Vaseline and Omnifix easily found?

[Julia en las flores]

To keep my pack weight down I am taking a very small jar of Vaseline for my feet. It will only last me a few days. Is Vaseline easy to find from Porto to Santiago or should I bring a larger jar?
Is Omnifix tape easily found as well? Pre-taping and covering with Vaseline has become my chosen method for blister prevention so I need to make sure I am able to get both easily.
Thanks!
Julia

 

[Anniesantiago]

You can find petroleum jelly everywhere.
I have no idea what Omnifix tape is.

 

[Brian E]

I use your method as well and seems to work great so far and a big fan of Omnifix. What i did was cut strips of about 3 inches and bringing about 40 of them instead of the whole roll. Small jar of Vaseline to start also as that will be easy to find I imagine.

 

[trecile]

I discovered Omnifix in in a farmacia on the Camino, and it was easy to find when I ran out, though I do remember one farmacia in León that didn't have it. I love that stuff!

 

[VNwalking]

Is Omnifix tape easily found as well?

Omnifix is a true Godsend.
In bigger cities, it's easy to find but not always in smaller towns.
Keep a small sample that you can show them - that helps rather than just having the name or trying to explain.

 

[trecile]

Keep a small sample that you can show them - that helps rather than just having the name or trying to explain.

Or take a picture of the box with your phone to show them.

 

[MikeyC]

Vaseline is available in Portugal. There may be local brands and as long as the description includes "gelatina de petróleo" or "petrolatum" it should be fine.

 

[JohnMcM]

To keep my pack weight down I am taking a very small jar of Vaseline for my feet. It will only last me a few days. Is Vaseline easy to find from Porto to Santiago or should I bring a larger jar?
Is Omnifix tape easily found as well? Pre-taping and covering with Vaseline has become my chosen method for blister prevention so I need to make sure I am able to get both easily.
Thanks!
Julia

Hi Julia,
Looks like you've got the answers you were after, so I won't add more. However, I'd like to know how you use this combination of tape and Vaseline please. I can't figure out how it works. Thanks.

 

[t2andreo]

Trademarked Vaseline in Portugal is called Vasenol. However the plastic jar / bottle is identical. I bought some in 2017, while walking from Lisbon.

Absent the real deal, generic petrolatum jelly is available in most all supermarkets. If not in the meager health items section (everything comes from the pharmacy), check the baby items section.

Hope this helps.

 

[tpmchugh]

To keep my pack weight down I am taking a very small jar of Vaseline for my feet. It will only last me a few days. Is Vaseline easy to find from Porto to Santiago or should I bring a larger jar?
Is Omnifix tape easily found as well? Pre-taping and covering with Vaseline has become my chosen method for blister prevention so I need to make sure I am able to get both easily.
Thanks!
Julia

You can find Vick in almost every farmacia. It is in my opinion better than plain old vaseline but it does the same job. Never used tape and dont know the purpose of it but lubricating my feet each morning has been the perfect solution for blister prevention. Five trips to the camino and never had any problems with them

 

[LynneR]

To keep my pack weight down I am taking a very small jar of Vaseline for my feet. It will only last me a few days. Is Vaseline easy to find from Porto to Santiago or should I bring a larger jar?
Is Omnifix tape easily found as well? Pre-taping and covering with Vaseline has become my chosen method for blister prevention so I need to make sure I am able to get both easily.
Thanks!
Julia

Can you explain in a bit more detail how you use both of those items for blister prevention? I had bad blisters on my last walk and I'm heading out again in a month. I'm worried about the blisters because they were painful!!!! First, I bought sock liners. I also figured out that my socks (good socks, smartwool) would stretch out and and the extra fabric would rub on my foot. So I bought a smaller size and they fit perfectly and don't stretch.
But I'm worried those blisters are inevitable. I'm looking for any prevention possible!
Thanks!

 

[trecile]

I put the Omnifix tape on areas where I'm blister prone, or wherever I felt a hotspot. The tape eliminates rubbing directly on your skin. It's basically like a second skin.

 

[LynneR]

I put the Omnifix tape on areas where I'm blister prone, or wherever I felt a hotspot. The tape eliminates rubbing directly on your skin. It's basically like a second skin.

What about the vaseline?
Thanks.

 

[trecile]

What about the vaseline?
Thanks.

I don't use Vaseline, but I use Body Glide on the non taped areas.

 

[Julia en las flores]

Thanks for all the replies! I'm in Fatima now and will start walking in a few days from Porto.
Taping hotspots is something I learned from this forum. I just put one swipe across the metatarsal area and then put Vaseline all over my foot. The Vaseline doesn't mess up the tape. I tried Leukotape first and it helped as nicely as Omnifix, but left a terribly sticky residue. It's worth a try to see if it works for you! I had to order Omnifix from Amazon because I couldn't find it in stores.
Julia

 

[C clearly]

@trecile and @VNwalking - I am in Spain now and have purchased the famous Omnifix tape because of your ongoing recommendations. It is good stuff. For those who wonder - it is wide, about 4 inches, and comes in a long roll. It is a very soft, loose weave fabric (almost like gauze with a stcky side) with peel-off backing, that wraps very lightly around whatever surface.

 

[trecile]

Thanks for all the replies! I'm in Fatima now and will start walking in a few days from Porto.
Taping hotspots is something I learned from this forum. I just put one swipe across the metatarsal area and then put Vaseline all over my foot. The Vaseline doesn't mess up the tape. I tried Leukotape first and it helped as nicely as Omnifix, but left a terribly sticky residue. It's worth a try to see if it works for you! I had to order Omnifix from Amazon because I couldn't find it in stores.
Julia

I had the same issue with Leukotape leaving a sticky mess, that's one of the reasons I prefer the Omnifix. Also, I like how thin and soft it is.

 

[PapaSmurf76]

Ominfix or other brands (Hypafix, Fixomull) are widely available across Europe.
Take a piece in to a pharmacy and show them, they may not know your brand but its a very common product for anyone with allergies to other tapes.

 

[Diabo]

To keep my pack weight down I am taking a very small jar of Vaseline for my feet. It will only last me a few days. Is Vaseline easy to find from Porto to Santiago or should I bring a larger jar?
Is Omnifix tape easily found as well? Pre-taping and covering with Vaseline has become my chosen method for blister prevention so I need to make sure I am able to get both easily.
Thanks!
Julia

Hi, yes you can find Omnifix but not necessarily under that name. I suggest you keep a small strip to show the pharmacist, I found it easier than trying to explain what it is. Been Camino