[pct-l] SOCKS

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

The dust you get through your shoes is too fine to cause any  
problems. Seriously, it's like talcum powder.

I really think the blisters on the PCT is a combo of the heat of the  
trail, the uniform nature of the hiking surface (any "flaws" in the  
trail tend to go on for 10 miles at a time) and the newness of doing  
that many miles day after day.

I have only gotten blisters on the So Cal section of the PCT and only  
the first time I hiked it as a long distance hiker. Never again on  
any section hike, including sections in So Cal. Never again on my  
second long distance hike. Even though my feet continue to get just  
as dirty.

I believe the main mistake I made as a new hiker was goretex and not  
wearing loose/big enough shoes. Probably was a mistake that my first  
pair of shoes were all leather without mesh. Fixing my shoe problems  
didn't help immediately. I didn't see a resolution of my blisters  
until after Kennedy Meadows.

> I think dust in the socks also adds to many folk's blistering  
> problems. Of all the people I hike with, the only significant  
> issues with blisters come from PCT hikers. Especially in the  
> southern sections. Boots do keep your feet cleaner. Dirty Girl's  
> seem to help a lot with lower cut shoes.
>
> The only blistering issue I ever had was while wearing low cut  
> shoes. Once in section A, and again while wearing low cut shoes  
> into Bearpaw Meadow, a very dusty trail. Dirty Girls seem to help.
>
> But I could be wrong.
>
> Gary