[pct-l] Keeping athlete's foot at bay

[Jeffrey Olson]

Interesting thread.  One of the recommendations Colin Fletcher made was 
to remove boots once an hour and let the feet breathe.  I used to get 
athletes foot as a matter of course, but never when hiking.  I think 
this is because I let my feet dry out (from sweat) six or seven times a 
day.  It sure is a lot easier with trail runners than clunky leather 
boots!  Jungle rot is another matter perhaps??

Jeffrey Olson
Martin, SD, where we're getting 6" to 12" in a spring blizzard...

On 4/14/2011 9:47 AM, Scott Williams wrote:
>> I didn't find athlete's foot to be a problem in the deserts, where it was
>> dry or in the High Sierra, where we were always wet, but we were walking
>> through snow a good bit of the time.  The constant dunking in ice water
>> seemed to keep the shoes clean.  But, in the Northern Sierra, it became a
>> problem for me, and many others I hiked with.  We were still wading streams
>> all the time, but the temps were much warmer all around.  By that point I
>> figured I was pretty much immune to it, but when I reached Sierra City, I
>> took off my shoes at the Red Moose, and they looked like red lobsters.  I
>> had jungle rot so bad I thought I'd have to leave trail.  It wasn't athletes
>> feet, as it didn't itch, it just looked like my skin was about to fall off.
>> Totally gross.
>>
> That afternoon I was able to buy anti fungal cream and powder at the little
> store, and creamed up.  It was so bad, that if it hadn't improved by the
> next day, I figured I'd just take a few days off.  It did improve, a lot,
> and I hit trail all dusted up from then on.  Little Engine, Plain Slice,
> Motor, and most everyone else I knew at one time or another came to me for
> cream, before buying it themselves, over this stretch of trail, and further
> north.  This kind of jungle rot came on so quickly for Motor, that she came
> to me at one break and took off her shoes and her feet had gone red, and
> seriously blistered, not from rubbing, she didn't get blisters from shoes,
> there were several more than an inch across, open and ugly.  She had no sign
> of it the day before according to her.  We treated the blisters for
> infection, and then creamed up her feet, and she was over the rash quickly,
> but the sores took a few days longer.
>
> So my advice is carry a bit of both anti fungal powder and cream, and be
> prepared to buy more.  Maybe just get it after the snow, as no one I knew
> had a problem with it until beyond Tahoe.
>
> Shroomer
>
>>
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