Last year I did my Camino and I had no problem with blisters at all. But this year I walked 1400 kilometres from Czech Republic to Rome and I had regular troubles with them. None of the usual advice helped my and I suffered badly with 5 and more blisters on each foot. That gave me great chance to test new ways how to cope with this trouble and here is what i found out
1) When you go on asphalt for many days and the weather is hot I thing it is almost impossible to avoid blisters in general. You just can make the trouble as minor as possible.
2)Read everything about how to prevent blisters and follow the basic rules. But don´t be so worry about infection. I walked many hundreds of kilometres with bloody bloody blisters and I reached Rome finally anyway.
3) Once you get blisters you won´t most likely get rid of it. You just can do everything to prevent infection and increase of their ammount and size. For first few days you will feel like it is not possible to walk on. But trust me, you will get used to it afterwards.
4) Every single blister has to be covered by plaster. It would get wasted always when you take off your socks (you should do it every hour to make your feet dry). For this reason it is good to have under your regular socks pair of 100% polyester socks which don´t get wet at all and you can have it on for whole day.
5) Always in the evening you have to wash your feet evenhough you have no source of water. The best way is to have the special sport bottle which allows you to squirt the content. 1/2 liter of drinkable water is enough for proper washing of both feet then. If you don´t have any water at all use the special desinfection for hands which is sold in 50 ml bottles. It is better than nothing.
6) Drink as much as possible. Not having enough of water means much slower healing of your blisters.
7) Never puncture your blisters. The reason why it is fulled with liquid is protect your skin. After a few days the skin usualy gets really hard and you have no problem anymore. If you puncture it the problem is just worse.
8 ) Most important one. Use plenty of VITAMIN B complex . Once I started using it (in the middle of my way), my blisters got almost healed in one week. It is almost miraculous!
Honestly, I´ve seen any information about vitamin B in any forum about solving problem with blisters. But it is such a great thing! Never forget that having blisters does not mean the end of your way. It just makes it harder and allows you to experience what medieval pilgrims felt like. And remember - on the way there is never moment when you would not be able to do one more step.
Buen Camino!
If you are any ineterested in my pilgrimage to Rome you can check the photos from it on https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 062&type=3
1) When you go on asphalt for many days and the weather is hot I thing it is almost impossible to avoid blisters in general. You just can make the trouble as minor as possible.
2)Read everything about how to prevent blisters and follow the basic rules. But don´t be so worry about infection. I walked many hundreds of kilometres with bloody bloody blisters and I reached Rome finally anyway.
3) Once you get blisters you won´t most likely get rid of it. You just can do everything to prevent infection and increase of their ammount and size. For first few days you will feel like it is not possible to walk on. But trust me, you will get used to it afterwards.
4) Every single blister has to be covered by plaster. It would get wasted always when you take off your socks (you should do it every hour to make your feet dry). For this reason it is good to have under your regular socks pair of 100% polyester socks which don´t get wet at all and you can have it on for whole day.
5) Always in the evening you have to wash your feet evenhough you have no source of water. The best way is to have the special sport bottle which allows you to squirt the content. 1/2 liter of drinkable water is enough for proper washing of both feet then. If you don´t have any water at all use the special desinfection for hands which is sold in 50 ml bottles. It is better than nothing.
6) Drink as much as possible. Not having enough of water means much slower healing of your blisters.
7) Never puncture your blisters. The reason why it is fulled with liquid is protect your skin. After a few days the skin usualy gets really hard and you have no problem anymore. If you puncture it the problem is just worse.
8 ) Most important one. Use plenty of VITAMIN B complex . Once I started using it (in the middle of my way), my blisters got almost healed in one week. It is almost miraculous!
Honestly, I´ve seen any information about vitamin B in any forum about solving problem with blisters. But it is such a great thing! Never forget that having blisters does not mean the end of your way. It just makes it harder and allows you to experience what medieval pilgrims felt like. And remember - on the way there is never moment when you would not be able to do one more step.
Buen Camino!
If you are any ineterested in my pilgrimage to Rome you can check the photos from it on https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 062&type=3