Blisters - the horror!

[Onestepmore]

Hubby's waterlogged , blistered feet after a weekend where he got cut off by floodwaters near Bonnum Pic, NSW

Mushy

Ouch

This toenail fell off

Last edited by Onestepmore on Wed 15 May, 2013 11:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[andrewa]

Erk. Actually erk plus!

Separate beds for a week or more, and lots of Friars balsam.

Have you ever come across NRS hydroskin socks? They get used for adventure racing in Alaska. They are light weight neoprene, so not breathable, but sock underneath deals with the sweat. These just stop the ingress. I use them for sea kayaking and backcountry fly fishing, packrafting, along with the leggings and tops. In NZ last year on a particularly rainy s$@t day, we wore our hydroskins to keep warm. Sweated, but warmer than we would ever have been in thermals.

My feet have been wet, but ever as bad as those. Did he wear plastic bags over them at night to get that degree of maceration?

A

[Strider]

Holy *&%$#! I am glad I don't get blisters!

[madmacca]

Perhaps he should read Skurka on weet feet http://andrewskurka.com/2012/minimizing-the-effects-and-aftermath-of-wet-feet/

[taswegian]

That's horrendous.
Hope he's a good (quick) healer.
I found good old fashioned lanolin (wool fat) excellent deterrent for blisters.
Slather on feet before socks and I enjoy troublefree walking.

Our vet had some gooey stuff for cows teats that was pretty good but not sure what else was in it.

That post should have had a warning for viewers with squeamish insides

[Tortoise]

Hey OSM - brings back memories...

Just wondering... is that a dollop of chook poo next to H's little toe?

[Hallu]

Looks like he needs to walk more too, there are no calluses on his feet that may provide protection.

[FatCanyoner]

As a canyoner who by default spends the day with wet feet, I'm probably more deliberate with drying them out (hence I've never had feet that looked like that, even after long wet walks / canyoning trips.
My technique is simple. Pretty much as soon as I set up camp my shoes come off. My feet dry around the camp fire, and stay dry at night (sleeping barefoot, or when cold, putting a spare set of dry woollen socks on). In the morning the dry socks are packed away for the next night and the wet shoes / socks go back on (it's the worst part of the day!)
As I said, I'll go 12 hours or more with wet feet at times and I've never had them look like that, so perhaps his feet respond in a worse way to the wet (but they do look to me like they didn't get a chance to dry out at all during the whole trip).
On a side note, (and again I say this as someone who has lost almost every toenail at some point), I'd suggest he should have trimmed those nails before the walk. They usually go black from impacting the front / top of the shoe repeatedly. It probably happens quicker when wet, but the shorter the nails (and less your feet slide forward in your shoes) the less that should happen.

[tom_brennan]

Looks a bit like a friend's after about day 8 in a row of overnight canyoning. That said, he'd been neglecting to empty sand out of his shoes regularly.

Like FC I spend many days in a row with wet feet, but rarely get blisters. I agree with his point - dry your feet out thoroughly at night - and would add that if you have the time to do it at lunch or other long break you do the same, and to make sure you empty your shoes and socks of dirt and sand to minimise any abrasive material against your feet.

[puredingo]

Yep, been there. Mine were in a similer condition after i stupidly attempted Baloon pass this year in the height of summer during a monsoon...And as if the feet wern't bad enough the old jatz crackers also took an absolute beating!

As for the canyoning stuff my wet feet are always going good if I'm creek bashing or even scrub bashing to a certain extent, it's the fire trails and hard ground that bring me undone.

[wobbly]

Some threads should come with a REVOLTING PICS warning

[MartyGwynne]

Yuk and double yuk.
I've never had feet that bad from a wet walk but have seen some which were worse after 2 weeks in the wet (south west cape and then south coast track) in that case he lost more skin!.
I agree with the fat canyoner as to how to avoid it and would also like to know if the boots/shoes worn were of a good quality. Does he need to visit a podiatrist to correct dodgy feet. Did he wear good fitting gaiters to keep most of the mud and sand etc out off the boots?
I am not familiar with where he was though but it looked like it was a bit rough.

[22F]

Oh, how I know that feeling!
Please pass on condolences to your darling hubby dear.

Looks like the beginnings of trench foot as well. I've seen that in the jungle, when we never took our boots off.

[Onestepmore]

My error - this was a walk he did near Belloon Pass, not Bonnam Pic
He's finally been persuaded to complete a track report

And tortoise, yes I do believe that may be an offering from Polly or Lucy

Last edited by Onestepmore on Sat 18 May, 2013 10:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Tortoise]

And tortoise, yes I do beleive that mey be an offering from Polly or Lucy

Looked familiar

I had to chuckle that vets don't seem to have quite the same approach to a clean working area for wounds as... um... some other people.

[Onestepmore]

haha, we weren't doing surgery on the back steps
ambient light was better for photographic purposes

and hubby could do with a toe wax......

[TerraMer]

I have been reliably(?) informed by a podiatrist that hairy toes are a sign of a robust immune system :/

[Tortoise]

haha, we weren't doing surgery on the back steps
ambient light was better for photographic purposes

I know, but it still gave me a good chuckle

[puredingo]

I have been reliably(?) informed by a podiatrist that hairy toes are a sign of a robust immune system :/

Yep, cavemen were robust, alright.