Don’t Forget To Look After Your Feet When Backpacking

 by Ric Henderson 

When you are going to be on the trails for several days, the one thing that you cannot have happen is for your wheels to go down. Your feet are your only method of transportation and if they go down, you are in big trouble. If you are a backpacking enthusiast, you need to make sure that you take care of your feet all the time, but especially when you are on the trails.

There are various factors that can result in feet problems. You could have bad socks, bad shoes or you could experience an accident that just throws a wrench into the whole system. You will need to take precautions against all of these to make sure that you don’t go down and ruin your entire backpacking trip.

It all starts with your boots and socks. You are going to be going over rough terrain and tennis sneakers are not something that you will want to wear. There is always someone that swears that their sneakers are the greatest things in the world. This is the same person that ends up on the deck holding their foot in their hands with tears running down their eyes.

You will want to get a very good pair of hiking boots. Again, do not make the mistake of thinking that a pair of work boots is going to do the trick. The traction and support is much different in a pair of really good hiking boots. Even if you have to pay a little more, they are well worth the investment if you are going to be doing a lot of backpacking.

The next thing to consider is your socks. If they get wet, you will need to have dry ones at the ready. There is nothing worse than having to walk around all day in wet socks. You are inviting issues by doing this and it should be something that you avoid at all costs. If there is one clothing item that you will pack extra of, it is your socks.

From the boots and socks, you need to make sure that your first aid kit has things that are directly related to the feet. Things like foot spray and ointment will go a long way when the feet start to burn from the walking. You are also going to want to pack a file and toe nail clippers. They weigh next to nothing and you will be glad that you have them.

Keeping your toe nails trim and neat during a backpacking trip is essential. Have you ever gone through the day with a long toe nail digging into the side of another toe only to come home to a sock filled with blood? Now imagine being forced to do this for several days while you are out in the wild.

Backpacking is a chance to get back in touch with nature, but if you don’t take care of your feet while you are on the trails and you are not wearing the right gear, the only thing that you are going to be in touch with is pain.  Follow these simple tips and your feet will thank you for it.