Overheard a guy at the REI counter saying he uses duct tape on his feet for blisters

I was standing in line last Saturday at the REI in Denver and this older dude was telling the clerk how he just slaps duct tape straight on hot spots before they even form. He said he's done it for 15 years on the Colorado Trail and never gets blisters. I mean, I've tried mole skin, leukotape, all that stuff and still end up limping by day 3. Has anyone else actually tried this or is it just a myth from old school hikers?

3 comments

3 Comments

felix1471mo ago

Tried it once on a 14er and ended up with duct tape stuck to my sock for three days and a blister that looked like a second belly button. My buddy swears by it though, says he uses the gorilla brand stuff and never goes back. Maybe I just have sweaty feet that reject all forms of adhesion. Better than those blister bandages that cost $8 for two and fall off in the first creek crossing.

johnson.daniel1mo ago

Duct tape on feet is honestly a gamble... I tried it once on a thru hike and ended up peeling off half my ankle skin when I took it off in the tent that night. Looked like I'd been in a fight with a cheese grater and lost real bad. Still think it might work for some people but my feet are apparently allergic to anything not called "sweat and dirt.

leelewis1mo ago

Fought a cheese grater and lost real bad" sounds like the title of my next wilderness memoir.