QUICK FACTS:
- Most blisters are preventable.
- Early intervention beats heroic suffering every time.
- Preventing blisters is far easier, quicker, and less painful than treating them later.
- Blisters are caused by friction, pressure, heat, and moisture – usually working together like a badly organised committee.
- Poor blister management is a common reason for walks ending early, groups slowing dramatically, or rescues becoming necessary.
Pro Tip from an Experienced First Aider / Trainer –
Introduction:
Eric Langmuir in his book ‘MOUNTAINCRAFT & LEADERSHIP ‘says … ‘the blister can cause discomfort and disability, out of all proportion to its medical significance’. If you have ever suffered a large blister, you will understand that comment to be true!
As a Mountain Leader, I’ve heard many a walker with a blister say “It’s fine, I’ll walk it off.” – Let me tell you, No one has ever successfully walked off a blister. Hence there is a need for a clear understanding of the subject matter and especially the treatment of them.
They don’t arrive with drama. There’s no sudden gunshot, no cinematic music. They quietly appear, usually somewhere inconvenient, and then spend the rest of the day reminding you of their presence with indescribable pain from every single step.
The reality is that nearly all blisters are preventable, but the ability to prevent them starts weeks before your walk, not ten minutes before, as you are pulling on your boots. Most textbooks will assert that it is all due to ill-fitting boots, but trust me, that is only a third of the story.
This article starts at the beginning of the subject, with a look into how blisters form, general good advice and first aid kit essentials for their treatment. The following advice is based on outdoor practice, rather than textbook perfection, as textbooks offer confusing advice, as we will discover through the next few articles about blisters.
Part 2 Blisters – Prevention is better than cure. To read more – Click here
Part 3 Blisters – 3 different types of injury. To read more – Click here
Part 4 Blisters – 3 different types of treatment.
