Blister Prevention

Every year on our Mount Si hike, some of us end up with bloodied blisters at the end of the day. These are easily preventable.

From Wayne Begasse, WAC instructor:

There is an easy solution to take care of your feet before it happens again. This stuff is strong and can stay on for days.

It’s called Leukotape.

• How to use it for blister prevention

• Where to buy it

Some tips I’ve learned over time:

• Put it on the night before a hike or climb. This gives the adhesive time to properly adhere to the skin.

• Trim the tape so the corners are rounded.

• Why carry the whole roll? I place stripes of Leukotape on the backing of FedEx packing slips and then pre-cut it to usable lengths.

Other options:

• Teflon patches that get placed on the shoe itself to prevent the friction that causes blisters

  • Compeed blister cushions - can be used for blister prevention or on top of an existing blister