[pct-l] Feet Swelling

[Matthew Edwards]

Hi Joan,
 I am sure you know feet and footware is an extremely individ thing. I used the same size shoes I always have worn and they worked great for me on the PCT. Something to think about is sock choices. I found a single thick sock to be much hotter and therefore sweatier than two thinners socks per foot. There is something about the PCT right out of the Campo that destroys peoples feet. Even folks that had walked the AT in boots without incident had problems from day 1 on the PCT. I think a lot of those problems were due to overheated feet. The skin gets hot and the sweat combines with the sand and grit leading blister city. A lot of folks found relief by using thinner socks doubled up. I used an Injinji toe sock inner with a Kmart special mens dress sock outer. I removed my socks at every break in the "desert" and walked around barefoot before bedtime. There is no better feeling than burying your hot tired dogs in some cool SoCal sand! Having said all this I must also tell you there were other hikers whose feet swelled up 1 or 2 shoe sizes! The best advice I can give is to test out your footware and sock choices before you start with some training hikes.
One more tip that I know worked wonders for me was soaking my feet in Apple Cider Vinegar and water twice a week months before my hike. The vinegar kills and exfoliates atheletes foot fungus, particularly between the toes.
Your Mileage May Vary! 
-Iceaxe 

Sent on th Go with my Peek