Blister Prevention Recipe from Robert Sweetgall

Long distance walking guru shares his secrets

He gets a blister every 500 miles or so, but he walks 30 miles or more a day when walking across the USA. America's premier long distance walker, Robert Sweetgall, shares his blister prevention recipe. His chief philosophy is in keeping the feet dry and breathing and lubricated. Sweat softens the skin and makes them prone to blister.

Ingredients

Cornstarch and a plastic bag
Synthetic socks
Breathable shoes
Bag balm for night moisturing and healing
Foot breaks on long walks

The Shake and Bake

Buy cornstarch in the grocery store - plain old cornstarch you would use to thicken gravy, dirt cheap. Cornstarch draws moisture away from the skin and reduces friction - both culprits for producing blisters. Before you put on your socks, take a plastic bag and put a few tablespoons of cornstarch in it. Now stick your dry foot into the bag and wiggle it around to coat it with a dusting of cornstarch. Now put on your sock. Repeat for the other foot. On long walks you may want to repeat this during a walk break.

Synthetic Socks

Kill the cotton. Walkers need socks made of sweat-wicking synthetics such as Cool-Max or acrylic. Cotton keeps the sweat close to the skin where it softens the skin and leaves it prone to blistering. Wool socks have their own moisture-management qualities - if you like wool, continue to use it.
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Breathable Shoes

Now you need to keep the air flowing around your toes so the cornstarch and socks can do their sweat-wicking effectively. Heavy leather shoes or boots are not your friends when it comes to blisters. They don't breathe. Choose a running or walking shoe with breathable mesh instead.

Foot Breaks on Long Walks

When he is walking 30 miles or more a day, Sweetgall takes a break every hour or two. For the first break he has a cold washcloth, placed with some ice in a ziplock bag before starting his walk, to set under his feet to cool them off. If you can dip your feet into a cool stream, so much the better. At the least, take off your shoes and socks and let your feet breathe a few minutes. Drink some water and maybe have a little snack, watch the world go by, explain to friendly passersby that you are walking for fitness. I also like to give myself a foot rub. Do the shake and bake with cornstarch again before putting the socks back on. Don't leave obvious white powder around to alarm the local HAZMAT teams.

Bag Balm

A secret of healing up the feet overnight is Bag Balm, used for decades by farmers for their cows, and farmers' families for all manner of aches and pains. Robert Sweetgall treats his feet with Bag Balm each night and then sleeps with his feet uncovered. The Bag Balm moisturizes and helps heal up any pre-blister hot spots overnight. If you can't find Bag Balm, use any moisturizer. This will keep your calluses from becoming dry and cracking.
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What Sweetgall Left Out

Many walkers soak their feet after a walk in a foot bath of Epsom Salts. This helps dry up any small blisters. I use a 2-gallon Ziplock bag for the foot bath. I put in a quarter cup of Epsom Salts, add a couple of cups of warm water, then put my feet in to soak for 15 minutes.
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