• Check that your boots fit properly, have been thoroughly worn in, and that your socks are designed for the activity. 

• Check that your boots are waterproof. Spray fabric boots with a Nikwax spray to improve the waterproof membrane. Apply wax to leather boots for the same result. 

• Make sure your feet are bone dry throughout the expedition, including each morning when you put your boots on. Use a small bit of talc.

• Making sure toenails are cut will also help reduce abrasion which leads to blisters forming on toes.

• Ensure that boot laces are fastened tightly when putting boots on each day, so that your foot doesn’t move inside your boot.

• A light pair of flip-flops or something to wear on camp will also allow your feet to breathe when not out walking. This will help feet to recover after each day’s activity.

If a blister does form, there will be early signs, such as feeling some heat in the affected area or a feeling of rubbing or pain where the blister is forming. 

• Stop immediately and treat the blister straight away. A short break will reduce the likelihood of hours of pain later, and you can always build this into your scheduled breaks.

• Apply some Blister Pads (such as “Compeed”) over the affected areas. These act as a “second skin” and allow the blister to heal, and the new skin to grow and harden. 

• Blister Pads usually come in 2 sizes, the smaller ones suitable for toes and larger ones for back of heels and underfoot. Once applied, they should stay on for a couple of weeks, and will drop off when the new skin has grown and healed.

• Avoid popping blisters. There will be new skin underneath that is raw until it heals. Popping the blister exposes this to further rubbing and possible infection, so will be just as painful.

• To reduce the chance of blisters on the ball of your foot, use cushioned insoles inside your boots. These act as a “shock absorber” as the foot hits the ground.