[pct-l] Feet Swelling

[ned at mountaineducation.org]

I have never understood this phenomenon.

My feet never swelled on either the PCT or CDT. Iceaxe mentions that it 
might be due to the heat of SoCal at the start out of Campo. I started 
mid-March when it wasn't hot and still raining, so I guess I missed the 
influence. Even when I hiked through Lancaster and Mojave mid-April, it 
wasn't so hot that my feet grew or even got a blister (especially up Jawbone 
Canyon; what a hot day!).

Was it because I only chose a boot that was 1/2 to 1 whole size bigger than 
my foot (for sock room), I hiked in leather boots that didn't stretch but 
breathed well, or never had a problem with sweat, sand, and grit that would 
lead to blisters?

Why do hikers feet get so big? It's not because they carry a lot of weight. 
Why are aspiring hikers told to buy shoes that are so much larger than their 
feet? Yes, feet swell, but do we need to let them swell out to the limits of 
the shoe? Does an over-large shoe contribute to blisters and the other foot 
maladies that trouble thru hikers?


Ned Tibbits, Director
Mountain Education
South Lake Tahoe, Ca.
    P: 888-996-8333
    F: 530-541-1456
    C: 530-721-1551
    http://www.mountaineducation.org

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Matthew Edwards" <hetchhetchyman at aol.com>
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 2:56 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Feet Swelling


> 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 th
> ere 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
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