ghost 13 shoes were my savior.

Another vote for the hiker’s friend, Compeed! Available from supermarkets in UK (bought some from Tesco’s a week or so ago) so probably same in Europe.

Press on with hand warmth over blister and leave on until it drops off/wears out/blister heals!

Wouldn’t leave home without them!

Ian

I've used sports tape for this for years. Every US pharmacy has them. Its the wide white cloth tape that athletes use to tape up their ankles. Moleskin if I already have a blister, but it doesnt stick as well. Whenever I feel a hotspot coming on, Ill put on a wide strip of sports tape. It sticks like crazy. The downside is peeling it off hurts.

I have used the Compeed, but we also use moleskin. The thing with moleskin is, if you already have a blister you do not put moleskin on the blister. You cut a donut in it, so there is a hole around the blister itself. So the raised part of the moleskin acts as a barrier so nothing rubs on the blister itself. My husband is a mountaineer and that is how he was taught from the Mountaineers group here in Seattle.

Ezeefitsports Ultrathin Blister Prevention Ankle Socks from Amazon are great at prevention of blisters. I have one area of my foot that is prone to them, so I wear these when I hike and they are amazing!

Moleskin is usually in the foot products area of the pharmacy but I
would NEVER put it on a current blister!

Voting with Pam and Loa: never put moleskin on a blister! I have sometimes attached to the spot in my shoe which created the blister, as a cushion, or cut a "donut" around it, like mikliz97 does, but if you try to peel it off a blister you'll take the skin along with it. Honestly, plain old bandaids + synthetic socks that don't chafe like cotton usually work for me.

Thanks everyone this has been great!

I have been a member of MountaIneers for over 25 years (that Switzerland hiking trip I mentioned above was a Mountaineers trip). I don’t think they recommend that “cut a hole in moleskin” technique for blisters any more. It is so much easier (and cleaner) to just apply a Compeed (or similar) patch. The BandAid blister product mentioned above is similar.

But the best option is to avoid the blisters in the first place—-good merino do that for me now, although I can still get a small blister between my toes, especially in hot and humid conditions. A Compeed toe patch comes to the rescue when that happens.

I use Body Glide when doing grueling hikes. I discovered it a few years back at REI. If you are wearing socks with your shoes, I would highly recommend rubbing this product in before putting them both on. Works like a charm at preventing blisters.

0.35 ounce size
https://www.rei.com/product/109915/bodyglide-anti-chafe-balm-035-oz
8 ounce size
https://www.rei.com/product/109917/bodyglide-anti-chafe-balm-08-oz

If your shoe seems like it will rub on your heel, I would put moleskin there - before you get a blister or red rash.

To protect individual toes from rubs, pressure and blisters, I use these toe protectors or similar ones for the size I want.

https://www.amazon.com/Fredericks-Original-Tubes-Piece-Variety/dp/B01MQTSUGU/ref=sr_1_34?crid=33PYQRVYJI8JS&keywords=toe+protectors&qid=1653062376&s=hpc&sprefix=toe+pro%2Chpc%2C125&sr=1-34

Also remember that your feet change with age, so blister protection that worked for your trips pre-covid may not work now.

This for treating blisters

https://www.rei.com/product/767415/adventure-medical-kits-glaciergel-blister-and-burn-dressings

Lola--I have no idea as I did not take the climbing classes like he did, but he learned that in about 2001. I am sure with new things on the market that the moleskin is more old school now;)

I wear the Ezeefit's for any really long hike or in humid conditions, plus sock liners and wool socks. I tend to get blisters on a weird area of my foot, and it isn't my boots, and these things work like a charm.

Our son is also a mountaineer and he is prone to blisters on one of his heels. He just puts duct tape on his heel before he goes. Not pretty, but it works.

Ahhh, the duct tape trick. I and most of the Mountaineers I know carry a small roll for that purpose, as well as for emergency equipment repair. I am glad I do, because I needed it to hike out from the bottom of the Grand Canyon in 2006—before I switched to merino Sox. I got bad blisters on both heels on the way down, and had to completely cover both heels in tape to manage the hike back up the next day. That was before I started carrying Compeeds as standard equipment. The duct tape did the job for the hike, but it was very painful to remove, and it took longer than usual for my heels to heal.

This is a big reason I am so loyal to Compeeds—-as the Swiss pharmacist explained, they are designed for use on open blisters, and they allow healing to take place. You don’t pull them off the tender skin—-just leave the patch on for 2-3 days and several shower cycles, and they are easy to remove.

But since I switched to merino Sox after that Grand Canyon hike, I have not had a single heel blister. So I’m a firm believer in merino over synthetic so-called wicking Sox.

Another good blister prevention trick is to use BodyGlide on your feet before donning the socks. I use it for my toes which sometimes rub against one another.

For people with toe-rubbing issues...I now use Injinji toe socks. These are not novelty toe socks but specifically designed for performance...not that I am doing anything but walking at home or Europe!

They do have a wool blend but I've not tried it. Even the Smartwool socks made my feet itch so no wool for me. I have the light weight and midweight as well as the compression ones that I wear on the airplane.

For people who can tolerate merino, you can buy merino fleece to separate toes that rub. It is quick and easy. I had trouble getting my individual toes into those Injinji toe sox.